CF Nursing Students Benefit From New Scholarship

College of Central Florida nursing students are benefitting from a new Citrus County Hospital Board Nursing Scholarship, which covers 100% of tuition and fees for Citrus County residents accepted into CF’s Associate Degree Nursing program. Through the inaugural round of scholarships, 44 students had their tuition completely paid for the Fall 2024 semester, collectively receiving nearly $53,000 in funds.

“In my cohort, a lot of us are working double time, and it can be really hard to balance that work with schooling. So now with this scholarship, we’re able to focus primarily on school,” said Aleigh Alexander, a third semester nursing student at the CF Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus. “This is going to open so many more doors for us because we’re able to 100% focus on our education and grow as future nurses.”

The CCHB scholarship was made possible by an $11.7 million endowment established by the CF Foundation in partnership with the Citrus County Hospital Board. To qualify for the scholarship, students must be Citrus County residents and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the CF Foundation scholarship application annually.

The CF Nursing program has received several national recognitions for its quality, including being ranked No. 1 Nursing Program in Florida by RegisteredNursing.org and No. 3 for Best Online Nursing Programs in Florida by Research.com. Most recently, CF was included on US News and World Report list of Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs, in which CF was ranked as the highest among Florida College System institutions.

“I want to become a nurse because I want to help people,” said Julia Harrigan, a level one CF Nursing student. “This scholarship helps so much. I don’t believe I would be able to attend CF without the scholarship.”

CF anticipates supporting as many as 50 future registered nurses a year through the CCHB scholarship fund. To learn more about the CF Nursing program, visit CF.edu/Nursing. To explore opportunities for supporting students through endowments, visit CF.edu/Foundation.