Nurses for Ferguson Scholarship

The Nurses for Ferguson Scholarship encourages first-generation, low-income minority students to enter nursing. One $10,000 award will be made to a student who has been accepted to a nursing program and demonstrates financial need at the accredited nonprofit college or nursing school where the recipient will attend. Preference will be given to students currently underrepresented in the nursing field. Through this Scholarship Program, the donors seek to help increase the number of African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and other underrepresented minorities in nursing professions.

Eligibility

  • current high school student or recently graduated from high school or has received an equivalency diploma.
  • resident of the St. Louis metropolitan area
  • cumulative 2.8 grade point average (on a four-point scale)
  • has enrolled in a nursing program leading to an RN or BSN degree
  • have unmet financial need. In general, unmet financial need will be defined as the difference between the cost of attendance and the sum of the student’s grant aid from other sources plus the Student Aid Index (as determined by the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

Selection & Evaluation
Recipients will be selected by the St. Louis Community Foundation based on the student’s commitment to, and academic preparation for, higher education; the quality of the essay(s); determination of financial need, and consideration of unusual circumstances. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please answer all questions that apply to you, even if they are not marked “required.”

Notification
Application status will change from submitted to offered or denied in June. Applicants can view their status by logging in to their Scholarship Central account.
Recipients will receive a letter about their award in August.

Renewal
Recipients may apply for renewal of the Nursing for Ferguson Scholarship for up to three additional years of undergraduate funding if they remain enrolled in a nursing program, continue to demonstrate financial need, and apply by the application deadline. Please note that because the award amounts are based on available funding and financial need that can change from year to year, the amount of this scholarship award may change if a recipient applies for renewal awards in years to come.

The Nurses for Ferguson Scholarship program is administered by the St. Louis Community Foundation. Eligibility, financial need, award recipients, and award amount will be determined by the St. Louis Community Foundation.

Questions? Contact scholarships@stlgives.org or Ellen Vietor, Scholarship Manager, at St. Louis Community Foundation at 314.880.4960.

This scholarship program, as a component fund of the St. Louis Community Foundation, does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, national origin, gender, age, color, sexual orientation, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

Donor
Dr. Patricia Potter
Award
$10,000, renewable
Deadline
04/15/2025
Supplemental Questions
  1. Before you begin this application, please take a minute to read through the scholarship details. This will allow you to see all the eligibility requirements. Click on the scholarship name that is underlined and in blue ink in the upper left-hand corner to see the details. Check here to indicate you have reviewed the eligibility criteria.
  2. Are you pursuing or enrolling in a nursing program at an accredited, nonprofit school?
  3. To be considered for this scholarship, your Scholarship Central General Application MUST include your FALL transcript for the current academic year. The transcript should show your name, school, grades, and cumulative GPA. If you previously uploaded an earlier transcript, please upload a new transcript to your General Application and change your answer to the GPA question. If your college choice has changed, please update that on the General Application as well.
  4. List any volunteer/community activities, including the activity, the time involved, dates of involvement, and position(s) held:
  5. List any extracurricular school activities or family responsibilities, including the activity, the time involved, dates of involvement, and position(s) held:
  6. List any work experience, including company name, dates of employment, hours worked per week, and position(s) held:
  7. ESSAY: Write an essay in which you describe your educational plans related to your career goals, influences that led to your career choice, and any other information about yourself you think will help the selection committee better understand you as a person, student, and citizen.
  8. Upload your FAFSA Submission Summary for next year.
  9. Enter your Student Aid Index that is on your FAFSA Submission Summary.
  10. UPLOAD: Please upload next year's Financial Aid Award Letter from the college you will attend. This document will be required before an award can be determined and should include: college name, applicant name, loans, grants and scholarships offered.
  11. What school issued the award letter that you uploaded?
  12. Upload documentation from the school you plan to attend that shows your total cost of attendance.
  13. Upload documentation that shows you have been accepted to a nursing program.
  14. List the names of any siblings, their age(s), and what school(s) they are attending (if any).
  15. Where will you live during the academic year for which you are applying?
  16. If you wish to inform the reviewers of any unusual financial circumstances, including costs associated with your education or educational loans already incurred for or by you, please provide here. Please note that tax forms, W-2s or other documentation may be requested to verify information on the FAFSA Submission Summary.
  17. SCHOLARSHIP CENTRAL RECOMMENDATION: Enter the name and e-mail address of an instructor, counselor, advisor, supervisor or other similarly qualified individual who will submit a recommendation on your behalf. NOTE: As the applicant, it is your responsibility to inform that person to watch for an email sent on your behalf that will explain how to complete this process.
  18. SCHOLARSHIP CENTRAL SECOND RECOMMENDATION: Enter the name and e-mail address of an instructor, counselor, advisor, supervisor or other similarly qualified individual who will submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf. NOTE: As the applicant, it is your responsibility to inform that person to watch for an email sent on your behalf that will explain how to complete this process.
  19. Before you submit your application, be sure that the following items have been completed:
    • 1. Did you upload a copy of your FALL transcript that includes your name, school, grades, hours, and cumulative GPA to the My Scholarship Central General Application?
    • 2. Please make sure we can read the document you uploaded for the question that asks for your FAFSA Submission Summary and that you included all the pages in the report. Click “view” under the box that shows the uploaded file to check the document you provided.
    • 3. Did you upload the Financial Aid Award Letter from the college you plan to attend that includes your college name, your name, loans, grants, and scholarships offered?
  20. SIGNATURE: By entering my full name below, I certify that the information I have provided is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and I authorize the St. Louis Community Foundation and its agents to examine, verify and discuss my academic records and other information that applies to the consideration of this application. My signature also signifies that, if awarded, I understand that it is my responsibility to inform the St. Louis Community Foundation of any changes to my college plans and that I understand that some portion of scholarship awards I receive from any source may be considered taxable income if the total amount exceeds the cost of tuition and course related fees, supplies and equipment.
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