Bethesda Alumni Association awarded $70,000 in scholarships to Nursing students

Thirty-five Cincinnati State Nursing students each received a scholarship for the 2023-24 academic year thanks to contributions by the Bethesda Alumni Association.

At an event on August 8, Joyce Fugate, President of the Bethesda Alumni Association, presented a check for $70,000 to President Monica Posey and some of the scholarship recipients, including students seeking the associate degree in Nursing as well as students entering Cincinnati State’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

“We are grateful for the support that the Association provides for our students,” said Dr. Bonnie Smith, Associate Dean of the Health & Public Safety Division and Director of the Nursing programs.

The Bethesda Alumni Association has awarded scholarships to Cincinnati State nursing students since 2011.

Bethesda Hospital and Cincinnati State have deep ties in nursing. In 1989, the two institutions agreed to transfer the Bethesda School of Nursing to Cincinnati State, establishing the Cincinnati State Bethesda School of Nursing.

The Bethesda Alumni Association includes over 4,000 members, all graduates of the Bethesda School of Nursing or the Cincinnati State Bethesda School of Nursing.

The Bethesda Foundation administers the scholarship funds raised by the Bethesda Alumni Association and awards the funds to the Cincinnati State Foundation for distribution to Nursing students.

Nursing students are eligible for a Bethesda Alumni Association scholarship if they have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and have completed a course that includes a hospital clinical experience.