SCHOLARSHIPS CHANGE LIVES,
CREATE LEGACIES By: Lisa Alexander, CFRE President, CoxHealth Foundation
Matching Gift Offer, Your Response Needed I was about to quit nursing school when the letter came in the mail that I had received a scholarship.” This was the opening line of a thank you note from a recipient of 2020's scholarship awards. It went on to say that she had been working two jobs, raising two children and even with support from her family, she still was struggling to afford school. I would like to add that her GPA on the application for her scholarship was a 3.9.
Education is expensive no matter where students attend. The fact that this very bright and obviously, very committed student came close to ending her nursing path, is tragic. Federal
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The Pulse • Spring 2021
Despite all our efforts, there are never enough scholarships to go around... funds are limited in higher education. If a student has a previous degree before coming into a nursing or other program, the student does not qualify for federal aid. Many of our Cox College students are older, married, and have families. To add a student loan on top of car loans and mortgages is often not an option. This is why
The Burge Class of 1961 established a scholarship that honors their classmates.
scholarships have become so vital to Cox College students. In many cases, the scholarship is what opens the door to the student being able to pursue a nursing or health science career.
In 2020, the Foundation received the largest number of applications in our history. Fifty-two nursing scholarships (from $250$5,000 a semester) are in
place. All other degrees have scholarships created out of unrestricted funds gifted to Cox College. Despite all efforts, there are never enough scholarships to go around to all the students with financial need. The expansion of nursing from 250-400 students creates even greater demand. It is our goal in 2021 to grow the scholarship
