PEMBROKE, NC – Nursing graduates at Sandhills Community College will receive a guaranteed $1,000 scholarship if they pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing at UNC Pembroke. UNCP Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings and SCC President Dr. John Dempsey signed a formal agreement last month, launching the Pembroke Pathway Nursing Scholarship.Beginning in August, the scholarship will be awarded to any SCC nursing graduate who enrolls in the RN-BSN program at UNCP. “This is a big day for us,” Dr. Cummings said after penning the agreement. “John, we are honored and so thankful for this opportunity. This will change lives. Thank you very much for having a vision.” “It’s no secret that the requirements for nursing education are going up,” Dempsey said. “The credentialing requirements will almost certainly within five years require a baccalaureate for employment.” “Currently, they require a baccalaureate for continued employment after a certain number of years,” he said “I see that eventually becoming an entry requirement and so it will be essential for our students to be able to finish their undergraduate education in an expeditious way.”To qualify, nursing graduates must enroll in the RN-BSN program at UNCP within 24 months of earning their degree at Sandhills Community College. The funds are provided by the Sandhills Community College Foundation. “This is part of our commitment to help encourage our students to go on and get their bachelor’s degree,” said Germaine Elkins, executive director of the SCC Foundation.
