Abilene Christian University is offering $80,000 in scholarships and grants to local high school students who complete the Hendrick Healthcare Academy and choose a health care-related major at ACU upon high school graduation, according to a media release.
Applications for the academy are open through April 30.
The new program is designed to encourage Abilene and Big Country-area students to study psychology, social work or one of several health professions, and stay local for their college and future career opportunities, the Friday media release from ACU said.
“We want to expose students to health- and behavioral-sciences-related disciplines at ACU and encourage them to stay as a licensed provider in Abilene and improve the quality of life for people here,” Dr. Dirk Nelson, dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences at ACU, said in the media release.
“There’s a need right here to help students and positively impact our community’s health, well being and productivity. This is one great manifestation of that,” Nelson said.
Hendrick Healthcare Academy, launched in 2023, allows high school students to learn about multiple career options in the broad field of health care.
The academy is part of Hendrick Health’s long-term workforce development strategy to partner with local and regional colleges and universities to grow its employee ranks in Abilene and Brownwood. The program exposes students to career opportunities close to their West Central Texas roots.
“Hendrick Health is grateful for ACU’s partnership in the Hendrick Healthcare Academy. We are able to offer these incredible hands-on experiences for our students because of the resources offered by institutions like ACU,” Toni Brockway, director of workforce development at Hendrick Health, said in a media release.
“This generous scholarship makes a significant impact for students in the Big Country pursuing futures in health care,” Brockway said
Eligibility requirements to receive the scholarships from ACU include the following:
Students who meet those prerequisites will receive:
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