Bellarmine University has joined with Norton Healthcare to increase tuition assistance for students seeking degrees in health care fields with particularly high workforce needs.
Through the Norton Healthcare Scholars Program, created by Norton Healthcare, Bellarmine students may receive up to $40,000 in tuition assistance for eligible bachelor’s or master’s degrees in registered nursing, respiratory therapy or laboratory sciences.
“We appreciate Norton Healthcare’s continued faith in the value of a Bellarmine education,” said Christy Kane, Dean of Bellarmine’s Donna and Allan Lansing School of Nursing and Clinical Sciences. “Norton Healthcare is generously investing in a new generation of highly trained, compassionate caregivers in our region.”
Bellarmine and Norton Healthcare are closely collaborating to limit scholars’ out-of-pocket costs while completing their degrees.
A post-graduation work commitment is required. The length of the commitment is based on the amount of tuition assistance the program scholar received. Incoming and current Bellarmine students who are interested in pursuing a clinical degree are encouraged to apply.
Licensed practical nurses or medical laboratory technicians employed with Norton Healthcare may also receive tuition assistance to advance clinical credentials in their current area of work.
“By providing financial support to our employees and future employees, we are minimizing financial barriers that limit opportunities,” said Kim Blanding, system director, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development. “By investing in education for our employees, as well as other eligible applicants within the community, we are able to better meet workforce needs and serve our patients and the community as a whole. We encourage anyone who is interested in a health care career to connect with us to learn more about our Norton Healthcare Scholars Program as well as our on-the-job training programs.”
Bellarmine health care programs are regionally renowned for producing highly professional caregivers. Bellarmine students far surpass national averages for licensure exams in fields like nursing, which has a 94 percent first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam. College Choice and Intelligent.com both rank Bellarmine’s Respiratory Therapy degree as the best in the nation.
Tuition assistance is a growing aspect of a larger collaboration between Bellarmine and Norton Healthcare. Earlier this year, a 5-year, $2.4 million partnership expansion was announced that highlights sports medicine, campus wellness and nursing. It is the largest partnership in Bellarmine’s history.
Prospective scholars must complete a career coaching session as part of the application process for the Norton Healthcare Scholars Program.
Click here to learn more about eligible Bellarmine majors or to reach a Bellarmine admission counselor. Contact Norton Healthcare’s Workforce Development team at WorkforceDevelopment@nortonhealthcare.org, NortonHealthcare.com/TuitionAssistance or (502) 446-5835.
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About Bellarmine University: Bellarmine (Louisville, Ky.) is an inclusive independent Catholic university with strong liberal arts focus that educates students in mind, body and spirit for meaningful lives, rewarding careers, ethical leadership and service to improve the human condition. Founded in 1950, Bellarmine offers more than 60 majors with an undergraduate and graduate enrollment of nearly 3,500 students and has an alumni community of more than 26,000. The Bellarmine Knights field teams in 22 Division I sports, most in the ASUN conference. Bellarmine is listed as a top U.S. university by publications including The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.
About Norton Healthcare: Norton Healthcare is a leader in serving adult and pediatric patients from throughout Greater Louisville, Southern Indiana, the commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond. The not-for-profit hospital and health care system is Louisville’s second largest employer, with more than 18,000 employees, over 1,700 employed medical providers and approximately 2,000 total physicians on its medical staff. The system includes six hospitals (five in Louisville and one in Madison, Indiana) with 1,993 licensed beds, eight outpatient centers, 18 Norton Immediate Care Centers, eight Norton Prompt Care at Walgreens clinics and an expanded telehealth program. It provides care at more than 340 locations throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana. The hospitals provide inpatient and outpatient general care as well as specialty care including heart, neuroscience, cancer, orthopedic, women’s and pediatric services. A strong research program provides access to clinical trials in a multitude of areas. In 2021 Norton Healthcare was named by Healthiest Employers as the 10th healthiest place to work in the country and has twice been awarded an honorable mention for the C. Everett Koop National Health Awards. Since 2018, Norton Healthcare’s five Louisville hospitals and Norton Cancer Institute have been named LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leaders by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, earning a top score of 100 on the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI).