New supports for low-income nursing students announced at MRU
Ministry of Advanced Education expanding New Beginnings Bursary
— Mount Royal University | Posted: February 8, 2023
From left to right: Elizabeth Van Den Kerkhof (director of the School of Nursing and Midwifery), Lydia Schouten (nursing student), Nancy Tran (nursing student), and Demetrios Nicolaides (Advanced Education Minister).
An expansion of Alberta’s New Beginnings Bursary will help 1,700 low-income students become nurses.
At a news conference held at Mount Royal’s Health Simulation Learning Centre, the Honourable Demetrios Nicolaides, PhD, minister of advanced education, announced an additional $8.5-million investment into the bursary, saying “cost should not be a barrier to higher education.”
New Beginnings was created in 2022 to help make post-secondary more accessible and affordable. Up to 1,700 nursing students across Alberta will now be eligible for the one-time, non-repayable $5,000 bursary.
Students do not need to apply to be a recipient. Alberta Student Aid will deliver funding to those who meet the eligibility criteria and have approved student loan and grant funding applications during the 2022/23 loan year.
“Our government is focused on making life more affordable for Albertans. That’s why we have and will continue to increase student financial assistance. We want to ensure every student can gain the knowledge and skills they need to build successful careers at home and secure Alberta’s future,” Nicolaides said.
The new funding is welcome news to nursing students at MRU, who say this allows them to be more focused on their studies.
“Finances are usually one of the things that are top-of-mind for students when we think about school. While my husband works full time to afford housing and food for us, I have also been working two jobs alongside my studies in an attempt to save up for tuition costs,” said Lydia Schouten, a third-year nursing student.
Schouten says this new bursary will allow students to challenge themselves in their studies and go the extra mile in their learning and extracurricular activities.
Fourth-year nursing student Nancy Tran says the bursary will help alleviate some of the stress of being a student. “Support like this could mean that we may not need to work so many hours at our part-time jobs, dip into our savings, or draw as much from student loans. It is so much easier for us to focus on our education when we don’t need to worry so much about money.”
Dr. Tim Rahilly, PhD, MRU’s president and vice-chancellor, said, “Graduates of MRU’s nursing program make invaluable contributions to our health-care system and the community at large. Increased access to financial support such as this new bursary help our students to focus on their education and fulfill their immense potential.”
By the end of the 2023/24 academic year, the New Beginnings Bursary will have assisted 3,400 low-income students in Alberta in completing their studies.