The Dane G. Hansen Foundation has awarded $100,000 to Salina Area Technical College, to fund the Dane G. Hansen Foundation Medical Scholarship Program for students in the college’s new Nursing program.

Salina Tech President Greg Nichols said the scholarship doesn’t specify a certain number of recipients or a dollar amount, giving the college the flexibility to make those decisions.
Recipients of the scholarships will, however, have to agree to work in the 26-county region of northwest Kansas that the Foundation serves. That region includes Saline County and all Kansas counties to the north and west of Saline County.

That’s different from most Dane G. Hansen Foundation scholarships, Nichols said, in that most require the recipient reside in that 26 county region to be eligible. The focus is to help northwest Kansas attract highly-needed medical professionals.

Although tuition and fees for the Practical Nursing program haven’t yet been finalized for the 2018-19 academic year, Nichols said Salina Tech has to cover the full cost of the program through tuition and fees, and that for some students, such as those who do not qualify for Pell Grants, federal student loans alone may not cover the full cost.
“This donation from the Hansen Foundation will allow our program to get started and grow the right way, limiting some of the financial burden to students,” Nichols said. “Our new nursing program and this scholarship will help sustain and grow northwest Kansas.”

The scholarship funds begin in the 2018-19 school year, Nichols said, adding that Salina Tech will keep the Dane G. Hansen Foundation apprised of the progress of the recipients with plans to continue into the future.

Salina Tech’s Practical Nursing program has been approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing, Kansas Board of Regents, and the Higher Learning Commission to accept up to 40 students per year, starting in the fall of 2018. Before being admitted, prospective students must complete several prerequisite classes, such as Anatomy & Physiology, Medical Terminology, Math, and Human Development which will be offered by Salina Tech this summer.

For more information about the Practical Nursing program, prerequisites or scholarships, call the Student Services office at 785-309-3100.