RN, LPN, and CNA Students Receive Reimbursement

Eighty-five Black River Technical College RN, LPN, and CNA students recently received reimbursement in the amount of $36, 152.30 for out-of-pocket expenses they incurred while enrolled in their respective programs.

The reimbursement was made possible by the Arkansas Partnership for Nursing Future (APNF) grant that ended on March 31, 2016.  This amount was in addition to $29,682.82 the students had received earlier in the year.  Students received help from APNF through various offerings, including tutoring, certifications, tuition scholarships for CNAs, adjunct pay for clinical instructors, uniform scholarships, statewide clinical instructor training, and the RN-to-BSN pilot program offered at UAMS for ARNEC graduates.  “This grant has been instrumental in providing access to continued education for nurses,” explained Ramonda Housh, Division Chair for Allied Health.

The grant timeline was 2012-2016 during which time BRTC has received approximately $30,000 a year for student reimbursement. The goal of the grant was multifold, one goal being to increase the number of Baccalaureate prepared RNs across the state.  In addition, its purpose was to assist in meeting the demand for nurses and CNAs in the workforce.  The students that qualified for this reimbursement were those active in the grants final fiscal year.