Launch your career with an organization rooted deeply in both the popular and economic culture of the communities it serves.

Penn Highlands Healthcare Nursing Scholars provides you with the opportunity to reduce the cost of your education while securing employment at one of Penn Highlands Healthcare’s nationally recognized hospitals prior to graduation.

Through this program, Penn Highlands Healthcare provides you up to $40,000 in student loan repayment in exchange for a three year, full-time work commitment at Penn Highlands DuBois or Penn Highlands Mon Valley hospitals after graduation.

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Are you a current or prospective student?

Secure up to $40,000

Explore Your Options

How it Works

Complete Your Application

Applications are simple and streamlined. Advisors are available to support you at each step along the way.

Ready to start?

Get Selected by Your Future Employer

If you are accepted, your future employer will make monthly payments on your loans over a set number of months.

Start Your Journey

Hit the ground running on your first job with extra support from colleagues and leadership.

Select Your Journey

RN

Loan Repayment: $40,000

Work Commitment: 3 years

Eligibility:

  • Be in good academic standing with a GPA of at least 2.3
  • Be enrolled in an accredited pre-licensure BSN, ABSN, or entry-level MSN program
  • Be a United States Citizen, Permanent Resident, or with residency under DACA or TPS programs

Application Materials:

  • Short written essay
  • Brief video personal statement
  • Unofficial transcript
Apply Now

Step by Step: Completing Your Application

Life happens. If plans change, you won’t owe anything to your employer.

About Penn Highlands Healthcare

At Penn Highlands Healthcare, we provide residents of the communities we serve with access to the region’s best hospitals, physicians, home care agency, nursing homes and other affiliates who believe that healthcare should be managed by local board members.

Each facility is the largest employer in its hometown and strives to be an integrated health care delivery system that provides premier care with a personal touch, no matter where one lives in the region. Penn Highlands Healthcare is recognized both state-wide and nationally, receiving a multitide of awards, recognitions, and accreditations - a testament to the value we place on our employees, our patients, and our communities.

Emma B.
Nursing Student

“Being able to complete my degree knowing I have a job secured after graduation and without the burden of increasing student loan debt is truly amazing. College is much less stressful now that I can dedicate my time to studying rather than working to pay for college. This experience has been such a blessing and played a huge part in my ability to become a registered nurse!”

Maura C.
Nursing Student

“As a nursing student, I spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to not only enter a profession that I am so passionate about but also to do so with the sense of security and purpose thanks to the incredible support from the program. For me, this program has truly been a life changer. It has provided me with a unique opportunity to enter the nursing profession, not with just excitement and enthusiasm, but with a sense of financial peace.”

Nancy Chan
Registered Nurse

“Receiving this scholarship has allowed me to be at ease about my school loans and grants me a bit of financial freedom! What excites me most about this opportunity is the sense of feeling truly integrated into the fabric of WellSpan. It enables me to build stronger connections and enhances my credibility when presenting future quality improvement ideas.”

Have questions?

Reach out to us to learn more.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Your salary and benefits will be competitive and on par with your peers. They will not be affected by participation in the program, as this is meant to be an added benefit. To find out more about sign-on or relocation bonus eligibility, you may request information or start an application and an advisor will be in touch. 

You can voluntarily choose to leave the program at any time. If you do so before completing your work commitment, you forfeit any further loan repayments made by the health system but are not required to reimburse any payments already made on your behalf. Similarly, if you involuntarily leave the program at any time by violating the terms of your employment, you forfeit any further loan repayments made on your behalf.

You may be subject to income tax for some or all of the loan payments made by the Scholars Network Program on your behalf. You should consult with a tax professional if you have any questions regarding the tax implications of the Scholars Network Program.

Read more from the IRS about current law regarding employer-sponsored loan repayment tax implications here. 

No. To be accepted, you must successfully complete each of the above application requirements set by the employer and be selected by the employer.

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