Sapna Shah, grants officer at the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, offers the opening prayer at the St. Francis College interfaith prayer breakfast on October 30. Photo credit: Ruben Gonzalez
On November 20, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (MCHF) announced that it had awarded the St. Francis College (SFC) nursing program a pair of grants totaling $1,185,000. The monies will be disbursed in installments over the next three years to support scholarships for nursing students as well as nursing-faculty residencies at SFC.
As one of the largest foundations in the United States and the largest foundation focused exclusively on healthcare across New York State, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation has played a critical role over the years in supporting St. Francis College students by funding sizeable nursing-program scholarships that help offset tuition, thus eliminating financial barriers. In the last five years, SFC has received a total of $2,225,000 from the MCHF in support of its nursing and health-and-wellness programs. This amount includes the round of grants announced on November 20.
To date, the Mother Cabrini Nursing Scholarship at St. Francis College has offered financial assistance to more than 100 nursing students — and counting — with a focus on those from high-achieving, low-income or historically excluded backgrounds. “These tuition scholarships not only enable students to enroll and persist in their studies but also prepare them to serve as healthcare professionals in their communities,” said Mary Kate Kasler, an assistant professor
and chair of the nursing department at St. Francis College. “By aligning with the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation’s priorities of healthcare workforce development and educational
attainment, the scholarships promote access to quality education and critical healthcare services for underserved populations.”
In addition to assisting students, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation also supports nursing-faculty residents at St. Francis College, ensuring that SFC students are trained according to the highest industry standards by the best healthcare professionals in New York City. St. Francis College is proud to partner with the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation in facing the ongoing nursing shortage in New York State and the nation, with a steadfast commitment to promoting a healthier New York City.
A student in St. Francis College’s nursing simulation lab. Photo courtesy of St. Francis College
ABOUT ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE
For 165 years, St. Francis College has provided a diverse student body, from Brooklyn and around the world, an affordable private college education rooted in the Franciscan values of inclusivity and respect for all people. Located in the heart of Brooklyn — minutes from Wall Street, world-class cultural institutions and leading entrepreneurial hubs — it offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and six master’s degree programs that inspire lifelong learning and prepare students for fulfilling careers in the 21st-century global economy.
