Two new scholarships cover full cost of tuition for Chickasaw nursing and education students

The Chickasaw Nation Higher Education Program is offering two new advantageous scholarships for students pursuing degrees in nursing or education at East Central University (ECU) in Ada, Oklahoma.

The Abeka Apisachi Nursing Scholarship is for students who are already accepted into the nursing program at ECU.

“They will do a scholarship interview with the scholarship selection committee consisting of nursing staff from the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center. The interview and the rest of their application will be what helps us decide who will get this scholarship for the upcoming fall semester,” said Kresta Lofton, higher education manager for the Chickasaw Nation.

The Holisso Pisachi Education Scholarship is for students seeking a bachelor’s degree in education at ECU.

“Nursing and education are two fields of study that are in high demand. We need nurses. We need teachers at our child care centers. Oklahoma needs teachers and nurses,” Lofton added.

These scholarships are for Chickasaw students and aim to place future Chickasaw employees in the education and nursing fields. The scholarships are competitive.

“Only two are accepted for each program. The scholarships cover the full cost of the students’ tuition, their books, any fees, on-campus housing and residence life expenses,” Lofton said.

The students are required to work in paid, part-time positions in either the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health or the Chickasaw Nation Department of Education, whichever field they are pursuing. They also must maintain at least a bronze level of participation. This is a standard set by the Chickasaw Nation Recruitment and Retention Program that requires students to obtain a certain number of points by attending different events on campus or in the community.

“Having them work part time will not only open up employment opportunities for them upon graduation, but they are going to get that hands-on learning experience. They’re going to be active in the Chickasaw Nation and learn more about the resources available to them,” Lofton said.

The deadline to apply is July 31. For more information, visit Chickasaw.net/HigherEd or contact Chickasaw Nation Higher Education at (580) 421-7711.