How can I pay for school?

Explore how your local community hospital can help provide you with financial aid for your education.

Many Kansas City area hospitals offer financial assistance for health care careers. As a full- or part-time employee, you may be eligible for tuition reimbursement. Some hospitals offer scholarships for students to attend a specific school or enroll in a specific program, such as nursing. These programs may require a commitment to work at the hospital for one or two years after graduation. Additional benefits may include paying for licensure testing, prep courses and certification.

For more information, contact the following hospitals.

Hospitals	Scholarship Program¹	Student Scholarship/ Loan Forgiveness with Work Commitment²	Employee Scholarships/ Tuition Reimbursement³
Atchison Hospital^‡	X	X	X
Carondelet Health St. Joseph Medical Center^‡ St. Mary’s Medical Center^‡		X	X
Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics^‡			X
HCA Hospitals Centerpoint Medical Center^‡ Lee’s Summit Hospital^‡ Menorah Medical Center^‡ Overland Park Regional Medical Center^‡ Research Belton Hospital^‡ Research Medical Center^‡ Research Psychiatric Center^‡		X	X
Excelsior Springs Medical Center*			X
Kindred Hospital of Kansas City^‡		X	X
Lawrence Memorial Hospital^‡	X	X	X
Liberty Hospital^‡		X	X
North Kansas City Hospital^‡		X	X
Olathe Medical Center^‡ Miami County Medical Center^‡	X		X
Providence Medical Center* Saint John Hospital*		X	X
Saint Luke’s Health System Saint Luke’s East-Lee’s Summit^‡ Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City^‡ Saint Luke’s Northland^‡ Saint Luke’s South Hospital^‡		X	X
Shawnee Mission Medical Center^‡		X	X
Stormont-Vail HealthCare^‡		X	X
Truman Medical Centers Inc. Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill^‡ Truman Medical Center Lakewood^‡		X	X
University of Kansas Hospital^‡		X	X

¹Scholarship Program — Hospitals in this column award scholarships to individuals interested in pursuing health care careers. Some of these hospitals may have a specific school or degree criteria. This column includes hospitals that offer scholarships that do not require work commitments. Anyone may apply for these scholarships.

²Student Scholarship/Loan Forgiveness with Work Commitment ― Hospitals in this column offer scholarships or loans that students may repay by agreeing to work at the hospital for a specified length of time after graduation.

³Employee Scholarships/Tuition Reimbursement — These hospitals pay for employees’ courses. Some hospitals require participants to be employed a specific length of time to be eligible. Some require participants to continue employment for a minimum length of time after completing a course.

^‡These hospitals offer employee scholarships/tuition reimbursement for both full- and part-time employees.
*These hospitals offer employee scholarships/tuition reimbursement for full-time employees only.

Atchison Hospital

Student Scholarship
Amount: varies; as much as $3,000 per year
Profession: nursing
For more information, contact the hospital's auxiliary coordinator at jkiehl@atchhosp.org or 913/367-6600, ext. 1175.

Employee Assistance
Full-time employees may receive 100 percent of costs up to $1,000. Part-time employees may receive 50 percent of costs up to $1,000.
For more information, contact the hospital's human resources department at sboos@atchhosp.org or 913/367-6600, ext. 1262.

Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics

Employee Assistance
Full-time employees may receive $3,000 per year for educational expenses. Part-time employees may receive $1,500 per year. To receive assistance, employees must receive a passing grade and commit to one year of employment at the hospital.
For more information, contact the hospital's human resources department at vsmith@cmh.edu or 816/234-3927.

Excelsior Springs Medical Center

Employee Assistance
Employees may receive educational assistance for course work that is related to their present job or one to which the employee can reasonably aspire. Employees can receive 50 percent of fees and tuition, up to $800 per year. There is no limit on the total amount.

Requirements: Full-time employees are eligible to request tuition assistance, and requests must be approved by the department supervisor and administrator. Employees must receive a passing grade. The employee agrees to reimburse the hospital for the full amount of the loan if employment is terminated within one year from the date the loan was granted, 50 percent of the amount of the loan if employment is terminated before completion of two years. Once two years of service from the date of the loan are completed, the employee is no longer liable for any amount of the loan.

For more informaiton, contact the hospital's human resources department at jschwan@esmc.org or 816/629-2783.

Kindred Hospital of Kansas City

Student Scholarship
Amount: as much as $6,000 per year for two years
Profession: nursing (for LPN and RN students)
Requirements: work commitment after graduation; maintaining full-time employment while attending school
For more information, contact the hospital's payroll/benefits coordinator at 816/995-2159.

Student Loan Forgiveness
Profession: LPN and RN students
Details: loan forgiveness of $500 per month after graduation
For more information, contact the hospital's payroll/benefits coordinator at 816/995-2159.

Employee Assistance
Employees can receive a maximum of $2,500 per year for educational expenses. Employees must receive prior approval from the hospital, receive a passing grade and maintain full-time employment while attending school. For more information, contact the hospital's payroll/benefits coordinator at 816/995-2159.

Lawrence Memorial Hospital

Student Scholarship Program: LMH Auxiliary Award
Amount: $1,000
Professions: general health care
Details: available to graduating high school students; renewable if the student maintains a 3.0 GPA
For more information, contact the hospital's volunteer services department at allyson.leland@lmh.org or 785/840-3141.

Student Scholarship Program: LMH Auxiliary Award - KUMC
Amount: $1,000 per year for two years
Profession: Nursing
Details: available to a Douglas County student enrolled in a nursing program at University of Kansas Medical Center
For more information, contact the hospital's volunteer services department at allyson.leland@lmh.org or 785/840-3141.

Student Scholarship Program: Kansas Nursing Service Scholarship
Amount: $2,500 to $3,500
Profession: Nursing
Details: available to a Kansas resident who has been admitted to an eligible nursing program. The student must carry a minimum 12 semester hours or equivalent.
For more information, contact the hospital's human resources department at human.resources@lmh.org or 785/840-3004.

Employee Scholarship Program: Association Education Funds
Amount: $250
Professions: available to all employees for continuing education expenses
Details: available to full-time employees with a minimum of one year of service to the hospital
For more information, contact the hospital's endowment office at sarah.smith@lmh.org or 785/840-3318.

Employee Scholarship Program: Naomi Lescher Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Profession: nursing
Details:available to employees who have completed one year of service and are enrolled in an associate Degree or bachelor of science in nursing program
For more information, contact the hospital's endowment office at sarah.smith@lmh.org or 785/840-3318.

Employee Scholarship Program: Monty Belot Nursing Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Professions: Nursing
Details: available to employees who have completed one year of service and are enrolled in an accredited nursing program
For more information, contact the hospital's endowment office at sarah.smith@lmh.org or 785/840-3318.

Employee Scholarship Program: U.S. Bank General Employee Scholarship
Amount: $500
Professions: general health care
Details: available to employees who have completed one year of service and are enrolled in an accredited health care program
For more information, contact the hospital's endowment office at sarah.smith@lmh.org or 785/840-3318.

Employee Scholarship Program: Clark R. Bittenbender Scholarship
Amount: $ 500
Professions: general health care
Details:available to employees who have completed one year of service and are enrolled in an accredited health care program
For more information, contact the hospital's endowment office at sarah.smith@lmh.org or 785/840-3318.

Employee Assistance
Full-time employees may receive a maximum of $1,500 for educational expenses. Part-time employees may receive a maximum of $900. To receive assistance, employees must work a minimum of 40 agreed hours per pay period and receive a passing grade. Employees are eligible to receive assistance the first of the month following 60 days of employment.
For more information, contact the hospital's human resources department at human.resources@lmh.org or 785/840-3004.

Truman Medical Centers Inc.

Scholarship Program
Amount: $400 to $1,000
Professions: all positions
Details: available to full-time employees who have completed 90-day probationary periods and have demonstrated financial need
For more information, contact Donna Gross at donna.gross@tmcmed.org or 816/404-2515.

Student Loan Forgiveness
Professions: nursing students
Details: Nursing students can receive $750 per month for for educational assistance. There is a work commitment for the plan.
For more information, contact Carol Evrard at carol.evrard@tmcmed.org or 816/404-5218.

Employee Assistance
Employees can receive $1,800 per year for educational assistance. Employees enrolled in undergraduate programs must receive a passing grade of C; a grade of B is required for any master's level courses.
For more information, contact Michelle Tucker at michelle.tucker@tmcmed.org or 816/404-2560.