Outstanding minority Tennessee college students who are studying for careers in health care can earn one of six $10,000 BlueCross Power of We Scholarships.
In 2013, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation established the scholarship to address the historic lack of opportunity and health disparities, including underrepresentation in the medical field, that minority populations face. Since then, the scholarship program has helped more than a dozen promising students continue their studies in the fields of nursing, medical technology, pharmacy, and more.
Scholarship details
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, in collaboration with the NAHSE Memphis Chapter, plans to award six recipients for their outstanding achievements in community service, leadership, and academics.
All applicants must be current undergraduate students. Awardees will be selected by the NAHSE Memphis Chapter and must meet the following criteria:
- A promising minority student with the intent to obtain a degree and pursue a career in the field of health care
- Classified as a sophomore or junior by the application deadline
- Minimum 2.5 GPA (4.0 scale)
- At least 17 years old by the application deadline
- A citizen of the United States
- A resident of Tennessee AND attending an college/university within the state of Tennessee
- Enrolled during the current academic school year and planning to enroll in the 2023-2024 school year
The $10,000 award is paid out in one lump sum and is distributed by the recipient’s university.
NAHSE uses the Equal Employment Opportunity definition of minority:
Minority: The smaller part of a group. A group within a country or state that differs in race, religion, or national origin from the dominant group. According to EEOC guidelines, minority is used to mean four particular groups who share a race, color, or national origin.
These groups are:
American Indian or Alaskan Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintain their culture through a tribe or community.
Asian or Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original people of the Far East, Southeast Asia, India, or the Pacific Islands. These areas include, for example, China, India, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.
Black (except Hispanic). A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
Hispanic. A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Two or More refers to people who chose more than one of the six-race categories.
The many peoples with origins in Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East make up the dominant white population. Of course, many more minority groups can be identified in the American population. However, they are not classified separately as minorities under EEO law. It should be noted that women are not classified as a minority. However, they have experienced the same kind of systematic exclusion from the economy as the various minorities. Thus, they are considered as having “minority status” as far as the law is concerned.
U.S. citizenship requirements are defined by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.
For more information, contact:
National Association of Health Services Executives, Memphis Chapter
nahsememphis@gmail.com
Watch the video below to hear from the 2023 recipients.