The purpose of this program is to defray costs related to graduate education for students enrolled in the South Dakota State University College of Nursing graduate program.  The funds will be distributed in the form of stipends to offset tuition, books, and fees of the advanced nurse education program and any reasonable living expenses of the individual during the traineeship period.  No more than 10% of the funds will be awarded to doctoral degree students. 

           The M.S. in Nursing degree program at SDSU College of Nursing is designed to prepare individuals to serve as advanced practice nurses in urban, rural, frontier and reservation areas of South Dakota and adjoining states of the northern plains.  The PhD in Nursing program is designed to prepare nurse scientists who will serve as researchers, faculty members, and health care administrators in urban, rural, frontier and reservation areas of South Dakota and the region. 

            Attaining the goals of Healthy People 2010 can be served by graduates of both the PhD and MS Nursing programs.  The frontier, rural, and reservation areas of this state are challenged related to health care access, delivery, and quality.  The health promotion and disease prevention focus of SDSU College of Nursing is directly related to Healthy People 2010 Goal 1, which is to increase the quality and years of a healthy life.  South Dakota’s American Indian population is approximately 12% of the total population in the state, with a growing number of refugees and immigrants.  Health care delivery to this population as well as to the rural and frontier communities directly relates to Healthy People 2010 Goal 2, which seeks to eliminate our country’s health disparities.

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