Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, nurses have been coping with a lack of necessary medical supplies, a high volume of patients, and less time at home to spend with their families. At Frontier Nursing University (FNU), the majority of students are registered nurses facing these challenges while simultaneously completing advanced practice degrees.
It is with situations like this in mind that Frontier created their Student Emergency Fund. This fund provides grants to students experiencing unexpected financial situations that threaten their ability to continue their studies.
The Student Emergency Fund is not a scholarship to cover tuition or the routine costs of attending FNU. These grants meet significant loss in true emergencies such as fire, natural disaster, catastrophic medical injuries, illness, and now, pandemics. All gifts made to this fund are given directly to students. Since its creation, the Student Emergency Fund has brought aid to more than 200 students.
Here are some testimonials from FNU students who have received these grants:
“I want to say thank you so much to the donors of the emergency fund for Frontier. This grant was truly a blessing for me, and I am very grateful for the generous donations. I know many people are facing hard times with COVID-19, and I am so grateful there are resources out there to help those in need, such as myself. I am very appreciative and do not take this opportunity for granted one bit. Thank you again!” – Simone Curd
“I would like to give my thanks and show my gratitude for the emergency funding I received; it will be put to good use. It has lessened a huge burden for me as a student. 2020 has been very difficult for everyone, including myself. On top of the pandemic, I experienced many unexpected changes this year that put me in a challenging financial position. I truly appreciate the financial assistance during these hardships; it is helping me reach my goal of graduation.” – Madeline Fernandez
“I just wanted to reach out to the donors who donated to the emergency fund at Frontier and express my gratitude. I experienced significant financial stress from an emergency department visit and missed days of work. This grant will be a great help, and my family is extremely grateful for your kindness.”
“My family and I cannot thank you enough for your incredible generosity. The emergency scholarship fund has been a huge blessing to our family during this time. We are grateful and honored to be considered for this scholarship. It’s a true testament to your servant’s hearts. My husband and I were blessed with our second baby girl. We are so thankful that she and I are okay, but the birth was very traumatic for all of us. I ended up requiring an emergency c-section and had a large postpartum hemorrhage. As a result, we have several extra medical costs and require housing away from home (I am in my clinical rotation location) a bit longer. Your generosity will help to ease the financial burden we are feeling right now. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” – Anonymous
“I sincerely thank you for the scholarship provided to me to continue my education at Frontier Nursing University. I hope to be able to contribute to scholarships in the future. Thank you for assisting me with a scholarship during this difficult time.” – Anonymous
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FNU leadership believes strongly in working together to improve access to healthcare. In order to meet this goal, we need new nurses out in the field actively working to improve healthcare disparities. Every gift FNU receives for the Student Emergency Fund helps students cope with financial burdens so they can continue their education, and we can continue to revolutionize care across the country.
If you would be interested in helping FNU bring assistance to students facing extreme economic fallout from the pandemic or a similar unlikely situation, please visit Frontier’s donation page.
If you or a student you know is facing unexpected financial hardships, the Student Emergency Fund application can be found here. Applications will receive a response within two-weeks. The Financial Aid Office is also available to answer questions and provide assistance with general financial support needs.
Justin C. Daily, BSN, RN, has ten years of experience in nursing. At the start of his nursing career, Justin worked as a floor nurse on the oncology floor at St. Francis. He then spent two years as the Director of Nursing in a small rural Kansas hospital before returning to St. Francis and the oncology unit. He has been in his current position as the Chemo Nurse Educator for the past four years. He earned an Associate in Nurse from Hutchinson Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bethel College.
Brandy Jackson serves as the Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs and Assistant Educator at Wichita State University and Co-Director of Access in Nursing. Brandy is a seasoned educator with over 15 years of experience. Before entering academia, Brandy served in Hospital-based leadership and Critical Care Staff nurse roles. Brandy is passionate about equity in nursing education with a focus on individuals with disabilities. Her current research interests include accommodations of nursing students with disabilities in clinical learning environments and breaking down barriers for historically unrepresented individuals to enter the nursing profession. Brandy is also actively engaged in Interprofessional Education development, creating IPE opportunities for faculty and students at Wichita State. Brandy is an active member of Wichita Women for Good and Soroptimist, with the goal to empower women and girls. Brandy is a TeamSTEPPS master trainer. She received the DASIY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty in 2019 at Wichita State University. 
Dr. Sabrina Ali Jamal-Eddine is an Arab-disabled queer woman of color with a PhD in Nursing and an interdisciplinary certificate in Disability Ethics from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Dr. Jamal-Eddine’s doctoral research explored spoken word poetry as a form of critical narrative pedagogy to educate nursing students about disability, ableism, and disability justice. Dr. Jamal-Eddine now serves as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in UIC’s Department of Disability and Human Development and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities (NOND). During her doctoral program, Sabrina served as a Summer Fellow at a residential National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) Summer Institute at Arizona State University (2023), a summer fellow at Andrew W. Mellon’s National Humanities Without Walls program at University of Michigan (2022), a Summer Research Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute (2021), and an Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) trainee (2019-2020).
Vanessa Cameron works for Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nursing Education & Professional Development. She is also attending George Washington University and progressing towards a PhD in Nursing with an emphasis on ableism in nursing. After becoming disabled in April 2021, Vanessa’s worldview and perspective changed, and a recognition of the ableism present within healthcare and within the culture of nursing was apparent. She has been working since that time to provide educational foundations for nurses about disability and ableism, provide support for fellow disabled nursing colleagues, and advocate for the disabled community within healthcare settings to reduce disparities.
Dr. Lucinda Canty is a certified nurse-midwife, Associate Professor of Nursing, and Director of the Seedworks Health Equity in Nursing Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Columbia University, a master’s degree from Yale University, specializing in nurse-midwifery, and a PhD from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Canty has provided reproductive health care for over 29 years. Her research interests include the prevention of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, reducing racial and ethnic health disparities in reproductive health, promoting diversity in nursing, and eliminating racism in nursing and midwifery.
Dr. Lisa Meeks is a distinguished scholar and leader whose unwavering commitment to inclusivity and excellence has significantly influenced the landscape of health professions education and accessibility. She is the founder and executive director of the DocsWithDisabilities Initiative and holds appointments as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Learning Health Sciences and Family Medicine at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Nikia Grayson, DNP, MSN, MPH, MA, CNM, FNP-C, FACNM (she/her) is a trailblazing force in reproductive justice, blending her expertise as a public health activist, anthropologist, and family nurse-midwife to champion the rights and health of underserved communities. Graduating with distinction from Howard University, Nikia holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in public health. Her academic journey also led her to the University of Memphis, where she earned a master’s in medical anthropology, and the University of Tennessee, where she achieved both a master’s in nursing and a doctorate in nursing practice. Complementing her extensive education, she completed a post-master’s certificate in midwifery at Frontier Nursing University.
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).
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