TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Cherokee Nation Foundation awarded nine nursing students with a new scholarship, supported by a $5 million Cherokee Nation endowment.
The Cherokee Nation Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship is part of a broader strategy with the Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Education Services to invest in health education and a health-related workforce.
“The health of Cherokee families starts with access to quality health care, which we’ve expanded with historic investments across the Cherokee Nation Reservation,” Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “But the health and well-being of our families extends to financial and career success. Investing in health education leverages every dollar to secure generational prosperity and wellness.”
Earlier this year, Chief Hoskin, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and the Council of the Cherokee Nation approved legislation to build a $30 million Cherokee Nation Nursing and Allied Health Education Center. The initiative also funded the new $5 million permanent scholarship endowment and committed $2 million annually to new health scholarships and career-training grants with Cherokee Nation’s Education and Career Services.
In July, Cherokee Nation opened its $470 million, new WW Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah and will begin construction on its Nursing and Allied Health Center later this year.
The former WW Hastings Hospital is undergoing remodeling to be the home of a new University of Oklahoma College of Nursing branch campus.
“The Cherokee Nation Foundation is dedicated to Cherokee success through education,” said Janice Randall, Cherokee Nation Foundation executive director. “Every day we work with students — beginning as early as elementary — to achieve their academic potential. We are proud to partner with Cherokee Nation to make these new scholarships available as a complement to the tribe’s focus on health and education.”
The Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship provides $8,000 per semester that may be spent on tuition, books, fees, housing or other education expenses. Recipients also agree to work within the Cherokee Nation to match the duration of the scholarship received or a minimum of one year.
Receiving the inaugural 2026 Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship awards are:
- Stephanie Norton
- Addisyn Whiteley
- Kelley Burnett
- Stella Huggins
- Kyleigh Hause
- Kiah Amos
- Haylie Keys
- Sophie Shankle
- Julie Remy
Visit CherokeeNationFoundation.org for more information.