Cohen Scholars Program
The Cohen Scholars Program (formerly Hal and Jo Cohen Graduate Nursing Faculty Scholarship) is funded by the Nurse Support Program II and provides financial assistance for graduate nursing students to become qualified as nurse educators in Maryland.
Cohen Scholars are recognized as the next generation of nurse educators and will serve as nursing school faculty and clinical based educators to teach future nursing students and graduates across the State of Maryland.
Who is Eligible?
Current full-time or part-time graduate students enrolled at an eligible accredited Maryland postsecondary institution in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN, MS) program, post-graduate certificate program in nursing education, or doctoral (PhD, DNP) program required. Additionally, all applicants must be a Maryland resident and must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Award Amount
The Cohen Scholars Program is equal to all tuition and mandatory fees for courses in the approved nursing plan of study for nursing eligible degree programs at Maryland public and independent colleges and universities.
The continuation of the award is contingent upon a renewal of the grant-funding as well as other requirements including, continued academic progress, maintaining a GPA of 3.25 or higher, completion of at least 9 hours of core nursing education coursework, achievement of specific Cohen Scholar Program requirements, and a and commitment to teach post-graduation in the State of Maryland as noted in the signed service obligation agreement and promissory note.
How to Apply
All interested and eligible applicants must first complete and submit section A of the Nomination and Sponsorship Form and the Cohen Scholars Program Essay Form. Select applicants will then be invited for a virtual interview with the UMSON Cohen Scholars Program Director. For more information, please view the Cohen Scholar Application Instructions. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to Dr. Carissa Bragdon at nrscohenscholarsadmin@umaryland.edu.
Application Deadline for 2026-27 School Year: May 1 2026.