Scholarship Benefits Ventura College Nursing Students

VENTURA, Calif. - Sept. 12, 2013 - PRLog -- Thanks to the generosity of the late Bessie Carter, 200 Ventura College nursing students over the next 20 years will each receive $1,000 for tuition, books and uniforms. Carter and her late husband, Paul, left the bulk of their estate of $200,000 as a planned gift to the Ventura College Foundation in Ventura, Calif., to help support students entering the health care industry. The Paul and Bessie Carter Nursing Scholarship Fund will be available to eligible nursing students for the 2014-2015 academic year.

“Planned gifts like Bessie’s are extremely valuable in their ability to help shape student success, and they leave a long-term positive impact on our community,” said Norbert Tan, executive director of the Ventura College Foundation. “Nursing is a growing and high demand field, so we are excited to assist financially challenged nursing students reach their goals of a rewarding career that enriches their lives and helps the community at the same time.”

The foundation will begin accepting applications for the Paul and Bessie Carter Nursing Scholarship Fund starting January 1, 2014. Students will qualify based on their GPA and course relevance. They also will be required to submit two essays and two letters of recommendation. Scholarship recipients will be notified of their awards in May 2014.

An 80-year Ventura resident, Bessie Carter passed away in 2012 at 100 years old. She and her husband worked as civil servants at the Naval Base Ventura County before retiring in the 1960s. In addition to establishing the Paul and Bessie Carter Nursing Scholarship Fund, she also donated to the St. John's Hospital Foundation.

For more information about the Paul and Bessie Carter Nursing Scholarship Fund, or to learn more about how to leave a lasting legacy for Ventura College students, contact the foundation at (805) 289-6461 or visit www.venturacollege.edu.

Established in 1981, the Ventura College Foundation provides financial support to the students and the programs of Ventura College to facilitate student success and grow the impact and legacy of Ventura College as a vital community asset. The foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Market Place, an outdoor shopping experience held 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. every weekend on the Ventura College campus east parking lot at the corner of Telegraph and Day Road. For more information, contact the foundation at (805) 289-6461 or visit www.venturacollege.edu.