Michael D. McCurry Scholarship Program
Michael D. McCurry Scholarship Program
The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.
Eligibility
Applicants of the Michael D. McCurry Scholarship Program must:
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- Be a full-time or regular part-time (domestic) employee at Mercy Health working at least 32 hours per pay period at one of the following locations:
- West Locations:
- Oklahoma- Ada, Ardmore, Healdton, Kingfisher, Oklahoma City, Tishomingo, Logan County, Love County, and Watonga
- Central Locations:
- Arkansas- Berryville, Booneville, Fort Smith, Ozark, Paris, Rogers, and Waldron.
- Kansas-Columbus and Pittsburg
- Missouri- Aurora, Berryville, Carthage, Cassville, Joplin, Lebanon, St. Francis and Springfield.
- East Locations:
- Missouri- St. Louis, St. Louis (south), Jefferson, Troy/Lincoln, Perry, Southeast, and
Washington - Ministry- Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi
- Missouri- St. Louis, St. Louis (south), Jefferson, Troy/Lincoln, Perry, Southeast, and
- West Locations:
- Be a full-time or regular part-time (domestic) employee at Mercy Health working at least 32 hours per pay period at one of the following locations:
- Be in good standing with no written counseling action documented to the HR file within the past 6 months as of the application deadline and at the time awards are disbursed
- Have a minimum of three (3) years of continuous employment with Mercy as of the application deadline and must be employed at the time of awards are disbursed
- Plan to enroll full-time or part-time in a bachelor’s degree program in a health or science-related field at a four-year college or university for the entire upcoming academic year
- Undergraduate study in direct patient healthcare or other science majors related to patient healthcare – sample majors: Nursing, Physical Therapy, Diagnostic, Surgical Technology, Radiology, Clinical Science, Anesthesia, Occupational Therapy, Cardiovascular
Courses should be taken outside the recipients’ scheduled work hours. For courses not meeting this requirement, the recipient should work with his/her leader to arrange a schedule to accommodate both work and school schedules, if approved by the leader. Courses taken should not adversely affect the co-worker’s productivity.
Further information regarding the Michael D. McCurry Scholarship Program can be found on the Mercy Guidelines.
Awards
- If selected as a recipient, the student will receive an award up to $20,000 for the 2025-2026 school year.
- Up to 3 awards will be granted.
- * Assuming there are qualified applicants, one (1) award will be granted in each of the three regions (West, Central and East)
- Awards are not renewable. Applicants may re-apply each year assuming eligibility requirements have been met. Preference is not given to past recipients in the selection process.
- Awards are for undergraduate study in a direct patient healthcare or other science majors related to healthcare only.
- Only tuition, books, software and fees (e.g., parking, activity) associated with the pursuit of the degree are eligible expenses.
- Housing, travel expenses, conferences/workshops/seminars or organizational memberships are not eligible under the award.
Notification
Applicants will be notified in May. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients.
Notifications are sent via email. When setting up your account, avoid using a school or work email. Instead, use an active, personal email address that you will continue to have access to.
Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address as safe senders in your email contact list.
Payment of Scholarships
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of Mercy in two installments in early August and mid-December.
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Personal character as demonstrated by participation in community activities
- Work experience
- Leadership qualities
- Awards and honors
- Goals and aspirations
- Additional information essay
- Two (2) online recommendations*
Financial need will not be considered.
Recipients will be determined by the selection committee at Mercy. The committee is comprised of leaders throughout the Mercy ministry.
*At least one (1) recommendation must be from a leader or mentor within Mercy. One (1) recommendation may also be from a non-relative within the community. Recommendations should address the applicant’s character, career goals, ability to set and achieve goals and why the applicant should receive the award.
Requirements
Two online recommendation forms must be submitted on your behalf no later than February 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM Central Time. At least one (1) recommendation must be from a leader or mentor within Mercy. One (1) recommendation may also be from a non-relative within the community.
