Touro University Nevada gets $3.25M federal grant

Touro University Nevada announced Tuesday it received a $3.25 million federal grant to provide scholarships for first- and second-year physician assistant students who demonstrate financial need.

The private university in Henderson was awarded the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students grant funding over five years from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The grant aims to boost the number of physician assistants who work in underserved communities, Touro said in a news release.

The university will get $650,000 annually for five years. Money will be used to provide 10 $35,000 scholarships to first-year physician assistant students and 10 $30,000 scholarships for second-year physician assistant students each year.

“Too often, economic circumstances and financial backgrounds dictate who can fulfill their dreams of earning a degree,” program Director and Professor Phil Tobin said in the news release. “With this scholarship, many of our students with financial need can focus on what matters most — the coursework needed to complete their Physician Assistant Studies degree. In turn, they can prepare themselves to join a profession growing in demand, particularly in underserved communities — truly coming full circle with the goal of this grant.”

Grant recipient Jennifer Zhu, a Las Vegas native, said she plans to pursue a career in family medicine. “Having this grant will allow me to have additional resources that will help me broaden my clinical skills and knowledge.”

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.