Aspiring physician assistant students at Chapman receive full-tuition scholarships
With help from the Simon Scholar Physician Assistant program, Chapman will continue to grant 10 incoming students full scholarships for each incoming class. Photo courtesy of Chapman University
In 2019, the Simon Family Foundation started the Simon Scholar Physician Assistant (PA) program at Chapman with a donation of $9 million that was first used by a cohort of students who were part of the 2021 physician assistant program.
The program will continue to support more underserved students from Orange County for the next five years due to a second gift from the Ronald M. Simon Family Foundation.
In a Feb. 29 press release, Chapman President Daniele Struppa explained how the gift will benefit students interested in becoming physician assistants and those around them.
“This generous gift will provide underserved students the opportunity to earn a first-class master’s in medical science and make real change in the community,” Struppa said. “The Simon Scholar program perfectly exemplifies the Simon Family Foundation’s and Chapman University’s commitment to increasing access to a quality education and supporting the local community with world-class health care.”
The gift from the foundation will support 10 students from each incoming class based on need and leadership qualities. As part of the program, these students will work in Orange County for three years after graduation in the field. By December 2025, 50 students will be working in the surrounding communities as PAs.
The Simon Family Foundation works closely with other universities like Harvard University and the University of Southern California to help students transition from high school to college. However, according to the press release, Chapman is the only program that is offered for the high school, college and graduate level.
Janeen Hill, the dean of the Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, explained why this program is crucial for the healthcare field, especially in the surrounding areas of Chapman.
“Orange County faces a significant shortage of healthcare providers, especially PAs and nurse practitioners. Simultaneously, Orange County lacks a diverse healthcare workforce and this program expands the PA workforce to low-income students and addresses the demand for workforce diversity.”
The Simon Scholar program recognizes students who are disadvantaged in high school and who show leadership qualities that can be used for their future careers. The program has given over $100 million to students in high school as well as those in graduate programs.
Katrina Wysokinski is a junior health science major who has been considering becoming a physician assistant after she earns her undergraduate degree. She mentioned how important it is for Chapman to offer this program to students who might struggle with paying tuition for graduate school.
“As a first-generation college student who is an aspiring physician assistant, the full-tuition Simon scholarships at Chapman’s program makes me feel so grateful that people who are underserved but dream to be physician assistants have the possibility of fulfilling their dream and not have to worry about finances,” Wysokinski said.
She continued: “A lot of students from these underserved backgrounds shy away from healthcare-related fields due to the costs related to such specialty programs. It is not that these students lack the drive or the motivation. It is due to their circumstances that they may not reach for these goals.”
