(a) The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall establish the statewide Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) Scholarship Program.
(b) Scholarships under the program shall be available only to students in counties determined to have the most significant need. Need in a county shall be established based on consideration of all the following factors:
(1) Counties with a registered nurse-to-population ratio equal to or less than 500 registered nurses per 100,000 individuals.
(2) County unemployment rate.
(3) County level of poverty.
(c) A scholarship recipient shall be required to complete, at a minimum, an associate degree in nursing and work in a medically underserved area in California upon obtaining their license from the Board of Registered Nursing.
(d) The department shall consider the following factors when selecting recipients for the A.D.N. Scholarship Program:
(1) An applicant’s economic need, as established by the federal poverty index.
(2) Applicants who demonstrate cultural and linguistic skills and abilities.
(e) The program shall be funded from the Registered Nurse Education Fund established pursuant to Section 128400 and administered by the department within the office. The department shall allocate a portion of the moneys in the fund for the program established pursuant to this section, in addition to moneys otherwise allocated pursuant to this article for scholarships and loans for associate degree nursing students.
(f) No additional staff or General Fund operating costs shall be expended for the program.
(g) The department may accept private or federal funds for purposes of the A.D.N. Scholarship Program.
(h) The department shall post A.D.N. Scholarship Program statistics and updates on its internet website.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 177. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)