Circle of Scholars

Once a graduate nursing student is awarded a scholarship from Nurses Educational Funds, they are forever a member of NEF’s Circle of Scholars. Scholarship recipients are nurse leaders from across the U.S., and as they advance in their careers, the connection made between NEF Scholars can last a lifetime.

NEF Scholars are invited to join our networking group on LinkedIn to meet other scholarship recipients, share their professional news, and learn about ways to get involved with NEF.

Scholar updates may also be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for consideration to be included in our email newsletter and/or Scholar News webpage.

FEATURED SCHOLAR

Colleen McGauley

(2026-2027 Winner)

Colleen McGauley is the 2026-2027 recipient of the Bea Goodwin Scholarship. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Boston College and is currently pursui... read more.

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Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. (NEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established by nurses for nurses in 1912, and since then, the organization has awarded over 1,500 scholarships to support the pursuit of advanced degrees in nursing.

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NEF’s named scholarships, created with a minimum donation of $50,000, honor and memorialize nurse leaders, from Isabel Hampton Robb to Thelma Schorr to Susan Bowar-Ferres. 100% of donations help to keep NEF scholarships funded in perpetuity; organization expenses are covered by prudent management of NEF’s investments.

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