Scholarships
Cox College offers a variety of scholarship programs that can help you fund your education. Last year we awarded $365,048 to our students! See what scholarships you may be eligible for and how to apply.
Qualify
Check out our available scholarships and their requirements to see which you qualify for.
Apply
Fill out our easy application form, submit your one-page essay, and provide a reference.
Celebrate
Our team will reach out and let you know which scholarships have been awarded to you.
Available Scholarships
Unlike other forms of financial aid, scholarships are gifts that never need to be paid back.
There are a few guidelines to keep in mind when applying for scholarships:
- The minimum GPA requirement to be considered for a scholarship is 3.0
- The deadline to submit a scholarship application for the spring semester is December 15.
- The deadline to submit a scholarship application for the fall semester is April 15.
- Submit a 2024-2025 FAFSA to Cox College (school code: 013877) by December 15, 2024.
- Learn more about how to complete your FAFSA here!
Nursing Scholarships
A. P. Stone Scholarship
Judge Stone and his wife Faye dedicated their lives to legal and health work in Southwest Missouri. Faye was a registered nurse. According to a 1995 article in the Baptist Home about the Stones: “They had no children and lived modestly, saving and investing wisely.” In his service, Judge Stone was also a long-time board member of Burge Hospital.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- BSN or MSN Programs
Award Amount
up to:
$5,000
Skaggs Foundation
Scholarship receipts are required to secure employment in Stone or Taney County upon graduation.
Criteria:
- BSN or ASN
- In senior year
- BSN must secure employment in Stone or Taney County.
Award Amount
up to:
$14,000
Lester E. and Mildred Cox Memorial Scholarship
Lester E. and Mildred Lee Cox’s association began in 1948 when the 600-bed Burge hospital (now Cox North) had only 57 beds and its debts exceeded the value of the hospital. At a meeting of the hospital’s physicians, Lester E. Cox was mentioned as someone who might be interested in helping Burge Hospital. He agreed and was named chairman of the hospital board. The very next day, painters and carpenters began work on the hospital at Cox’s direction and expense. The Springfield Leader and Press ran a story by Eddie Bass that had started out telling about the hospital’s demise but ended up being a story about its rebirth.
Lester E. Cox told the physicians of the hospital that if they could raise $75,000 for Burge, he would match it. The physicians raised $150,000, which Cox matched. The hospital had major expansions in 1952 when an all-new Burge Hospital was dedicated, in 1960 when a new wing was opened and in 1965 when a huge expansion program was completed, increasing the size of the hospital to 534 beds.
After his death in 1968 the hospital was renamed the Lester E. Cox Medical Center, now CoxHealth for his philanthropy and dedication to the hospital. For Lester E. and Mildred Lee Cox, their dream was continued with this nursing scholarship that friends and family members still contribute to this day.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$6,000
Dee Ann White Scholarship
This scholarship was established by Arthur and Ruth Ann White after the death of their ten-year-old daughter in a tragic accident. The Whites proudly support the college in their daughter’s name so her memory will live on through their efforts.
Criteria:
- Female
- High School through College
- Awarded until graduation
Award Amount
up to:
$6,000
Janie Campbell Scholarship
Janie Campbell was the first graduate of the Burge School of Nursing. Janie’s class was just four people and she was the only person to graduate. Miss Campbell completed her last course on December 31, 1909. Janie Campbell was among the first people to be licensed in the state of Missouri because the legislator enacted licensure the same year she completed her courses. After graduation, Miss Campbell did private duty cases, preferring cases “in the country”, until her retirement in 1946. This scholarship was set up to honor her legacy as Burge’s first graduate.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- 3.5 or Higher GPA
Award Amount
up to:
$4,000
S. Lee Honig Scholarship
Upon the death of their brother, Lee Honig, Evelyn and Robert left a portion of his estate to the Burge School/Cox College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Since the early 1990s, this gift has been helping dedicated nursing students.
Award Amount
up to:
$5,000
Criteria:
- Nursing
Harold and Olive Teegarden Scholarship
A native of Springfield, Mr. Harold Teegarden, was a long-time resident of Bolivar and an employee of the U.S. Medical Center. In the 1970s, Harold Teegarden was a patient in CoxNorth for six months and his wife, Olive, was very grateful for the care he received. Because of that treatment, Olive established a scholarship in his name after his passing.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- BSN or MSN Programs
- 3.5 or Higher GPA
Award Amount
up to:
$4,000
Richard and Viola Thorp Scholarship
Richard and Viola Thorp set up this foundation to leave a legacy of service. Viola Thorp was a long-time volunteer with the American Red Cross. They both worked with and contributed to the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation. The health of their community and their passion for life leads to their contribution to the Cox College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$3,000
R & B Campbell Memorial Scholarship
Ronald and Betty Campbell were good friends of the Cox family and active members of the Springfield community. Ronald and Betty did a lot of volunteer work for homebound people, people in nursing homes, and at the Salvation Army. After decades of dedication to service in this community, the Campbell's remembered the college as part of their trust leaving money to the promising students of the Burge Cap School and Nursing.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$3,000
Mary Jean Totten Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Mary Jean Totten was a graduate of the Burge School of Nursing, class of 1960. After many years of nursing, she and her husband Charles resided in Texas. It was Mary Jean’s desire to honor her nursing education with the establishment of a scholarship in her estate plan.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount up to:
$3,000
Lawrence Nursing Scholarship
Mr. Allen Lawrence was a friend of the Cox family and served on the hospital's Board of Directors from 1953 to 1973. During his tenure, he served in various leadership positions including Vice President, Vice Chairman, and Treasurer. He also served on the Executive committee as well as the Building and Finance committees. His dedication was greatly appreciated as the hospital was in its formation years during his time of volunteer service. In the 1970s his wife Lillian Udell Lawrence made a large estate gift to support the hospital after her passing. She also established a nursing scholarship in her late husband’s name to keep his legacy of caring alive within the nursing profession, which he greatly admired.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$2,000
Lucille Wood Magers Memorial Scholarship
Lucille Wood Magers was a 1942 graduate of the Burge School of Nursing. Lucille’s family, Bill, Bryan, and Randy established this scholarship in her memory so that finances would not be an obstacle to a dedicated nursing student.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- Academically strong
Award Amount
up to:
$2,000
Madge Mills Arthur Scholarship
As a young woman, Madge Mills Arthur desperately wanted to attend nursing school, but tuition was an obstacle. Later in life, she decided she would not let money stand in the way of any young person’s dream. She established the Madge Mills Arthur Scholarship Fund with the intention that it would be used for nursing scholarships. For Madge Mills Arthur, philanthropy was a way of life; she volunteered at CoxHealth for decades and contributed to the campaign for the new hospital tower. The Madge Mills Arthur scholarship is awarded to a rural student pursuing a nursing career.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- From rural area
Award Amount
up to:
$2,000
Brisley Phillips Scholarship - Minority
The Brisley-Phillips family hales from Sedalia, Missouri. This family seeks giving opportunities that benefit minorities and offers community service. The family awarded the Cox College scholarship to support the quality education offered to all students.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- African American descent
Award Amount
up to:
$2,000
Dr. Max Fitch Memorial Scholarship
Dr. Max Fitch was a fixture and enthusiastic caregiver while working at Cox North. Both Dr. Fitch and his loving daughter Virginia Fitch Anderson worked to leave a legacy for the college.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$2,000
Grace Bales Hirst Memorial Scholarship
This fund was established in 1982 by Philip Hirst as a living memorial to his wife Grace Bales Hirst, a 1940 Burge graduate. They wanted students to be able to afford an education as well as thrive while pursuing their dream. Mr. Hirst wanted to ensure that his wife’s legacy of care lived on.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$2,000
Jeanette L. Musgrave Scholarship
Jeanette L. Musgrave was born in 1901 in Ft. Scott Kansas. She married Edward F. Musgrave and became his assistant in his dental practice. Dr. Musgrave inherited a sizable amount from his family’s oil leases in Oklahoma and Texas, which were gifted to Mrs. Musgrave upon his passing in 1970. Having no children, Mrs. Musgrave formed the Musgrave Foundation in 1984 to ensure her estate would provide positive support for the community upon her death. The Musgrave Foundation was established with three primary areas of commitment: underprivileged children, helping with scholarships (particularly for women entering the nursing field), and providing economic assistance to the elderly. Mrs. Musgrave was also a friend of the Cox family. Various health issues brought her to Cox North where she was cared for during different times of her life. Out of great appreciation for the quality nursing care she received, she established a nursing scholarship at the Burge School of Nursing.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- 3.5 or Higher GPA
Award Amount
up to:
$2,000
Lillie Ward Wood Memorial Scholarship
Lillian Ward Wood moved to Springfield when her husband B.T. was transferred by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. She was one of the Founders of St. James Episcopal Church in Springfield. She was also active in everything from the St. Louis Botanical Gardens to the Episcopal Orphanage. Her family’s legacy lives on through her very generous donation to the Cox College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- 3.5 or Higher GPA
Award Amount
up to:
$2,000
Lidia "Lee" Wydock Memorial Scholarship
Lee moved to Springfield through a job transfer in 1984 and she fell in love with the Ozarks. She started volunteering at CoxHealth and did most volunteer jobs from flowers to Ambassador to fundraising. She was a life member of the Auxiliary and served on the board. She was always impressed with the character and humility of those receiving scholarships. She saw how these funds could make such a difference for someone aspiring to the nursing profession and felt she would someday like to fund a scholarship. In loving memory of Lee, this scholarship is for a BSN student with a measurable financial need.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- BSN Program
- 3.5 or Higher GPA
Award Amount
up to:
$2,000
Dr. Thomas Briggs Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Dr. Thomas Briggs was a neurosurgeon with the Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute in Springfield. He began his career in 1986 and retired in 2003 after some health issues. Dr. Briggs sadly passed away from a heart condition and a scholarship was established in his name by the board of Mid-America Transplant Association. Dr. Briggs had served on their board for many years.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- Interested in Neurology
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Burge Alumni Scholarship
The Burge School of Nursing established an Alumni Board from which annual fundraising was held to support future student scholarship needs. Fundraisers included phone-athons and annual dinners. When the Burge Alumni Board disbanded, the remainder of their funds were gifted to create a scholarship for students who exemplify excellence in their nursing training.
Criteria:
- Academic Excellence
- Community Service
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Loren and Mary Brunner Scholarship
Mary Brunner is the aunt of Eugene Charles, also a scholarship donor. Together the family had an interest in providing a gift to support quality healthcare through nursing. Mrs. Brunner resided in Springfield and named the scholarship to include her late husband, Loren. Their scholarship supports a student with financial need, determination, and academic consistency.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- 3.5 or Higher GPA
Award Amount
up to:
$1,250
Eugene and Martha Charles Scholarship
Eugene and Martha Charles are long-time volunteers in the healthcare community. A friend to CoxHealth, the Charles’ has an interest in supporting health care, toured Cox College, and become personally invested in the opportunities that nursing provided for the men and women of our community. The Charles’s, originally from the Carthage area now reside in Springfield and enjoy their family which includes a daughter and son-in-law, and one granddaughter. Their scholarship supports a student with financial need, determination, and academic consistency.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- 3.5 or Higher GPA
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Cheryl Hasch Feeney Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship was established by the family,
co-workers, and friends after Cheryl and her two children died tragically at the hands of another person. No one was ever convicted for their murders. Cheryl was a beloved nurse at Cox South Hospital, known for her incredibly kind heart and brilliant mind. The scholarship fund has continued to be supported by Cheryl’s family and friends to keep her legacy alive.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Levan Scholarship
Jack and Beatrice were personal friends of Lester L. Cox. After Mrs. Levan received care at the hospital they established a fund so the hospital could continue the quality of care that so impressed them.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Lipscomb Family Scholarship
As son-in-law and daughter of Lester E. Cox, Jack and Kitty Lipscomb worked tirelessly on behalf of nursing education. Along with the initial establishment of this fund, the family continues to contribute to nursing education to ensure that it thrives in the community. This scholarship is for nursing students who want to pursue a leadership role within CoxHealth.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- BSN or MSN Track
- Commit to work at CoxHealth
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Dr. Bob Lunn Family Nursing Scholarship
In 2017, Robert O. Lunn, MHA, PhD, concluded a 47-year career in hospital and healthcare administration with several years as System Director of Leadership/Professional Development at CoxHealth and a period of time as Interim President of Cox College during a rapid leadership transition. His career included 30 years in healthcare executive roles and 17 years in health administration education. In both professional arenas, he concluded early on that the most highly respected and most critically needed members of the healthcare team are Registered Nurses. In 2019, Dr. Lunn and his family endowed the Lunn Family Undergraduate Nursing Scholarship. He honors his family for their years of support for his work, and in particular, his daughter Hadley, an RN on Leukemia and BMT units at the University of Kansas Hospital.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- Undergrad
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Ford-Redburn Scholarship
In high school in Nevada, Missouri, Jo Anne Ford knew she wanted to be a Registered Nurse. During high school, she worked in Dr. Rolla Wray’s office. She so impressed him, he provided funds for her to attend and graduate from the St. Louis City Hospital School of Nursing in 1955. Jo worked at Burge/Cox Memorial Hospital from about 1963 –1969 where she found her calling in the Intensive Care and then Cardiac Care Units. The Nursing Profession gave her independence and a dedicated purpose for her life. The scholarship established in her name should do no less for others.
Criteria:
- ASN Nursing Student
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Norman Dale Reimer Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship was started by 1975 Burge alumni Yonnie Murphy to honor her father and in support of the future of nursing. It is open to students desiring to practice nursing in a rural setting.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- Practice in a rural area
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Dorothy Ratermann Nursing Scholarship
This scholarship was given in honor of Dorothy Ratermann by her husband, Dan, and their children. Dorothy was the mother of a very large family, with 7 children. After all of the children were grown, Dorothy went back to nursing school. Preference is given in this scholarship to a student pursuing nursing home care or an older student returning to the workforce.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- Adult female with children
- Returning student
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Community Foundation - Saunders Scholarship
Edith Saunders was a lifelong nurse in Springfield. The Saunders had no children and left their estate to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks to support nursing education. CFO awards scholarships to Cox College each year to be distributed during the scholarship cycle.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Otis and Mary Mackey Memorial Scholarship
Otis Mackey served as Postmaster of Morrisville, Missouri for years. His wife, Mary, also served as his clerk. Both were kind and generous souls. Otis Mackey had a love of gardening and he shared the pick of his crop with his neighbors. Mary and Otis’s great pride was their family, including daughters, Mary and Mildred. Both daughters were graduates of the Burge School of Nursing. Years later, Mildred Mackey Jones, (Class of 1956), and Mary Mackey Black, (Class of 1959) set up a scholarship fund to honor the dedication of their parents who worked side by side to send them through school.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$500
Lena Zongker Scholarship
This scholarship was set up by the estate of Lena Zongker to keep the best and the brightest nurses in the CoxHealth community. Lena Zongker was a long-time volunteer with the Cox Health Auxiliary.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- Award only $300 total until interest grows
Award Amount
up to:
$300
Evelyn Howard Memorial
Evelyn Howard was a lifetime friend and advocate of CoxHealth. She began volunteering at Cox North Hospital in 1970 and had 13,484 hours logged by the time she retired from the Auxiliary in 2013. Evelyn served as President of the CoxHealth Auxiliary from 1990-1992. The next year Evelyn was appointed to the Hospital’s Advisory Board and in 1994 became the first woman to serve on the Hospital’s Governing Board of Directors. Evelyn was held in high esteem for her attention to detail, and concern for patient care and safety. She had a great desire to see Cox College expand. In 1999, Evelyn directed her energies to the College and began serving on its Board of Directors, helping guide the College into a new era with expanded programs for health professions. The scholarship in her honor and memory is a gift from her son David and daughter-in-law Gwendolyn Howard. The scholarship was established in 2019.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- ASN, BSN, or MSN Programs
- 3.5 GPA or higher
Award Amount
up to:
$250
Claudine Barrett Cox Memorial Nursing
Claudine Barrett Cox was a great friend and supporter of CoxHealth. Married to Lester L. Cox, Claudine spent many years supporting the hospital as a financial advisor to its investments as well as within the auxiliary as a volunteer. She participated in fundraising events and is the namesake for the CoxHealth Learning Center at Cox South. Claudine was a great friend to Cox College and an advocate for nursing and health sciences. She was one of the largest donors to the annual campaigns and always reached out to the community to ask others to join her in these efforts. At her passing, she left a portion of her estate to CoxHealth, and a scholarship was established in her name by her son Barry Cox and granddaughter Amanda Cox, who serves on the Cox College board of directors.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- Financial Needs
Award Amount
up to:
$250
Mary Wortley Nursing Scholarship
This scholarship was left in memory of a much-beloved mother and wife. Mary graduated from St. John’s School of Nursing in 1943. Her first job was in a surgeon’s office and her next position was with the Greene County Health Department as public health nurse. She helped put her husband, longtime Cox administrator, Mr. Neil Wortley, through college. They both thought it was important to help other people get through school. Mary Wortley was known for helping impoverished mothers in the community and this scholarship is dedicated to her love of serving people.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- Financial Needs
Award Amount
up to:
$250
Mary Belle Graham Nursing Scholarship
Criteria:
- Nursing
- BSN Program
- 3.0 GPA or higher
- Financial Needs
Award Amount
up to:
$250
Frances Rogers Gale Nursing Scholarship
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$250
Linda Bussey Nursing Scholarship
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award amount up to: $3000
Lester L. Cox Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Lester L. “Bud” Cox is the son of Lester E. and Mildred Lee Cox. In the 1990s, the Board of Directors of CoxHealth renamed the College for its long-time Chairman, Lester L. Cox for his dedication to the school. His family continued that dedication with his memorial scholarship fund.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- Financial Need
- Academic Excellence - 3.5 GPA or higher
Award Amount
up to:
$250
Jeane Fullerton Skyles Nursing Scholarship
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award amount up to: $1000
Robert and Evelyn Honig Nursing Scholarship
Robert Honig and Evelyn Honig were cousins to Mrs. Mildred Cox. Evelyn suffered from polio as a child and her two brothers, Robert and Lee, cared for her. This fund was established in their name to show the continued importance of family and medical support within the community.
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$250
Margaret Spaulding Nursing Scholarship
Criteria:
- Nursing
Award amount up to: $250
Mary Louise Mackey Black and Jerry Black Nursing Scholarship
Mary Louise Mackey Black started her nursing career in nurses training at Burge School of Nursing. She graduated from Burge in 1959 and then received her BSN from Drury College in 1960. She continued to work and volunteer in the nursing field for over 30 years. She worked in surgery, a state psychiatric hospital, medical/surgical wards, and as a high school LPN clinical instructor. She volunteered in homeless center nursing support, Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity. She was a licensed RN in 5 different states. She would tell you she was a “Jack of all trades and a master of none” when it came to nursing. Mary Louise met Jerry Black when they both were working at Burge Hospital. Jerry was a pharmacy assistant and Louise was a student nurse. They married in 1960. They have 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and currently have 4 great-grandchildren. Jerry passed away in 2018. Louise and her sister, Mildred Mackey Jones, were both proud graduates of Burge. Her parents, Otis and Mary Mackey were able to honor their work as nurses by endowing a nursing scholarship. Louise, in her senior years, became determined she also wanted to honor not only her nursing education experience but also her commitment to nursing as a much-needed profession and created the scholarship named for herself and her late husband in 2022.
Criteria:
- Nursing
- 3.5 GPA or higher
Award Amount
up to:
$250
General Education Scholarships
Cox College Scholarship
These scholarships are provided thanks to donors to Cox College who give unrestricted, but desire to support scholarships.
Criteria:
- General Education
Award Amount
up to:
$500
Masters Scholarships
Cox College Masters Nursing Scholarship
These scholarships are provided thanks to donors to Cox College who give unrestricted but desire to support scholarships.
Criteria:
- Masters Nursing Student
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Stone Fund
Judge Stone and his wife Faye dedicated their lives to legal and health work in Southwest Missouri. Faye was a registered nurse. According to a 1995 article in the Baptist Home about the Stones: “They had no children and lived modestly, saving and investing wisely.” In his service, Judge Stone was also a long-time board member of Burge Hospital.
Criteria:
- Masters Nursing Student
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Martha Thomas Nursing Scholarship
This scholarship was started by Jennifer Boyd, the daughter of Martha Thomas to honor her service to her profession. Martha was a graduate of the Burge School of Nursing and a long-time employee of CoxHealth. Martha helped start the chronic dialysis program at Cox North, the first of its kind in Springfield. She served as a consultant to the U. S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners and also served on the organ procurement team for Midwest Organ Bank. Later in her career, Martha worked as the nurse manager for PACU, Same Day Surgery, GI Lab, Endoscopy and Pain Management. Martha passed in 2018 and will be remembered for the passion she brought to her profession for delivering the highest level of care.
Criteria:
- MSN Scholarship
- Academic Excellence (3.5 GPA or higher)
- Interested in surgery, dialysis, ICU nursing
Award Amount
up to:
$1,500
Health Sciences Scholarships
Cox College Health Science Scholarship
These scholarships are provided thanks to donors to Cox College who give unrestricted but desire to support scholarships.
Criteria:
- Health Science Program
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Community Foundation - Smith, Glynn, Callaway
These are awards gifted to Cox College annually for students preparing for a healthcare career.
Criteria:
- Health Science Program
- Financial Need
Award Amount
up to:
$600
White Health Sciences Endowment
At his passing, Art White left an estate gift to support the future of healthcare professions. Scholarships are offered from the interest income generated from the Endowment Fund his wife created with his gift. Mr. White had a concrete company and was responsible for a large percent of the street infrastructure in Springfield and in Springfield neighborhoods. He and his wife made major gifts in his lifetime to support Cox College.
Criteria:
- Academic need
- Academic excellence
Award Amount
up to:
$1,000
Occupational Therapy Scholarships
CFO - Smith Glynn Callaway
Criteria:
- Occupational Therapy
Award Amount
up to:
$600
Cox College OT Scholarship
These scholarships are provided thanks to donors to Cox College who give unrestricted but desire to support scholarships.
Criteria:
- Occupational Therapy
- Financial Need
Award Amount
up to:
$500
Cox College Scholarships are awarded in partnership with the CoxHealth Foundation. The Foundation proudly represents Cox College in all philanthropic efforts including the creation of scholarships. For more information on how to support scholarships at Cox College, call 417-269-7109 or email lisa.alexander@coxhealth.com