Virginia Health Care Foundation

Change Lives, Including Yours!

Do you want to…

• Learn strategies to help patients with behavioral health needs?
• Gain experience in psychotropic medication management?
• Build your therapeutic and communication skills?
• Help individuals grow and make a positive difference in their lives?

Demand for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Psych NPs) in Virginia far outstrips supply. Psych NPs are urgently needed throughout the state. 

Psych NP Scholarships Can Help!

The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) offers full-scholarships for nurse practitioners (NPs) wishing to earn a post-Master’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate at an accredited school of nursing.

VHCF’s Psych NP scholarship is a great opportunity for NPs to gain valuable behavioral health training and help address a huge unmet need in Virginia. It is designed to:

1. Increase the number of licensed Nurse Practitioners (NPs) with advanced behavioral health training working in Virginia.
2. Provide full scholarships up to $26,000 (for courses to fulfill Certificate requirements) for NPs interested in obtaining a post-Master’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Psych NP) Certificate.

NPs can keep working while completing their Psych NP Certificate in 12-24 months. A commitment to work for 2 years as a Psych NP serving medically-underserved Virginians or in one of Virginia’s many mental health professional shortage areas, in return. Click here for the detailed program guidelines.

I couldn’t afford the tuition with a wife and baby at home. It was my finances or my dream – until I found out about the VHCF scholarship.

The need for behavioral healthcare is huge, but so is the appreciation. Plus, I can see and feel the positive impact I am making. I am able to change lives, just like the scholarship helped change mine.

Geunjea Lee, MSN, PMHNP-BC
Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters
VHCF Psych NP Scholarship Recipient 

• More than 60 scholarships have been awarded, with more than half to NPs of color
• More than 34  scholarship recipients have completed their Certificate, and are practicing as a Psych NP
• Scholarship recipients are caring for underserved Virginians in a variety of settings to fulfill their scholarship Service Commitment, including the health safety net, community services boards (CSB) and local jails throughout the Commonwealth.

Psych NP Programs in Virginia and Beyond

• For a list of the Virginia post-Master’s Psych NP Certificate programs with contact information for the program coordinator, click here.
• For a list of Psych NP programs across the U.S., click here. The list is maintained by the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA).

Click here for stories highlighting the work of Virginia Psych NPs.

Please contact VHCF’s Program Manager if you have questions about the scholarship or would like to apply: PsychNP@vhcf.org 

Last Updated on February 1, 2024