Purpose
The Hospital has established a scholarship/work program because of the desire to promote educational growth combined with a need to attract and retain qualified health care workers to meet the ongoing needs of our patients. This program is designed to contribute financial resources to the student for selected health career professional or technical education during the clinical phase of the program and in return, for you, the student, agreeing to work for the Hospital after graduation.

Selected hospital departments are authorized to offer scholarships each school year. The number of scholarships will vary based on the needs of the Hospital and the ability to maintain and/or recruit qualified individuals for identified jobs. The Human Resources Office has a list of jobs covered by a scholarship.

If the health education career of your choice does not appear on the listed scholarship jobs, special circumstances should be discussed with the appropriate department director.

Procedure
An application can be obtained from Human Resources in person or by calling 540-689-6200.

Scholarship monies for a maximum of two school years (exception: LPN programs) are paid directly to you, the student, after the agreement has been signed.

Scholarships are granted at the beginning of the Senior year. If two years are requested, the junior year is paid retroactively and the senior year proactively. Deadline to apply is April 30th and October 30th. Interviews for the scholarship program will be mid May and November. You are required to maintain enrollment in the identified health career professional or technical program, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and are a student in good standing as defined by the health career education program.

While in school, you will be required to provide to the Senior Employment Specialist/Human Resources copies of your grades from the health career education program for each semester or quarter as proof of continued success in the program.

Repayment of the scholarship is accomplished by working for the identified Hospital department after graduation in the professional or technical specialty stated in the signed agreement and for the agreed period of time.

Selection Criteria

Completion of an application. High school or college educational records acceptable to the health career education program and with a cumulative grade point average no less than 3.0. Written recommendation from the dean or director of the health career educational program stating that you have been admitted to the clinical phase of the program verifying the anticipated date of graduation and indicating that you are a student in good standing. Acceptable references from your last two employers (if applicable). An interview with a hospital panel. Proof of good health - ability to perform the essential functions of your future job with the Hospital. The physical examination is provided by the hospital's Employee Health Department free of charge. When it is impossible to bring you to the Hospital for the physical examination, special arrangements may be made to complete the physical examination elsewhere at hospital expense and following hospital criteria.

Loans Available
The number of scholarships available each year will vary based on the needs of the Hospital and the ability to maintain and/or recruit qualified individuals. Please check with Human Resources if you have questions.

Based on the relative cost of the different programs, we have set the following guidelines:

If the health education program of your choice does not fall into one of the above categories, special circumstances should be discussed with the appropriate hospital department director. Some selected educational programs may not be available in an educational institution.

Loan Requirements
The loan is considered repaid to the Hospital when you graduate and work for the Hospital in the health career identified in the written agreement for 2,080 hours for each yearly scholarship received.

The maximum work hours for each contract cannot exceed 4,160 hours. You must work these hours within a two-year period.

After you have worked a minimum of 1,040 hours, the Hospital will begin to record a monthly prorated payback on the scholarship. When the maximum amount of hours as stated in the agreement have been worked, the scholarship will be considered repaid in full without interest or service charge.

The Internal Revenue Service considers such a payback as a "loan forgiven" and, therefore, it is taxable as it is being forgiven. Payroll records will reflect this automatically.

Repayment Requirements
Any recipient of a scholarship who -

If you stop going to school, even on a temporary basis, you are to notify the hospital department director immediately since this will affect the graduation date and may qualify for immediate repayment.

Employment Requirements
The agreement will specify that the Hospital will employ you following graduation for a specified number of hours, provided you pass the hospital pre-employment physical. Continued employment is based on satisfactory job performance and behaviors. Consideration will be given to your clinical preference when the application for employment is received, but guarantees cannot be made since job placement is based on budgeted vacancies.

If the Hospital does not hire you and you have passed the hospital's preplacement physical at the time of graduation and you meet performance and behavior requirements, the agreement will be null and void, which means that the Hospital does not have to employ you and you do not have to repay the loan.

Should I fail to work full-time and/or part-time for RMH for the specified number of hours as stated, I agree to repay the remaining balance of the scholarship in full following my change in status I or resignation from employment. I understand that if I fail to work full-time and/or part-time for the RMH specified number of hours to fulfill my work repayment commitment, my account balance will be given to a collections agency if not paid in full within four weeks of receipt of certified letter. Furthermore I understand that all fees and service charges associated with the collections by a third party will be added to my account balance.

The agreement will specify that if licensure or certification is required to legally work in Virginia, you will take the certifying or registry exam on the test date defined in the agreement following graduation.

Failure to pass the licensing or certifying examination on the first writing will require a conference with the hospital department director to determine whether employment can continue pending successful licensure/certification at the next testing opportunity. This decision is based on your performance and available job vacancies you are eligible to fill. If it is determined that employment cannot continue, you will be required to repay the balance of the scholarship as stated above.

ROCKINGHAM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND OFFERS THIS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ON THE SAME BASIS.

Updated 08/07/06