For the second consecutive year, Skin, Bones, Hearts & Private Parts, a leading provider of continuing medical education, is offering $500 scholarships to support adult learners enrolled in Nurse Practitioner (NP), Physician Assistant (PA), and Registered Nurse (RN) programs at accredited universities in the United States. The organization has expanded the program from four scholarships in 2026 to ten scholarships in 2027, doubling the number of awards and increasing the total funding to $5,000.
The scholarships are designed to help students cover school expenses such as tuition, books, and program fees. To apply, students must provide insight into their motivation for pursuing advanced education and describe how the scholarship will personally benefit them. The application is open on Bold.org until March 31, 2027, and winners will be announced on April 30, 2027.
The expansion follows an overwhelming response to the inaugural program. "We offered four scholarships in 2026 and received more than 1,500 applications—an incredible response," said Chuck Dillehay, creator of Skin, Bones, Hearts & Private Parts. "The overwhelming interest made it clear that NPs, PAs, and RNs need greater financial support as they pursue their education. By expanding the program to 10 scholarships, we will ease some of that financial burden and support more healthcare professionals."
The news carries significant implications for the healthcare workforce. With the United States facing persistent shortages of primary care and specialty providers, financial barriers often prevent nurses and other health professionals from advancing their education. By increasing the number of scholarships, Skin, Bones, Hearts & Private Parts aims to help more students complete their NP, PA, or RN programs, which could ultimately expand the pool of qualified providers available to patients. The $500 awards, while modest, can make a meaningful difference for students struggling with the costs of tuition, books, and program fees.
Since its founding in 2011, Skin, Bones, Hearts & Private Parts has become one of the most popular and fastest-growing continuing medical education events in the country. According to the organization, 25,628 nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians have chosen its programs, learning from 160 speakers at 106 CME conference sites and earning nearly 680,000 CME credit hours. The scholarship initiative is an extension of that commitment to supporting the professional development of healthcare providers.
For students interested in applying, the application window is open until March 31, 2027. Those seeking more information about the organization's CME conferences can visit SkinBonesCME.com. The scholarship program underscores the growing recognition that investing in the education of NPs, PAs, and RNs is essential to addressing the nation's healthcare needs.
