For the second consecutive year, continuing medical education provider Skin, Bones, Hearts & Private Parts will offer scholarships to adult learners enrolled in Nurse Practitioner (NP), Physician Assistant (PA), and Registered Nurse (RN) programs at accredited U.S. universities. The company announced it will award ten scholarships of $500 each, up from four scholarships in 2026. The funds are intended to help students cover expenses such as tuition, books, and program fees.
Applications are open on Bold.org until March 31, 2027, and winners will be announced on April 30, 2027. To apply, students must provide insight into their motivation for pursuing advanced education and describe how the scholarship will personally benefit them.
The expansion follows what the company described as an overwhelming response to its initial offering. "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 scholarship program underscores the growing demand for financial assistance among advanced practice clinicians, a workforce critical to addressing provider shortages across the United States. With more than 1,500 applicants competing for just four awards in 2026, the acceptance rate was under 0.3%. The increase to ten scholarships still leaves a substantial gap between available funds and demonstrated need, but it represents a significant commitment from a company that has trained thousands of clinicians.
Since its founding in 2011, Skin, Bones, Hearts & Private Parts has become one of the most popular and fastest-growing CME events in the country. According to the company, 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 organization positions itself as a leading provider of continuing medical education, and its scholarship initiative aligns with its broader mission to support the professional development of healthcare providers.
For prospective applicants, the scholarship offers not only monetary relief but also recognition of their commitment to advancing their careers. The application requires a personal statement, which may encourage students to reflect on their goals and the impact of financial support on their educational journey. For the healthcare industry, the program may help mitigate the financial barriers that can deter qualified individuals from pursuing advanced degrees, potentially contributing to a more robust pipeline of NPs, PAs, and RNs.
More information about the company's CME conferences is available at SkinBonesCME.com. The scholarship application deadline is March 31, 2027, with winners to be notified on April 30, 2027.
