Samuel Merritt University Signs 16 Enrollment Partnerships to Open a Clearer Path Into Health Care Degrees
Samuel Merritt University (SMU) announced 16 signed partnership agreements with colleges, universities, health systems and community health organizations across Northern California, with eight more contracts under review. Students and employees at partner organizations may apply to SMU's nursing and health sciences programs under set terms and, upon approval, pay less than they would otherwise.
"Cost is the reason we hear most often when someone tells us they can't come [to SMU]," said Alexa Colgrove Curtis, dean of the College of Nursing at Samuel Merritt University. "These agreements do something about that. A nurse working nights at Kaiser can find out in an afternoon what a BSN [degree] would cost her and how long it would take."
Enrollment Partners include:
- UC Berkeley Extension
- CSU East Bay
- San Francisco State University
- Kaiser Permanente
- Sutter Health
Who These Partnerships Serve
Employees and students at the aforementioned partners can complete the RN-to-BSN program in as little as 12 months or choose from several other SMU programs. Every agreement waives the SMU application fee.
Terms vary by partner and can include tuition discounts, matched tuition reimbursement, guaranteed admission interviews or seats held in a named program.
How SMU Selects Partners
SMU carefully selects and reviews the partners by pursuing associate degree in nursing programs with the largest enrollment caps set by the California Board of Registered Nursing. Students who graduate with an RN license can move directly into the RN-to-BSN program. At four-year universities, SMU looks for post-baccalaureate and prerequisite programs in the health sciences that align with its degree programs.
"We recruit in the same communities our partners serve," said Tai Rushing, Director of Business Development, Academic and Health Care Partnerships at Samuel Merritt University. "In Fresno, hospital leaders tell me they train nurses and then lose them. If a student can earn the degree without moving away, they usually stay and work nearby."
Hospitals view the agreements as workforce development. A registered nurse with an associate degree can earn a BSN degree while continuing to work, enabling systems such as Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health to raise clinical credentials without recruiting from outside the region.
