The Nguyen Award will cover net tuition for eight Saint Vincent nursing students
LATROBE, PA – Thanks to Dr. Vinh-Linh Nguyen for a significant gift of over $3 million to Saint Vincent College, high-achieving undergraduate nursing students will be eligible for competitive merit-based scholarships that will cover net tuition, room and board costs starting in fall 2026.
The Dr. Vinh-Linh Nguyen Award for Excellence in Faith and Academics, renewable for up to four years per student at the College, will support two incoming freshmen in fall 2026. That figure will increase by two incoming freshmen each subsequent year to a maximum of eight students per year for the next 10 years.
“My hope is that this award will empower future nurses to serve with both clinical excellence and a deep commitment to their Catholic faith,” said Nguyen, who currently serves as medical director of Blood and Cancer Therapeutics in Bakersfield, California. “By supporting these students, I seek to help ensure that fidelity to Catholic moral teaching—especially the dignity of every human person—remains integral to the practice of healthcare in future generations.”
“We are overwhelmed with gratitude for Dr. Vinh-Linh Nguyen’s extraordinary philanthropic support,” said Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., C’87, S’91, PhD, president of Saint Vincent College, “in particular for his intention to make a significant investment in the education of our best and brightest nursing students who are deeply committed to their Catholic faith.”
In addition to being a full-time undergraduate nursing major, the award will be reserved for incoming Saint Vincent College students who are practicing Catholics in good standing and who regularly attend Mass.
To be considered for the scholarship award, academic merit is also essential. For incoming freshmen, the two students with the highest academic merit (as measured by GPA and test scores) will be selected. Applicants must also submit a letter of good standing from their parish pastor or equivalent ecclesial authority. Students who have obtained the scholarship must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher throughout their time at Saint Vincent to be eligible to retain it.
Students interested in the award must apply and be accepted into the College’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program by March 1, 2026, and submit their letter of good standing by the same deadline. Students and families interested in the scholarship can direct any questions to admission@stvincent.edu or 800-782-5549, Ext. 2500.
The scholarship award is given in addition to any federal or state grants that a student may receive. All applicants must apply for federal and state grants for which they may be eligible.
In addition to enjoying a successful medical career in California, Nguyen possesses a strong commitment to Catholic, Benedictine values from his childhood in Vietnam and from his time spent at Saint Vincent discerning his life’s vocation, a process that led him to follow God’s calling to attend medical school and pursue a career in healthcare.
