Cynthiana church covers NCLEX costs for 16 nursing students
Published on Feb 27, 2026
Republican Christian Church in Cynthiana, Kentucky, has donated a $6,304 check, covering
the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) fee for 16 students in the nursing
program on the Licking Valley Campus (LVC) at Maysville Community and Technical College.
One of the members of the church, Sheila Currans, explained that her mother used to serve as director of nurses at Harrison Memorial Hospital (HMH) in Cynthiana and had a growing worry that nurses for the area were going to decrease over time.
When LVC first opened, more nursing students began working at HMH than ever before.
“When I first started as an RN (registered nurse), we didn’t have nursing students on the floors. But once the college was here…we had lots of nursing support,” said Currans.
When Currans’ father passed away, her mother pushed for a scholarship to be set up for medical students.
“Mama just always felt like you needed to have local people that, many times, even if they leave for a while, come back to their hometown,” Currans said. She noted the ability to work in their hometown was important to many people.
Over time, the church began helping more students, leading to the NCLEX fees being covered for several students over the years.
Currans noted the main goal of covering those fees is to alleviate anxiety for nursing students as they finish their credentials.
“You’re trying to get your finals done, you’re trying to prepare for the boards, and this just seemed like a way to take a little bit of a burden off of them as they’re finishing their program,” said Currans.
The contributions being made by the church are significant to students because, once they’ve graduated, they lose access to financial aid to cover those costs.
Staci Myers, class secretary at LVC, remarked on the impact the donation has had on her.
“I feel like it makes me feel like I’m going to be so prepared for the exam, because I’m going to have that extra time to study instead of having to work and come up with the money to pay for it,” Myers remarked.
Kirsten Hurst, the LVC class president, also discussed the significance of the contributions.
“Through school, everything is pretty piled on top of you, on top of work, school, and all the other things that you within life. To hear that (their NCLEX fees are covered) is really a blessing. It feels like a huge weight’s been lifted off of you, because you’re not worried about going to find a job as soon as the semester’s over in order to pay for it,” she said.
According to Hillary Poe, a nursing instructor at LVC, the nursing students at LVC are community-oriented and give back whenever they can.
“It’s very stressful for students just getting to the end, and then you have the boards right after graduation,” she said. “The fact that they were given something this amazing from someone who was a nurse and understands what it takes is even more special.”
At MCTC, there are often students who do not have the funds for their licensure exam. Gifts can be made to the Next Gen Nursing Fund, which can aid those who need help covering those costs.
To set up a donation to that fund, visit the website at maysville.kctcs.edu or contact Cara Clarke at (606) 301-6176.
