Abigail Vastag had been juggling multiple jobs to save enough money to pursue an Accelerated BSN at the IU School of Nursing. Between housesitting jobs and PRN shifts at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital, she constantly wondered how she would balance classes, studying, and tuition payments while working enough hours to make ends meet.
Then came the news that she had received the IU School of Nursing Helene Fuld Health Trust Fund Nursing Scholarship for the 2025-26 school year, and the feeling of relief was immediate.
“I remember being super excited and calling my dad because I had budgeted for the semester and had saved up almost enough to pay for school if I wiped out my entire account,” Vastag recalled. “So, when I found out that I received the scholarship, I was so grateful that I’d now be getting closer to not being in debt when I graduate, which is great.”
Established at IU in 2014, the Helene Fuld Health Trust Nursing Scholarship Fund supports Accelerated BSN students with financial need at the IU Indianapolis campus. Vastag is one of more than 40 students who received assistance during the past academic year.
IU’s Accelerated BSN program is designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field and want to pursue a nursing career. The intensive 16-month program allows graduates to enter the workforce quickly at a time when nurses are urgently needed.
Vastag earned her first bachelor’s degree in community health from IU Bloomington but was unsure what career path to pursue next.
“I wanted something broad enough that I could still kind of cater to any pre-professional degree,” she recalled.
A wilderness first responder course ultimately sparked her interest in critical care nursing when she learned how to assess injuries in the deep woods.
“We would go hiking and they'd give us super trauma scenarios deep in the woods and you'd have to decide whether to hike them out or how to splint injuries,” Vastag said. “So, I got to experience what it’s like being there for the worst of the worst while still doing the things that I love and helping someone in a bad situation. It really locked me into what I wanted to do going forward.”
Investing in Future Nurses
The Helene Fuld Health Trust is one of the nation’s most significant philanthropic funders devoted exclusively to nursing students and nursing education. It bears the name of Helene Fuld (née Helene Schwab, 1858–1923), who was a passionate advocate for nursing education and healthcare during her lifetime. Following Fuld’s death in 1923, her children, Leonhard and Florentine, created a foundation in her honor, continuing her commitment to public health.
Initially established in 1935 as the Helene Fuld Health Foundation, it became the Helene Fuld Health Trust in 1965 with a mission to support the health, welfare, and education of student nurses. Since then, the Trust has provided significant funding to colleges and universities across the United States, helping expand access to nursing education, strengthen academic programs, and develop future nurse leaders.
At the IU School of Nursing, more than 300 Accelerated BSN students have received nearly $900,000 in grants over the past 12 years, with awards ranging between $2,500 and $6,000 per student.
Vastag completed her degree in May and has accepted a position in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Riley Children’s Hospital. Her long-term goals are limitless and include flight nursing, earning her nurse practitioner degree, or even teaching future nurses.
“So far I love critical care, so hopefully I’ll stay there,” she said. “But my favorite thing about nursing is being able to pivot and try new things and go anywhere to see the world of nursing.”