Helena Health Foundation funds scholarships for six PCCUA allied health majors

Six Helena campus allied health majors received new scholarships from the Helena Health Foundation, a boost that can keep Phillips County students moving toward nursing, phlebotomy and other frontline care jobs.

Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas announced the awards on April 22, 2026, naming Jillian Lewis of Helena, Ka’Nyiah Jacobs of Marvell, Aryel Larry of West Helena, Molly Lewis of West Helena and Christal Smith of West Helena among the recipients. Jillian Lewis is studying practical nursing, while Jacobs and Larry are majoring in nursing. Molly Lewis and Christal Smith chose phlebotomy.

The scholarships matter well beyond tuition relief. PCCUA says the Helena Health Foundation awards can help pay for tuition, fees, books, equipment and uniforms, costs that often pile up fast in allied health programs. The college also says most students in those programs are unable to hold outside jobs because of the rigorous demands of classes, labs and clinical work, which makes steady financial support a deciding factor in whether students can stay enrolled.

That has direct implications for Phillips County’s healthcare staffing pipeline. PCCUA supports Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technology, Phlebotomy and Certified Nursing Assistant tracks through the Helena Health Foundation scholarship program, all fields that feed hospitals, clinics, labs and long-term care settings. Students who complete those programs can step into roles that support nurses, handle blood draws, assist with patient care and keep basic diagnostic services running close to home.

The Helena Health Foundation says its mission is to support and improve public well-being and quality of life in Phillips County through health education, access to healthcare and wellness. In practice, that means the foundation’s investment is not only helping students at PCCUA’s Helena campus, but also backing the future workforce that local families will depend on when they need care.

PCCUA, a multi-campus, two-year college serving Eastern Arkansas in Helena-West Helena, DeWitt and Stuttgart, has made allied health training a visible part of its local mission. The new scholarships show how a county-level health foundation and a community college are working together to reduce barriers for students now, while strengthening the pool of caregivers Phillips County will need later.