Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation Announces Grants to Aid Nursing Education Programs
Foundation Commits Over $1.3 Million to Twenty-Seven Area Nursing Schools

Pittsburgh, PA - March 4, 2004 - The Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation held an event today to announce the distribution of $1,351,000 in grants to area nursing programs through the Foundation’s Nursing Education Grants Program, which will distribute nearly $5.5 million statewide to help nursing students.

The Foundation established the Nursing Education Grants Program with support from PHEAA and The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) to make nursing education more accessible and affordable. The program helps to reverse the Commonwealth’s nursing shortage by generating financial support which otherwise is not available to schools. This funding, in turn, helps Pennsylvania schools increase the recruitment and retention rates of their nursing programs, providing qualified nurses for the citizens of Pennsylvania.

Funds totaling $1,351,000 have been earmarked to assist 27 area nursing schools, including University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Duquesne University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

According to the Department of Health’s Special Report on the Characteristics of the Registered Nurse Population in Pennsylvania (June 2003) only 17 percent of registered nurses in Pennsylvania are between the ages of 20 and 34 while 52 percent are between the ages of 34 and 50. 30 percent are in the age range of 50 and 64. Almost 50 percent of registered nurses are expected to leave nursing within the next 10 years.

“Unfortunately too few students are entering the nursing profession to meet the needs of Pennsylvania - - and that places a serious strain on hospitals and health care providers,” said Foundation President and C.E.O. Michael H. Hershock. “With the average student loan debt for nurses exceeding $18,000, the cost of a nursing education can also be a deterrent. Our unique combination of loan forgiveness, grant and awareness programs removes many obstacles for nursing students and unlocks the door to a rewarding career and a lifetime of success.”

By providing aid directly to nursing education programs, the Foundation is making Pennsylvania’s nursing schools a more attractive choice to future nurses and providing Pennsylvania’s citizens with qualified nursing care.

"The Foundation's support for tuition scholarships will clearly impact the numbers of applicants able to pursue a nursing education and permit expansion of nursing programs within the state,” said Dr. Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. “The interest in nursing and the number of applicants are far greater than the scholarship dollars currently available for students. We, at the University of Pittsburgh, will be able to increase the number of students entering nursing with these dollars."

For additional information about the Foundation’s initiatives or to inquire about donation opportunities, contact the Foundation office at (717) 720-3961 or visit www.HigherEdFoundation.org.