Nightingale Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides scholarships and support resources to students attending Salt Lake City-based Nightingale College, has received a $2 million grant award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as part of the administration’s Nursing Workforce Development program.
The grant will fund the Interconnected Alaska RN Nursing Workforce Development Program in collaboration with Nightingale College and Nightingale Education Group, providing scholarship resources and additional academic, financial and social support to Alaskan nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled in Nightingale College.
The purpose of this program is to recruit, retain and graduate registered nurses from disadvantaged backgrounds and increase the number of nurses who deliver healthcare services to Alaska’s rural and medically underserved communities, helping address the state’s critical nursing shortage by 2030. In addition, the project will also create a high-quality educational experience through the recruitment and retention of faculty and preceptors from varied backgrounds.
The grant provides an estimated $510,000 per year from Sept. 1, 2026, to Aug. 31, 2030, contingent upon annual federal budget approval. Funds will specifically support 50 Alaska-based future registered nurses who are enrolled in Nightingale College over the four-year course of the project period.
“This grant allows us to remove real barriers for aspiring nurses in Alaska’s most remote and underserved communities,” said Katy Shoemaker, Nightingale Foundation executive director, in a release. “By investing in students who reflect the communities they will one day serve, we are building a stronger, more resilient nursing workforce for Alaska’s future. We are honored to partner with HRSA on this critical work.”
