FY24 Nursing Scholarship Grant - 1596-2433

Background
The FY24 state budget line item 1596-2433 Nursing Programs Free Community College provided funds for a community college scholarship program for nursing students, supporting financial assistance to students who are enrolled in or are in the process of enrolling in a nursing program of higher education at a community college in the commonwealth and have not previously earned a college degree. The purpose of the grant is to address the challenge of addressing the Health Care sector’s dynamic demand for licensed nurses who serve patients across the spectrum of care delivery with a balanced and agile supply of educated, skilled and credentialed nurses.
The Department of Higher Education (DHE), in consultation with the Executive Office of Education (EOE) and the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC), has adopted guidelines governing the eligibility for and awarding of financial assistance under the program, as well as guidelines for institutional plans to develop, enhance the training experience, and expand the number of nurses employing various strategies.

Work Details
The grant aims to support the recruitment and retention of qualified nursing professionals to teach in nursing programs at community colleges. It may also support student loan forgiveness, recruitment bonuses, and retention bonuses for nursing program staff.
The total anticipated funding to be made available for grants through this program in FY24 is $7,400,000. The DHE anticipates awarding up to 15 individual grants to Massachusetts Community Colleges; colleges may choose to submit a collaborative proposal joining two or more colleges in a common proposal. Individual college funding requests are suggested to be in the range of $250,000 - $750,000; collaborative proposal funding requests shall reflect the number of institutions engaged and the total number of students/nursing program staff served.

Period of Performance
Projects will commence upon execution of the Interagency Service Agreement (for awards to public colleges) or the Standard Contract (for awards to community-based, non-profit organizations) with disbursement of funds based on project requirements and achievement of milestones. The completion date for program activities is September 20, 2024, with final evaluation report due on October 31, 2024.

Place of Performance
The geographic location(s) where this contract will be performed is within Massachusetts.