The Western Kentucky University (WKU) College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) is pleased to announce it has been awarded nearly $1.6 million in scholarships through the Council of Postsecondary Education (CPE) Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund. This funding will support students pursuing Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), and Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees.

CHHS Dean, Dr. Tania Basta, said “We are thrilled to receive nearly $800,000 from the legislature and $800,000 from our regional health care partners to provide up to 100 scholarships for our BSN, BSW and MSW students.  Students who receive this funding will receive a scholarship for up to 2 years and will be required to work for one of our healthcare partners for up to 2 years after graduation.   This funding is the perfect example of the state working with health care organizations and universities to create innovative solutions to address the health care shortage in the Commonwealth.”

CPE awarded $11.8 million in matching funds to 33 healthcare programs from 19 providers, in collaboration with regional employers, as part of its Healthcare Workforce Collaborative, which aims to unite state leaders, policy experts, educational institutions, and the healthcare industry.

According to the CPE, “Kentucky, along with other states, recognized healthcare workforce shortages during the 2023 legislative session in part by establishing the Kentucky Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund, which is a public-private partnership to provide healthcare training scholarships for Kentucky resident students and incentives to reward performance and excellence among healthcare professional programs.”

The WKU scholarships will specifically benefit students enrolled in the WKU BSN program through partnerships with Baptist Health Hardin, Med Center Health, Owensboro Health, and TJ Samson Regional Health. Additionally, the WKU BSW will collaborate with LifeSkills, Inc., while the WKU MSW has partnered with Baptist Health Hardin, Graves Gilbert Clinic, LifeSkills Inc., and TJ Samson Regional Health.

More information about the Kentucky Healthcare Workforce Collaborative may be found here, and more information about the Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund may be found here.