Two local colleges picked for $566K in state nursing grants

Two local colleges have been selected for a combined $565,793 in nursing grants.

Bolivar Technical College was chosen for $296,000, and Cox College in Springfield is set to receive $269,793, according to a news release from Gov. Mike Parson’s office. The local grants are part of nearly $3 million awarded to 11 Missouri colleges and universities this week, and they're funded through a special appropriation to the Missouri State Board of Nursing that was recommended and approved by Parson.

“My administration has prioritized workforce development, especially for our high-demand fields such as nursing,” Parson said in the release. “It is vitally important that we continue to invest in Missouri’s health care workforce. These grant funds will assist with expanding clinical partnerships and nursing resources to better provide students with a valuable education as well as increase enrollment capacity in the future.”

Uses of the grant funds may include increasing nursing faculty, developing career ladder programs that start in high school and expanding models where students earn wages while obtaining clinical education.