(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – On Monday, Governor Mike Parson announced $5 million in grant funding has been approved for 20 Missouri colleges and universities to continue enhancing nursing education programs statewide.

“It is vitally important that we continue to invest in Missouri’s health care workforce to stay competitive nationally, especially for our high demand fields such as nursing,” Governor Parson said. “These grant funds will allow nursing programs to increase faculty support, develop future faculty through scholarships and nursing educator programs, and invest in clinical simulation technology and equipment.”

These 20 competitive grants totaling $5 million were part of a special appropriation to the Missouri State Board of Nursing that was recommended and approved by Governor Parson. The approved grants include:

• $172,760 to Bolivar Technical College
• $165,590 to College of the Ozarks
• $211,855 to Crowder College
• $159,856 to Lincoln University
• $227,000 to Maryville University
• $441,405 to Missouri Baptist University
• $394,772 to Missouri State University
• $532,944 to Missouri State University - West Plains
• $386,780 to Missouri Western State University
• $198,000 to North Central Missouri College
• $147,500 to Northwest Missouri State University
• $135,563 to Research College of Nursing
• $293,400 to St. Charles Community College
• $99,704 to St. Louis University
• $450,000 to St. Luke’s College - Rockhurst University
• $150,000 to Truman State University
• $256,875 to University of Central Missouri
• $285,996 to University of Missouri - Columbia
• $150,000 to University of Missouri - Kansas City
• $140,000 to William Jewell University

The nursing programs that were awarded funds will provide scholarships and tuition assistance for nursing faculty, clinical simulation equipment and staffing, technology enhancements, faculty pay increases, nursing faculty professional development, and graduate nursing program development to educate more nursing faculty.

“We applaud nursing programs for leveraging their research, creativity, and commitment to patient safety by proposing solutions to address the nursing program capacity issues,” said Lori Scheidt, Executive Director of the Missouri State Board of Nursing. “New technology will also allow nursing students to practice, refine and replicate complex clinical procedures, ultimately increasing patient safety.”

Nearly $3 million in funding was previously approved by Governor Parson in September 2022 through the first special appropriation by the Missouri General Assembly, for a total of now nearly $8 million awarded through his office. 

In addition to these funds, the Missouri State Board of Nursing has awarded more than $10 million through the Nursing Education Incentive Program (NEIP). NEIP is an annual grant program designed to increase the physical and educational capacity of professional nursing programs throughout the state. More information on NEIP grants may be obtained from the Missouri State Board of Nursing’s website: pr.mo.gov/nursing. 

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The above press release is from Governor Mike Parson's Office of Communications​​​​​​.