Bedford Falls Foundation commits $3 million to UNC Greensboro School of Nursing
Scholarship to support nursing students who are NC residents
GREENSBORO N.C. – The Bedford Falls Foundation’s mission is to remove barriers to a high-quality nursing education and address the critical nursing workforce shortage. Now, its donor-advised fund has committed to a $3 million gift to UNC Greensboro’s School of Nursing that will establish the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship.
The scholarship will support prelicensure BSN students who demonstrate financial need and are North Carolina residents, or who are enrolled in the school’s Veterans Access Program (VAP), which helps military veterans, active reservists, and active-duty military to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The gift will also support student success in traditionally challenging nursing courses.
“UNCG’s mission and the mission of the Bedford Falls Foundation are aligned when it comes to student success and excellence in nursing,” says Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. “Our School of Nursing has a proven track record of increasing access to education and improving student outcomes.”
The University also shares another big goal with the Beford Falls Foundation: ending a major nursing shortage. North Carolina expects a shortfall of more than 12,000 nurses by 2033.
UNCG is working to fill the gap, says School of Nursing Dean Debra Barksdale.
“Our graduates are a powerful force in improving health outcomes across the state. UNCG graduates the largest number of prelicensure BSN nursing students in the Triad, and many of them choose to remain in the region to serve their communities. A career in nursing is life-changing – not only for the student who becomes a nurse, but also for the patients and families they care for.”
The school is preparing to launch a new prelicensure BSN curriculum designed to keep pace with rapid changes in healthcare and to expand enrollment, ensuring that more students have access to a high-quality nursing education.
Founded in 1997, the Bedford Falls Foundation has a long history of philanthropic giving, including, together with its donor advised fund, approximately $325.6 million toward nursing related initiatives across many states. It was established by businessman and philanthropist Bill Conway, Jr. and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway.
Bedford Falls’ work has now reached North Carolina and is making an impact, says Barksdale.
“This extraordinary gift will transform the lives of our students. It will directly ease the financial burden for so many of them and allow them to focus more fully on their education and future careers in nursing.”
Those successful careers will improve the lives of all. As a solid path to the middle class, nursing is a profession that offers social mobility, which is one of UNCG’s strengths. According to UNC System data, about half of UNCG students are Pell Grant recipients.
“We’re well known for our impact on social mobility,” said Barksdale. “A nursing degree from UNCG can lift entire families, opening doors to financial stability and future educational opportunities.”
Chancellor Gilliam says, “We are deeply honored by the support of the Bedford Falls Foundation. Sustainable scholarship funding ensures that we can recruit the brightest students and that financial need never prevents a prospective student from becoming a nurse.”
from Amy Newland
Director of Advancement Communications