Post’s American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences granted $1 million to support aspiring nurse educators
WATERBURY, Conn. (June 15, 2023) – To help combat the nation’s nursing shortage, Post University’s American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences received a $1 million Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The NFLP seeks to increase the number of advanced nursing degreed faculty in Connecticut and nationwide by helping alleviate financial barriers for nursing students interested in a career in nursing education. This significant grant will provide the university with resources to offer financial assistance to aspiring nurse educators.
“By offering the NFLP program to graduate students, Post University is able to help nursing schools meet the need for faculty members,” Post’s American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences Dean Kimberly Nerud, PhD, RN. “The NFLP program provides students a viable path to becoming a nurse educator by preparing them academically for the positions and by the financial support during the program.”
American Sentinel, which merged with Post University in 2021, was a prior recipient of NFLP grants.
In the past year, American Sentinel had nearly 100 students use the funding to support their degrees in Master of Science Nursing – Nursing Education Specialization or Doctor of Nursing Practice – Educational Leadership Specialization.
With the 2023 NFLP funding, which becomes effective on July 1, the University expects to enroll 100 new future nurse faculty members in the two graduate nursing programs for the upcoming academic year.
“The availability of NFLP funding has been helpful in attracting potential students to the University and to future careers in education,” explained Dr. Nerud.
The NFLP funds are available to accredited nursing schools to establish student loan funds and provide loans to qualified students enrolled in advanced education nursing degree programs who are committed to becoming nurse faculty. In exchange for four years of full-time nurse faculty employment in an accredited school of nursing, the program cancels up to 85% of the original student loan amount, including accrued interest.
Qualified students enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with a specialization in educational leadership or the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program with a specialization in nursing education at American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Post are eligible to apply for the NFLP.
This award comes at a critical time as the nation faces a projected shortfall of 610,000 registered nurses by 2027. In Connecticut alone, the state currently has a ratio of 9.52 nurses per 1,000 population, highlighting the significant nursing shortage. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), faculty shortages are the primary reason for not accepting all qualified applicants in
most nursing schools. Fortunately, grants like this enable institutions to better invest in current and future nursing faculty, incentivizing students to pursue careers in nurse education. This, in turn, contributes to the alleviation of the nursing shortage and the improvement of healthcare delivery.
The American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Post University offers a number of advanced online nursing degrees, health management degrees, digital credentials, certificates and more. To learn more about Post’s American Sentinel College, visit https://post.edu/academics/american-sentinel-college-of-nursing/.
To learn more about Post’s NFLP and to apply for financial support, email [email protected].