Virginia Announces $1.3M in Nursing Scholarships, Workforce Incentives
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced $1.3 million in scholarships and incentives for 350 prospective nursing students, funded through the newly created Virginia Nursing Workforce Center. The funding includes $500-$5,000 semester awards for clinicians serving as nursing preceptors, scholarships up to $2,000 for nursing students, loan repayment awards for nurses and aides who commit to working in-state, and grants up to $400,000 for institutions participating in a two-year earn-while-you-learn clinical training program. The investment responds to a projected shortage of 17,000 registered nurses in Virginia and addresses broader concerns about healthcare access as 300,000 Virginians face potential Medicaid coverage loss under the federal reconciliation bill, which officials say is already straining hospitals and clinics with uncompensated care.