OCALA, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2023) — The College of Central Florida has received $17 million to expand its nursing program, including a $6.7 million Linking Industry to Nursing Education grant funded by the Florida Legislature and a $10.3 million commitment from the Citrus County Hospital Board.
The LINE Fund was created in 2022 by the Florida Legislature to alleviate the statewide nursing shortage by providing matching funds for nursing education programs that partner with health care providers.
CF received the largest share of LINE funds among the 26 colleges and universities that applied for this competitive grant, with an award of more than one-third of the available $19 million and more than 3.5 times larger than the second largest grant of $1.9 million.
The $17 million received by CF is one of the largest gift and grant commitments in the college's history.
“Now, more than ever, we need to recruit and train qualified nurses to meet the growing demands of our local community,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, president of the College of Central Florida. “The Citrus County Hospital Board’s commitment of $10.3 million in May 2022 made CF eligible for this support from the state, and the combined investment significantly increases CF’s capacity to prepare students for high-demand, high-wage nursing careers. We applaud the insight of the Hospital Board and appreciate the transformational gift that allows CF to lead the way in meeting this critical workforce shortage.
“The $6,718,852 LINE grant will enhance the experience of CF nursing students by providing scholarships, additional nursing faculty and equipment, and labs to expand nursing education,” said Henningsen. “CF is one of the most affordable colleges in the country and this unprecedented funding will make a high-quality, high-demand nursing career accessible to even more students in our community.”
CF offers an Associate Degree Nursing program, which prepares graduates to become registered nurses, as well as bridge programs for licensed practical nurses and paramedics to become RNs. CF’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is designed to prepare RNs for advanced clinical positions and nursing faculty positions. For more information about CF’s nursing programs, visit www.CF.edu/nursing.