Four-year investment will provide hundreds of scholarships for Bachelor of Science in Nursing students
The Ohio State University College of Nursing and the Bedford Falls Foundation today announced a new engagement to support students who seek to answer their calling to care through the college’s traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
The Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF, which was founded by Carlyle Group co-founder and co-chairman Bill Conway, Jr. and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway, plans to donate $2 million over the next four years to create the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship. The program will provide renewable scholarships for eligible BSN students who are Ohio residents. More than 200 students – who will be known as Conway Scholars – are expected to benefit from this new support.
“This is a transformational investment in our students and their journeys to change healthcare for the better in ways that benefit all people,” said Karen Rose, PhD, RN, FGSA, FNAP, FAAN, dean and professor of the Ohio State College of Nursing. “We are grateful for the passionate and purposeful leadership at the Bedford Falls Foundation in recognizing a great need in nursing education and sharing their incredible generosity with young people whose calling to care will positively impact communities far and wide.”
This investment also allows for the hiring of a student success navigator, whose purpose will be to address success strategies for pre-licensure students and provide resources and interventions that support students in their educational pursuits.
Bill Conway explains that investments with schools like Ohio State aim to enhance the impact of nursing colleges across the nation.
“When we started this work in 2013, Joanne and I sought to remove barriers to a high-quality nursing education and address the critical nursing workforce shortage across the country,” Conway said. “The Ohio State University College of Nursing offers one of the country’s premier BSN programs, and we want to support students’ efforts to become the confident, competent nurses that we all need.”
For the last two years, U.S. News & World Report ranked Ohio State’s BSN program tied for #4 overall and #1 among public colleges of nursing.
BSN program moves up in U.S. News & World Report rankings