A bill that would provide nursing grants for Southwestern College and Cowley Community College was introduced in the Kansas Senate last week, Sen. Greta Goodwin, D-Winfield, said.
Senate Bill 654 by the Committee on Ways and Means – which Goodwin is a member – establishes the nursing faculty and supplies grant program and makes appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30.
The shortage of nurses and pharmacists influenced Goodwin’s decision to introduce the bill, along with the fact that funds were allocated last year for nursing grants for board of regents schools.
“I talked with Dr. Merriman (Southwestern College president) and Dr. McAtee (Cowley College president) and they said ‘You know, we have the same nursing programs in our schools that regents do except they’re getting money’,” Goodwin said. “I think…. the community college and Southwestern College should receive the same amount of money since they’re helping with the nursing shortage.”
Grants will be matched on the basis of $1 from the nursing faculty and supplies grant program for each $1 from the postsecondary educational institution receiving the grant, the senate bill states. Grant monies may be expended for the expansion of the nursing faculty and for consumable laboratory supplies at the school of nursing of the institution receiving the grant, the bill continues.
Goodwin said approval of the bill could mean each of the two institutions could receive up to $100,000.
“Since there is a shortage of nurses, I’m hoping that the bill will be able to fly right along here,” she said.
