Urbana, Ill.-based Carle Health and Peoria, Ill.-based Methodist College have unveiled a new program that offers eligible nursing students full tuition coverage in exchange for a work commitment at Carle Health.
The Academic Investment Program, launching in fall 2025, will cover tuition, books and other fees for students pursuing a BSN or a pre-licensure MSN. Participants must commit to working at a Carle Health hospital or care facility for at least two years after graduation and licensure.
The program is open to current Carle Health employees, current Methodist College students and other individuals eligible for admission to the college's nursing programs, according to a Feb. 10 news release.
“We understand the financial burden pursuing higher education can cause for a student, in addition to the stress of finding a job upon graduation," Joy Ledbetter, vice president of talent acquisition and workforce development at Carle Health, said in a news release. "Our goal is to ease both these obstacles and give students the training they need to become exceptional caregivers and improve health outcomes for people in central Illinois.”