The majority of a $5 million scholarship fund designated for Nebraska's nursing students has gone unclaimed, the Nebraska Examiner reported July 21.
The scholarship fund was established by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act — a national effort to address the nursing shortage — but so far, only $1.1 million from the fund has been claimed in the state, which the news outlet says has been put toward training around 400 students so far.
However, the concern is around the remaining funds. If they are not allocated by the end of 2024, the funding will be returned to the federal government.
Some of the issues are tangled up in requirements for the scholarships, in fact, "eligibility was limited to only those students in short-term, one- to four-semester programs for licensed practical nurses, associate degree nurses and fast-tracked, one-year 'accelerated' bachelor of science in nursing programs — not four-year programs for registered nurses," the Examiner reported.
Nebraska state Sen. Myron Dorn, who introduced the scholarship legislation to the state, told the Examiner he was shocked that more of the money had not been distributed by now and noted that it is something that should be examined during the 2024 legislative session.