USF College of Nursing receives $2M gift to fund scholarships

The University of South Florida’s College of Nursing has received a $2 million donation intended to help college graduates cover the costs of transitioning into a career in nursing. 

The donation comes from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, a New York perpetual trust based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that aims to “empower human potential through education and whole community investment,” according to a release from the university. That money will establish USF’s Second Degree Nursing Success Scholarship program, providing vital financial support to students hoping to fill the gaps created by Florida’s urgent nursing shortage. 

By 2035, Florida is expected to face a shortage of nearly 60,000 nurses, the university says, including 37,400 registered nurses. In response, USF is working to expand the number of undergraduate nursing students enrolled at its Tampa campus to 500 by 2028, the release says.  

USF’s new $2 million gift will be used to reduce student debt, expand access to the university’s nursing program and, in turn, strengthen Florida’s health care workforce, the university says. 

“These scholarships will reduce barriers for some of our most driven, academically accomplished students, allowing them to complete their nursing education and enter the workforce at a critical time for our state,” says Dr. Charles Lockwood, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, in the release.

The scholarships will be made available to students enrolled in USF’s Accelerated Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, an intensive, fast-track program that allows college graduates to obtain a nursing degree in just 16 months. 

The program was designed to usher students toward the finish line quickly, as students seeking their second degree are ineligible for federal and state financial aid programs, including Pell Grants and Florida’s Bright Futures. The new scholarship program established by the Kenan Trust will ensure students can pursue a nursing degree without facing financial hardship. 

The Second Degree Nursing Success Scholarship will award $5,000 to 400 recipients over the next three years, USF says. Students enrolled in the ABSN program at any of USF’s three campuses — Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee — will be eligible for the scholarships beginning in Spring 2026, with preference given to students with a demonstrated financial need.