SC Universities Land $10M to Train Nursing Faculty Amid Shortages

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) is distributing $10 million annually to combat nursing shortages by supporting educator preparation at public and private institutions. Initially allocated in the 2022-23 legislative session, the funding continued into 2023-24 and beyond, with half—$5 million—used as temporary salary supplements for full-time and part-time nursing faculty at accredited programs.[1][2] The remainder funds the BOLD Career Pathways Nursing Faculty Loan Program, providing up to $30,000 per year in tuition reimbursement for graduate programs like MSN, DNP, or PhD, capped at $90,000 over three years.[2] Participants must commit to two years of faculty service in South Carolina public nursing programs for each year of support, addressing a statewide deficit in qualified instructors.[1][2] Eligible institutions include regionally accredited, not-for-profit public and private colleges across the Palmetto State, such as the University of South Carolina and Clemson University nursing programs listed on the CHE site. Applications are processed through the South Carolina Student Loan Corporation.[2] This effort aligns with broader teacher shortage solutions, as South Carolina's average teacher salary hit $64,050 last year, surpassing the Southeastern average and drawing educators from North Carolina and Georgia.[4] The Center for Educator Recruitment and Retention reported the first decline in vacant teaching positions in a decade, signaling progress amid ongoing recruitment challenges in districts from Charleston to Greenville.[4] Nursing faculty training directly supports K-12 and higher education pipelines strained by these shortages.