West Virginia Wesleyan College has been awarded $1,500,000 through West Virginia’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program, which is designed to address the state’s nursing shortage through a multifaceted approach to attract, train and retain nurses in the Mountain State.

Representing a fundamental part of this approach, an award program was established three years ago to fund nursing program expansion projects at colleges, universities, schools of nursing and career technical education centers across West Virginia. WVWC has received this grant each year.

The WVWC School of Nursing will use Year 3 of the grant to drive significant advancements in nursing education and workforce development. A key initiative includes the launch of a LPN-BSN hybrid weekend pathway at Battlers Knob, the former Alderson Broaddus University campus in Philippi, West Virginia.

Dr. Kimberly White, director of the School of Nursing, said, “WVWC School of Nursing is honored to be the recipient of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s Nursing Expansion Grant for the third year in a row. This year we continue to focus on recruitment and retention of students and providing as much support and resources to ensure academic success. We are also excited to start accepting new students into our new LPN to BSN hybrid/weekend pathway program for Fall 2025 and to revitalize the former Alderson Broaddus University campus by returning nursing students back to Battler’s Knob.”

Twenty-three grant awards were distributed to nursing programs statewide for the third year of the program. Funded projects build upon progress made in the first two years and are focused on increasing enrollment in pre-licensure nursing programs, timely degree completion and licensure for graduates.

Since its launch, West Virginia’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program has helped yield a nearly 25 percent increase in filled seats at nursing programs across the state.

The nursing program expansion awards, made possible by funding from the West Virginia Legislature, are administered by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and Community and Technical College System.