CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A federal grant has been received by a Loop-based university that plans to expand its nursing program nearly tenfold.
Looking to address an estimated shortfall of qualified nurses in Illinois of about 15,000, National Louis University on South Michigan Avenue began offering a nursing program this past fall with just a handful of students.
The university has now secured $750,000 in grants that will help expand the program exponentially, said University spokesperson Rick Yaconis.
"Yes, a federally funded grant that we had actually applied for- we reached out to Senator Dick Durbin and asked for support. He inserted himself in the process."
“As we confront the challenges posed by evolving health care needs, the significance of NLU’s new School of Nursing cannot be overstated,” Durbin said in a statement.
“This new nursing school will increase our statewide capacity to educate and train the next generation of nurses, ensuring every patient receives the quality care they deserve.”
Looking to be a part of the national nursing shortage solution, Yaconis highlights the need for this funding, which even with the first Louis University nursing degrees, won't be issued until at least 2027.
He said this new funding is critical to the effort.
"We're already in the process of the recruitment of the next class, which will start in fall of 2024. It's tender," Yaconis added. "We're expecting a minimum of 50 new students into the program, hopefully, up to 100."
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