Five West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) nursing students will benefit from a new opportunity created through a partnership with the University of West Georgia (UWG) as a sub-award recipient of a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant aimed at strengthening Georgia’s nursing workforce and expanding educational pathways.
Backed by more than $3.6 million in funding from the HRSA—the largest grant in UWG history—the initiative is designed to reduce barriers for aspiring nurses, expand enrollment, and strengthen Georgia’s healthcare workforce. The grant specifically targets Carroll and Haralson counties by increasing the number of students earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at UWG, as well as prelicensure nursing students completing an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) at WGTC’s Murphy Campus in Waco.
Through this multi-year initiative, five students from the Murphy cohort will be selected annually to participate in this funded opportunity. The students selected this year are: Nicole Bryant, Steven Copeland, Mariah Daniel, Ky’Ari Porter, and Melinda White.
Selected students will receive full payment of tuition and fees for the final three semesters of the ADN program at WGTC, along with automatic admission—pending fulfillment of all program requirements—and full tuition and fee support for the UWG ADN to BSN program. Participants will also receive a $1,000 monthly stipend while enrolled, as well as a one-time $1,000 technology stipend.
“This scholarship is a tremendous opportunity for our students,” said Linsey Fielder, Dean of Nursing at WGTC. “It not only eases the financial burden of pursuing a nursing degree, but also reinforces the value of the education they are receiving. We are proud to partner with UWG on an initiative that directly supports our students and strengthens the pipeline of skilled nurses in our region.”
The goal of this partnership is to strengthen the rural nursing workforce, with a particular focus on long-term care settings, where demand is especially high. Students selected for the program must express an interest in long-term care and complete a portion of their clinical hours in these facilities during the ADN to BSN program. Georgia faces one of the highest nursing shortage rates in the country, needing approximately 24,800 nurses to meet demand, with Carroll County reporting 1,113 RNs per 100,000 residents and Haralson County just 925.
“This partnership represents what’s possible when institutions work together with a shared purpose,” said Dr. Julie Post, President of WGTC. “We are creating a direct pathway for our students to continue their education, while helping meet a critical need for qualified nurses in our communities.”
