Chancellor King Announces Launch of Innovative SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship Program
May 5, 2025
Scholarship Will Cover Tuition and Fees, and Provide a Stipend for Baccalaureate-Prepared Nurses Pursuing a Master's Degree in Nursing at SUNY
Scholarship Recipients Will Commit to a Three-Year Faculty Position at a SUNY Associate-Level Nursing Program
Eligible Students Are Encouraged to Apply Here
Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced the launch of the SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship, an innovative pilot program designed to expand SUNY's capacity to educate future nurses as part of Governor Hochul's healthcare workforce agenda. The scholarship will cover tuition and fees and provide a stipend to baccalaureate-prepared nurses pursuing a master's degree in nursing. In return, recipients will commit to a three-year faculty position at a SUNY associate-level nursing program, helping strengthen the future nursing workforce in New York State.
The SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship will cover up to $25,000 per academic year, including up to $20,000 for tuition and fees toward a qualifying master's in nursing degree program at SUNY, plus a $5,000 annual stipend for each year of eligible enrollment. The pilot program is slated to support two cohorts of approximately 35 students each.
Eligible students are encouraged to apply here.
"The SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship Program will help ensure more skilled nurses are ready to enter the workforce and improve the quality of healthcare throughout New York State," said SUNY Chancellor King. "With a projected shortage of 40,000 registered nurses in New York State within the next five years, we must take bold steps to address this problem. That is why SUNY is stepping up with this innovative scholarship program that will invest in the next generation of nursing educators and thereby help expand and strengthen the healthcare workforce.
SUNY Board Trustee Eric Corngold said, "As New York faces a major shortfall in high-quality nursing professionals in the coming years, SUNY is stepping up to address this looming crisis. The innovative SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship Program will help empower more nurses to become educators, and more New Yorkers to become nurses. This commonsense investment is part of SUNY's ongoing efforts to ensure New York State has the educated, dedicated workforce we will need to succeed in the new economy."
The SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship pilot program was created based on recommendations from the SUNY Future of Healthcare Workforce Task Force, a group convened to guide SUNY in addressing the critical healthcare workforce shortage, which identified enhancing SUNY's healthcare educator pipeline as one of its four priority areas for short-term action and investment. The pilot was first announced in the 2024 State of the University Address as a way to address the shortage of nursing educators, which has created a significant barrier to expanding SUNY's nursing programs.
Upon receiving the scholarship, recipients must secure a faculty position at a SUNY associate-level nursing program within three months. Faculty training and professional development will be provided to all recipients to equip them with effective teaching skills, enhance their instructional techniques, and ensure a successful transition into their faculty roles. Teaching responsibilities must begin by January 2026, with recipients committing to a minimum of 18 academic credit hours per year for three years.
Senate Higher Education Chair Toby Ann Stavisky said, "I'm proud to join my colleagues in helping secure funding for the SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship Program. This will help our eminently qualified nurses obtain their Master's degree. We need to teach the next generation of healthcare workers and prepare them for careers in these much-needed fields. In return, these new educators will serve New Yorkers in nursing. I thank Chancellor King for developing this program to meet our State's nursing shortage."
Assembly Higher Education Chair Alicia Hyndman said, "Today is an exciting moment for SUNY and for the future of healthcare in New York State! As Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee — and as someone who believes deeply in the power of education to change lives — I am thrilled to see this bold investment in our nursing workforce. The SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship is about breaking barriers: it's about giving talented nurses the support they need to advance their education and step into leadership as the educators our communities so urgently need. I want to thank Chancellor King and everyone at SUNY for their vision and commitment to strengthening healthcare from the classroom to the bedside. Our future nurses — and all New Yorkers — will be better because of it."
Assemblymember Amy Paulin said, "The SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship is a forward-thinking investment in both our students and our state's healthcare future. By supporting aspiring nursing educators, we're not only addressing the shortage of faculty that limits program capacity—we're also ensuring that future nurses receive the high-quality training they need to provide exceptional care. This initiative is a win for SUNY, a win for our healthcare system, and most importantly, a win for patients across New York."
Assemblymember Karines Reyes, R.N., Chair of the NYS Assembly and Senate's Puerto Rican / Hispanic Task Force, said, "I applaud SUNY and the institution's leadership for making this pivotal investment in a critical part of New York State's workforce. Our state is facing a shortage of nurses in the coming years and decades. This investment in the SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship Program will make sure that our practitioners can afford to improve their skillset, while giving back to our state's public higher education system and students, with the 3-year residency. I thank SUNY Chancellor John King and his administration for their leadership on this initiative, and look forward to seeing the positive fruits that are born from it."
Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest said, "As a proud CUNY and SUNY alum, a nurse, and a mom, I know firsthand the power of public education to transform lives. The Healthcare Educator Scholarship Program is a crucial investment in building the healthcare workforce New Yorkers need — and making sure the people teaching our future nurses, doctors, and caregivers actually reflect the communities they'll serve. This is how we strengthen our hospitals, our neighborhoods, and our state — by believing in our people and giving them the tools to thrive."
For more information about the program, eligibility requirements, and to access the application, visit https://www.suny.edu/health/scholarship/. Applications are due May 30, 2025.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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