UB School of Nursing receives $1.35 million investment for undergraduate nursing scholarships

The funding will establish the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship program, providing financial support to approximately 60 students each year for the next three years. Students who receive this support will be known as Conway Scholars, with an average annual award of $7,275.

“We are so grateful to partner with the Bedford Falls Foundation on this transformative opportunity to support our undergraduate students as the advance their education,” said Annette Wysocki, dean of the UB School of Nursing. “The Bedford Falls Foundation is to be commended for their foresight in recognizing that nurses are the last link in the chain of safety for patients and that supporting nursing education saves lives.”

Wysocki said support for schools of nursing at this level is uncommon and especially meaningful as federal changes will soon limit annual and lifetime borrowing for nursing students.

“Nurses are critical to the health of our nation,” she said. “Research demonstrates that baccalaureate-prepared nurses lower all-cause hospital mortality by 25%. Nurses provide 86% of the face-to-face care for individuals in acute care settings. Their expert, evidence-based observations and interventions help prevent complications and support the best possible outcomes. They are the only members of the health care team continuously present at the bedside 24 hours a day.”

The investment comes at a time when the need for nurses continues to outpace the system’s ability to prepare them. The United States is already experiencing a shortage of registered nurses, and demand for care is expected to grow as the population ages, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. At the same time, nursing schools are facing capacity constraints, and enrollment is not increasing fast enough to meet projected demand. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects a nationwide shortage of 108,960 registered nurses by 2038.

Within this context, financial barriers remain a persistent challenge for students pursuing a nursing degree. The Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship program is designed to reduce those barriers, making it easier for students to enter the program, stay enrolled and complete their degrees.

“By lowering debt at graduation,” Wysocki said, “we can better position students to return in the future to pursue advanced education as nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists or nurse scientists without being overwhelmed by unsurmountable debt.”

By easing financial strain, the scholarship allows students to focus more fully on their coursework and clinical training, strengthening their preparation for practice and their ability to flourish in a complex health care environment.

The investment aligns with the Bedford Falls Foundation’s nursing philanthropy mission to remove barriers to a high-quality nursing education and address the critical nursing workforce shortage.

“The need for nurses has never been greater,” said Bill Conway.  “We are pleased to support students at the University at Buffalo, helping more students enter the profession to serve their communities.” 

The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation, and Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF, a donor advised fund advised by the foundation, were each established by Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway. The shared mission of their nursing philanthropy is to remove financial barriers to a high-quality nursing education and supporting educational partners in addressing the critical nursing workforce shortage. In addition to nursing, the Foundation also supports health and human service initiatives in Washington, D.C., and Nashua, New Hampshire, which provides pathway opportunities aimed at strengthening community well-being and access to care for our most vulnerable populations.

By Sarah Goldthrite