$11.7 Million Endowment to Help Increase Citrus County Nurses

The College of Central Florida Foundation and the Citrus County Hospital Board have partnered to establish what is now an $11.7 million endowment to be used in support of nursing education for Citrus County students. Beginning August 2024, Citrus County residents who have been officially admitted into the Associate Degree Nursing program at CF will receive a scholarship to cover the cost of in-state tuition and lab fees throughout the program. CF offers the Associate Degree Nursing program at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus as well as the Ocala Campus and was recently recognized by RegisteredNursing.org as the No. 1 nursing program in Florida.

“The challenges of recruiting and training qualified nurses remain at the forefront of our community’s needs,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, president of CF. “Thanks to the Citrus County Hospital Board’s contribution and additional state support, CF is able to put those funds where they’re needed most – to pay tuition and lab fees for the local students who receive admittance to the Associate Degree in Nursing program. We are immensely grateful for this opportunity to make a comprehensive, high-quality nursing education accessible to an even greater number of students within our community.”

All applicants are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the CF Foundation scholarship application each academic year. The Associate Degree Nursing program is limited access, with a secondary application beyond the general admission application. To be eligible for the scholarship, the student must be a current Citrus County resident. The scholarship is anticipated to cover full in-state tuition and lab fees for up to 50 Associate Degree Nursing students annually.

“The amazing generosity of the Citrus County Hospital Board displays how the CF Foundation aides the college to meet the needs of the community,” said Chris Knife, vice president for institutional advancement and CEO of CF Foundation.

The CF Foundation endowment for this scholarship is built from more than $23.4 million in donations and matching funds over the last two years. The generous $11.7 million in donations from the Citrus County Hospital Board in 2023 and 2024 allowed the college to apply for and receive matching Linking Industry to Nursing Education grants funded by the State. The LINE Fund was created in 2022 to alleviate the statewide nursing shortage by providing matching funds for nursing education programs that partner with health care providers. For the second year in a row, CF received the largest share of LINE funds among the colleges and universities that applied for this competitive grant.

CF’s Associate Degree Nursing program prepares students to become registered nurses. The program utilizes state-of-the-art simulation equipment and hands-on clinical training to ensure CF graduates have the knowledge and skills to excel in the health care field. For more information about CF’s Nursing programs, visit CF.edu/Nursing.