The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) has awarded nursing school grants to 12 institutions, including Concordia University, Loyola University, and Illinois State University, to name a few -totaling $1.4 million – for fiscal year 2024. The grants awarded to higher education institutions will help increase the number of registered professional nurses with high-quality postsecondary credentials to meet the demands of the workforce. The amount of grant funds awarded nearly doubled compared to the previous year thanks to an increase in funds in Governor J.B. Pritzker’s fiscal year 2024 budget supported by the General Assembly. Nursing school grants will be used to enhance nursing programs and efforts to close equity gaps in enrollment, course completion, graduation, and licensure by underrepresented students. Funds may be used for hiring additional nursing faculty and staff, developing and expanding instructional programs and modalities, expanding academic support services, improving classroom and lab spaces, purchasing equipment and instructional materials, and more.