PHOENIX — Five Arizona universities received a combined $43.1 million in funding to pay tuition for 900 nursing students.

The funding, provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services, will go toward students aiming to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree in 12-18 months, according to a press release.

Grant funds were approved through HB 2863, which was approved by the state in 2022.

Arizona’s three public universities received a total of $21.2 million in grant funding, while private universities Grand Canyon University and Creighton University in Phoenix got $21.9 million.

GCU received the largest allotment, with $16 million in funding going toward 300 scholarships.

The University of Arizona was given $9.2 million for 158 scholarships and Northern Arizona University received $6.4 million for 240 scholarships.

Arizona State University was awarded $5.6 million to help fill nursing needs for 104 students, and Creighton was given $5.9 million for 80 schoalrships

Creighton received an additional $6 million in capital costs tied with adding a cohort of student nurses.

Students entered into the program are required to commit to working in Arizona for four years post-graduation. They must also have a bachelor’s degree in a field outside of nursing.

The grant aims to address the shortage of nurses in the state by taking away financial barriers and by providing scholarships to a diverse group of students.

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