Bethune-Cookman University has received $5,169,169 from the Health Resources and Services Administration, the first HRSA funding in the Daytona Beach HBCU’s history. Announced October 21, 2026, the two awards will fund a high-school-to-BSN pathway and a new route into registered nursing for working healthcare professionals.
Key Takeaways
- Bethune-Cookman’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences received two HRSA awards totaling $5,169,169.
- The Wildcat Nursing Student Success Project receives $2,190,703 to guide students from high school through a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
- Project RISE-RN receives $2,978,466 to help working healthcare professionals move into registered nursing.
- The university says the awards will focus on growing the nursing workforce in rural and medically underserved communities.
- Federal records show first-year award amounts dated September 23, 2026, with the totals paid in installments.
A First-Ever HRSA Award For Bethune-Cookman’s College Of Nursing
The Health Resources and Services Administration is the federal agency that funds programs to train and place healthcare workers, especially in areas that lack them. For Bethune-Cookman University, the two awards mark the institution’s first funding from the agency, opening a federal channel the university’s nursing program had not tapped before.
Federal grant records list first-year award actions of $752,622 for Project RISE-RN and $556,206 for the Wildcat Nursing Student Success Project, both dated September 23, 2026. The full $5.2 million is the combined value of the awards, distributed over the life of each project rather than in a single payment.
“Our students are the future of nursing,” said Dr. Beverly Bonaparte, dean of Bethune-Cookman’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Wildcat Nursing Student Success Project Starts The Path In High School
The Wildcat Nursing Student Success Project, funded at $2,190,703, is built for traditional students. Its goal is to create a continuous pathway that begins while students are still in high school and carries them through completion of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Pathways like this address a common gap in nursing education. Many students who are interested in healthcare never reach a nursing program because they lack early preparation, guidance or support at critical points. Starting in high school gives Bethune-Cookman the chance to build relationships with future nurses years before they enroll, and to support them all the way to graduation.
Project RISE-RN Opens A Route For Working Healthcare Professionals
Project RISE-RN, which stands for Recruiting, Inspiring, Supporting, and Educating the Registered Nurse Workforce, receives the larger award at $2,978,466. It is designed for people already working in healthcare who want to advance to registered nurse.
For many working adults, going back to school means juggling jobs, family responsibilities and tuition. A dedicated route into registered nursing gives these professionals a way to build on the experience they already have, while adding qualified nurses to the workforce faster than training entirely new students from scratch.
Funding Targets Rural And Medically Underserved Communities
Bethune-Cookman says the two awards will grow the region’s nursing workforce, with a focus on rural and medically underserved communities. These are places where staffing shortages are often felt hardest, and where nurses who share their patients’ backgrounds can help build trust in care.
That focus connects to a broader goal across HBCUs: increasing representation of Black professionals in fields where they remain underrepresented. Bethune-Cookman’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences now has federal backing to train more of those professionals at both ends of the career ladder.
Mary McLeod Bethune’s Legacy Runs Through The Nursing Program
The new awards extend a mission that dates back more than a century. Mary McLeod Bethune founded the school that became Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach in 1904, opening it as a school for Black girls.
Seven years later, in 1911, after seeing Black residents turned away from hospitals in segregated Daytona Beach, Bethune established McLeod Hospital, which operated alongside the McLeod Training School for Nurses. The hospital gave Black patients a place to receive care and gave Black nursing students a place to train.
More than 110 years later, the university that carries her name is using federal funding to train nurses for communities with limited access to care. The tools have changed, but the purpose Bethune set out in 1911 is recognizable in both programs.
HBCUs Build Their Own Career Pipelines
Bethune-Cookman’s awards are part of a wider push across historically Black colleges and universities to connect students directly to careers, rather than relying on outside employers to recruit them. Efforts such as UNCF’s new accelerator to build career pipelines at HBCUs reflect the same strategy: design the path from classroom to profession inside the institution, and support students at every step.
FAQs
How Much Did Bethune-Cookman University Receive From HRSA?
Bethune-Cookman received two awards totaling $5,169,169 from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The university announced the awards on October 21, 2026.
What Is Project RISE-RN?
Project RISE-RN is a $2,978,466 program that helps working healthcare professionals advance into registered nursing. The name stands for Recruiting, Inspiring, Supporting, and Educating the Registered Nurse Workforce.
What Is The Wildcat Nursing Student Success Project?
The Wildcat Nursing Student Success Project is a $2,190,703 program that creates a pathway for students from high school through completion of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Bethune-Cookman.
Is This Bethune-Cookman’s First HRSA Grant?
Yes. According to the university, these are the first awards Bethune-Cookman has received from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
