Cuesta College secures $623,000 to transform its already growing nursing program.
"Our program was actually selected by the state chancellor's office to be part of the statewide nursing demonstration project, and this is an outcome of that participation," said Cuesta Superintendent President Jill Stearns.
The grant comes from the Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure program which is meant to target the healthcare workforce shortages in the state. Cuesta was one of 55 colleges in California to receive the funding.
The money will largely go toward making the program more equitable by providing tablets and laptops for students who do not have them, which will make passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), the nurse licensing exam, more attainable.
“It's really stressful and they're able to help with our financial burden in that, so we can focus more on studying and passing," Cuesta nursing student JayCee McEntire said.
The funding will also go toward multilingual digital textbooks and student support systems.
Many students in the program, like Alexandria Roy, say they’re planning to work locally, ensuring that they give back to the community.
"A lot of us are moms who have to severely cut back on hours," Roy said. "Paying for books, uniforms, transportation, gas, all that stuff. I mean it puts a dent in your bank account so I think that grant is really going to help."
