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GENERAL INFORMATION
The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) is seeking new applications for its Nursing School Grant Program: Improvement Grants. The program was created on July 11, 2006 when the Nurse Educator Assistance Act was amended to include several new nursing initiatives in Illinois (Public Act 94-1020). The purpose of the Nursing School Improvement Grant is to help institutions improve institutional NCLEX-RN pass rates and increase student retention.
ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS
Participation in this program is open to Illinois institutions of higher learning offering Associate and Baccalaureate level registered nursing degree programs that meet certain conditions. Institutions offering Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs must: be approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR); be accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC); and have an articulation agreement in place with at least one institution of higher learning that offers a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Institutions offering Baccalaureate (BSN or RN-BSN Completion) programs must also be approved by the IDFPR and be accredited by either the NLNAC or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Eligible programs must be operating at levels below the standards for the Expansion Grant Program. The Improvement Grant program requires that the ADN and BSN programs at eligible institutions must meet one of the following conditions: a) NCLEX-RN pass rates for first-time test-takers must be less than 90 percent, or b) program attrition rates must be greater than 15 percent. The RN-BSN programs must have a program attrition rate greater than 15 percent. (Program attrition rate is generally defined as the number of students that do not complete a program expressed as a percentage of the total number of students who entered the program as a cohort.) Institutions are required to submit their nursing program attrition rates, as well as their institutional methodology.
GRANT AWARDS
In fiscal year 2008, three Improvement Grants totaling $100,000 were awarded. It is estimated that two or three awards will be made in fiscal year 2009. Please note that 10 percent of the Nursing School Grant appropriation supports Improvement Grants, and 90 percent of the appropriation will be used to support Expansion Grants (discussed in a separate renewal application). It is anticipated Improvement Grants will range from approximately $25,000 to $33,300.
USE OF FUNDS
Improvement Grant funds are intended to improve instructional quality, increase student retention, and increase NCLEX-RN pass rates. Funds may be used to:
- develop or expand academic support services;
- improve existing classroom space;
- purchase equipment and other instructional materials needed to enhance program instruction; and
- provide a program audit by an external auditor.
When developing your grant proposal, please consider the timing of the one-year grant period. In prior years the grant period for the Nursing School Improvement Grant has ended in late February. However, it is anticipated that FY2009 grant period will start in early February 2009 and end in late May 2010.
APPLICATION MATERIALS
The application materials for the Nursing School Grant Program: Improvement Grants are provided in the following pages of this document/posting.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Completed applications are due October 31, 2008.
CONTACT PERSON
If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Karen Helland at 217-782-2551 or by sending an e-mail to grants@ibhe.org.
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