Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) announced that D’Youville College in the City of Buffalo will receive a federal grant totaling $112,417.  The award was funded through the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Program under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“With an aging population in need of care and an increasing number in the nursing workforce facing retirement in the near future, the US is facing a significant nursing shortage,” said Congressman Brian Higgins. “This grant will help eligible students receive excellent training at D’Youville College which will prepare them for a field that is dynamic and on the rise.”

Congressman Higgins pointed out that health care is a growth industry that continues to provide job opportunities despite this difficult economy.  A US Department of Labor report released in May of this year indicated that hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other ambulatory care settings added 27,000 new jobs in February 2009, a month when 681,000 jobs were eliminated nationwide. 

The funds provided through this grant will be awarded to full-time undergraduate students based on greatest need.  Scholarship amounts will vary and will be applied directly to tuition expenses at the beginning of the semester.  Based on recent undergraduate enrollment numbers, the College estimates over 40% or approximately 140 students could fall under the eligibility requirements for the scholarship. 

According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for Registered Nurses are expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations, generating 587,000 new jobs from 2006 through 2016.  There are currently 2.5 million Registered Nurses in the U.S.