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KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 12, 2024

Scholarships and additional faculty are helping fill the need for 21% more nurses across Georgia

Kennesaw State University (KSU) and Wellstar Health System have doubled the number of students at KSU鈥檚 Wellstar School of Nursing in the last four years, helping to fill the need for more nurses in Georgia.

The nationwide shortage of nurses is hitting Georgia particularly hard. Georgia currently has 21 percent fewer registered nurses than it needs and is expected to see the second-highest estimated shortage in the U.S. by 2035, according to the federal Health Resources Service Administration (HRSA).

鈥淥ur partnership with Wellstar not only enhances the educational opportunities for our students, but also makes a significant impact on the future of healthcare in Georgia,鈥� said Kennesaw State President Kathy S. Schwaig. 鈥淭ogether, we are ensuring that more nurses are entering the workforce, highly trained and dedicated to providing essential care and support.鈥�

To grow KSU鈥檚 Bachelor of Science in Nursing enrollment, Wellstar in 2020 committed nearly $9 million over five years to fund nursing scholarships and the hiring of new nursing faculty and staff. As a result:

• Kennesaw State鈥檚 nursing enrollment has increased in each of the past four years 鈥� doubling from 512 in 2019-20, prior to Wellstar鈥檚 grant, to 1,155 students in the 2023-24 academic year. (Note: The 2024-25 nursing enrollment will be known once the Spring 2025 cohort is enrolled.)
• The Wellstar School of Nursing hired an additional 32 faculty members and 12 support staff employees.
• Kennesaw State added new sections of several nursing courses and skills labs, coinciding with Wellstar expanding its clinical nurse training opportunities and sites available to KSU students.

鈥淎t Wellstar, we have a responsibility to create pathways for our communities鈥� future healthcare workers,鈥� said Candice L. Saunders, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. 鈥淏y working closely with Kennesaw State, we鈥檙e helping more students pursue medical careers through scholarships and the additional faculty to teach them. This collaboration is critical to help meet Georgia鈥檚 need for more healthcare workers.鈥�

The Wellstar scholarships at KSU can be combined with the state-provided , which are helping thousands of Georgia students attend an in-state four-year college or university, as well as other tuition assistance. Wellstar also offers its nurses and other clinical team members tuition reimbursement for ongoing education at KSU throughout the career.

鈥淲ellstar Health System鈥檚 generous support directly addresses the critical nursing workforce need,鈥� said Monica Swahn, dean of KSU鈥檚 . 鈥淥ur commitment to excellence has remained steadfast, and as we look to the future, we will continue to lead and innovate in shaping the next generation of nurses.鈥�

According to the , nurses in metro Atlanta earn on average about $45 per hour, or $95,000 per year plus benefits, depending on their area of specialty.

The longstanding KSU-Wellstar partnership鈥檚 success supporting community health and well-being is outlined in the 2024 Wellstar School of Nursing annual report.

Kennesaw State has been collaborating with Wellstar for decades. Wellstar currently manages the University鈥檚 on-campus student health clinics and is the named donor of the College of Health and Human Services and its School of Nursing.

Wellstar, on top of its previous $18 million in contributions to KSU, recently committed $25 million to expand the relationship. Wellstar provided the lead funding commitment for a new state-of-the-art training and conditioning complex for KSU student-athletes, pending approval by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, along with a new Center for Research on Human Sport Performance and Wellbeing. Beginning July 1, 2026, Wellstar will be the exclusive orthopedics and sports medicine provider, partner, and sponsor of the KSU Athletics Association, providing key services for Kennesaw State student-athletes.

鈥� Story by Paul Floeckher

Photos by Judith Pishnery

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 色色啦. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.