Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

CPE awards $11.8 million in Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund dollars to postsecondary healthcare training programs

October 30, 2024

CPE President Aaron Thompson, Leslie Sizemore and Rep. Ken Fleming at the awards ceremony

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) awarded $11.8 million in matching dollars to 33 eligible postsecondary healthcare programs offered by 19 education and training providers, in partnership with regional employers. The awards were announced today in Lexington as part of CPE’s Healthcare Workforce Collaboratory event, attended by nearly 200 healthcare representatives from across the Commonwealth.

Monies were made possible by state appropriations to the Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund (HWIF), enacted by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2023. A majority of the fund supports scholarships for students enrolled in targeted programs in areas of critical workforce need, while the remainder rewards innovation and excellence among professional healthcare education and training programs.

To be eligible, postsecondary programs must partner with one or more healthcare employers, who pledge a dollar amount to be matched by the HWIF. Students who receive partnership-funded scholarships will be required to practice in Kentucky in their specialty area for each year of financial support they receive, not to exceed two years. Eastern Kentucky University’s School of Nursing was the only program to receive an incentive fund award, thanks to a $75,000 contribution from Humana.

“The awards we announced today are a win-win for Kentucky’s students, employers and patients,” said CPE President Aaron Thompson, who was on hand to recognize recipients. “This innovative, public-private partnership will go a long way toward strengthening the state’s healthcare workforce, alleviating critical shortages in certain regions and areas of practice, and helping the state achieve better health outcomes overall.”

The award recipients with their partners are listed below.

 Bellarmine University: $1,000,000

 Big Sandy Community and Technical College: $130,000

 Bluegrass Community and Technical College: $11,474

 Bridge Valley Community and Technical College: $60,000

 Campbellsville University: $45,000

 Central Kentucky Paramedic Education Consortium: $11,214

 Eastern Kentucky University: $150,000

 Hazard Community and Technical College: $140,000

Hopkinsville/Christian County Paramedic Program: $95,556

 Maysville Community and Technical College: $220,000

Midway University: $80,000

Morehead State University: $100,000

Northern Kentucky University: $2,120,000

Owensboro Community and Technical College: $150,000

Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College: $780,000

Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College: $91,000

University of Pikeville: $98,000

University of Louisville: $4,880,000

Western Kentucky University: $1,592,464

Last Updated: 10/31/2024