Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund

Kentucky, along with other states, recognized healthcare workforce shortages during the 2023 legislative session in part by establishing the Kentucky Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund, which is a public-private partnership to provide healthcare training scholarships for Kentucky resident students and incentives to reward performance and excellence among healthcare professional programs.

Key Elements

Administered by CPE, the fund

Guiding Legislation and Documentation

Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund Implementation Plan

Submission Form Templates & Evaluation Form

The submission period for partnership proposals and incentive award applications will open on July 1 and close on Aug. 15, 2024. All awards will be made by Sept. 13, 2024.

To help interested entities prepare for the submission period, the following templates are available:

2024 Implementation Schedule

HWIF Steering Committee Members

CPE Chair Madison Silvert appointed the members of the HWIF Steering Committee at their Nov. 17, 2023, meeting.  Members will serve a one-year term beginning March 1, 2024. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund? 

The HWIF is a groundbreaking public/private partnership, created in Spring of 2023 by HB 200. The legislation shares responsibility between industry and government to carry out a dedicated mission - to cultivate a robust frontline healthcare workforce in Kentucky. Our core objectives are twofold: providing educational scholarships to students pursuing programs targeting critical workforce needs in healthcare professions and recognizing and rewarding excellence among Kentucky healthcare professional education and training programs. 

Who is responsible for administering the funds? 

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is responsible for administering the funds. The Council will establish a steering committee for the purpose of advising on issues related to healthcare training scholarships, including determining funding allocations, defining partnership proposal criteria, and making awards. The steering committee is comprised of 10 members – healthcare industry (3), higher education institutions (3), government organization (3), and KY CPE (1). 

Who is eligible for the funds? 

In 13 KAR 5:010, an “eligible entity” means an entity that offers a healthcare program. As long as the entity offers the program and the credential received upon completion of the program allows the graduate to be eligible for licensure (which often includes sitting for an exam), then it is eligible to partner with a healthcare provider in a proposal to receive scholarship funding.   

How does the dollar-for-dollar match work? 

The fund may accept gifts or donations restricted by a healthcare partner grantor with all monies gifted or donated to the fund to be matched, dollar for dollar, by General Fund disbursements for the establishment of scholarships and/or educational program incentives.

When will the Council begin accepting partnership proposals? 

Applications for partnerships and incentive awards will open on July 1, 2024. The application will close on August 15, 2024, and all awards will be made by September 13, 2024. 

How will funding priorities be determined? 

Healthcare Training Scholarships

Healthcare Program Incentives

Can you please explain the employment restriction outlined in Section 9b of KRS 164.0403?

KRS 164.0403(6) states the following:  A healthcare training scholarship issued by a healthcare program pursuant to a partnership contract shall be made directly to a recipient pursuant to a written scholarship contract between the recipient and the healthcare program. The scholarship contract shall not restrict the recipient's ability to utilize the scholarship for the total cost of attendance. Each recipient of a scholarship shall:

  1. Agree in the written contract to practice as a licensed or certified medical professional in the Commonwealth for a contract period of one (1) year for each academic year funded by the scholarship up to a maximum of two (2) total years; and
  2. Sign a promissory note as evidence of the scholarship and the obligation to repay the scholarship amount upon failure to complete terms of the contract.

Section (7) also allows restrictions to be placed in the contract requiring the recipient to meet the practice obligations at the employer healthcare provider (except as outlined in Section (9) which applies to those participating in the state registered nursing aid training and competency evaluation program). 

Minus the one caveat mentioned above, the scholarship recipients must work in the profession in which their program leads to certification for each year of the scholarship, not to exceed 2 years, and may be required to complete that obligation with the healthcare provider.  This would be after completion of the program because the student would not be able to practice in that profession until they complete the program. 

For more information about healthcare workforce initiatives, contact Michaela Mineer at michaela.mineer@ky.gov. 

Last Updated: 6/28/2024