USC Beaufort to receive nearly $4 million federal grant for nursing program
The University of South Carolina Beaufort has received a four-year, $3.8 million federal grant intended to address a growing nursing shortage throughout the Palmetto State. The project aims to support up to 64 nursing students with emphasis on recruitment, preparation and workforce placement, according to the university.
The funds come from the Health Resources and Services Administration, a federal agency responsible for improving healthcare in underserved communities. The agency has distributed grants to hundreds of colleges and universities, health departments and clinics so far in 2025.
The specific grant received by the university is intended to increase the nursing workforce in rural and underserved areas to address shortages in acute and long-term care settings.
Professor Lynne Hutchinson, who will direct the project, said that the university will take a “multi-pronged approach” to recruit diverse nursing students, retain them to graduate and promote their entry into the workforce.
The funding comes at a time when South Carolina is facing a statewide shortage of healthcare providers. The funding agency tracks geographic areas across the country with these shortages. Beaufort and Jasper counties fall on that list for primary care, as do 15 other counties, many of which are designated as high need areas.
In March, the agency also produced a report on nurse workforce projections. By 2037, South Carolina could be one of ten states with the largest shortages of registered nurses in the nation. About 11,800 vacancies are expected.
The university plans to implement “several student-focused strategies” with the grant funding, from financial support, peer mentoring, workshops, clinical partnerships and a 12-month transition to practice program.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace submitted a letter of support on behalf of the university’s application to the federal agency.
“A lot of times there are financial barriers,” Mace said Thursday during a press conference about the grant. “There was about $18 million given out through this program, and USC Beaufort got almost $4 million of it. So this is going to hugely benefit those students who are pursuing this nursing program.”
On Aug. 18, the university’s first cohort of nursing students started classes at the Beaufort Memorial PATH Career Development Center, a $2.8 million facility funded, in part, by a $1 million state earmark secured by the area’s local lawmaker delegation, including state Rep. Shannon Erickson.
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 8:59 AM.
