
WILMINGTON — The Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) Foundation has launched a new fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $1 million to support nursing scholarships for students.
The scholarships will be awarded to eligible students demonstrating financial need and a commitment to academic excellence. Recipients will be selected by a review committee formed of community members.
READ MORE: County’s building purchase for CFCC is aimed at the nursing shortage. Here’s how it could help.
The fundraising campaign will rely on the generosity of donors, including individuals and businesses. To donate, visit cfcc.edu/foundation/give.
The institution’s campaign is another initiative to alleviate the state nursing shortage; by 2033, North Carolina faces an estimated shortage of nearly 12,500 registered nurses and more than 5,000 licensed practical nurses.
“We are committed to ensuring that our students have the resources they need to succeed, including access to financial support,” CFCC President Jim Morton said in a press release. “By launching this fundraising campaign, we hope to provide more opportunities for students to pursue a career in nursing and positively impact their community.”
In October, New Hanover County commissioners agreed to purchase an $11.9-million building at 319 N. Front St. to expand the CFCC’s allied health programs. The college is also partnering with Novant to provide $2 million for scholarships and “other resources” for the new facility.
If deal goes through, the building will support CFCC’s multiple nursing tracks. The college offers two paths to becoming an RN — a two-semester LPN to RN program for current LPNs and a five-semester program to earn an associate degree in nursing, or ADN. The institution also offers nurse assistant, or nurse aide, programs.
In October, Sonya Johnson, Vice President of Marketing and Community Relations at CFCC, said the college will expand all of its programs over time, but it is looking to immediately triple its associate degree program. Around 60 to 75 graduate from that program every year. So, if admittance triples this fall, for example, the first cohort of 225 RNs could enter the workforce as early as 2026.
Questions about the campaign can be directed to foundation@cfcc.edu.
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