ReNEW Fund

Reinvesting in Nursing Education and Workforce

About the Fund

Health systems across the country face increased turnover and elevated staffing costs. Meanwhile, many aspiring nurses cannot afford to enter the profession. The ReNEW Fund aims to address these challenges by helping thousands of historically underserved students earn BSN degrees. By partnering with priority employers, the Fund will grant employers direct access to this diverse and steady pipeline of new nurses.

How Does It Work?

The Fund helps to cover last-mile training costs for prelicensure nursing students, including the costs of in-person labs and clinical placements.
Employers are introduced to nursing students before graduation, and graduates are incentivized to work with partner employers to avoid individual payment obligations.
Employers hire graduates for full-time nursing roles, paying a fee to the Fund for each hire.
Employers engage nurses for three years and beyond, paying to the Fund at key retention milestones over the first three years.
The Fund uses employer payments to train more nurses, helping more people achieve their dreams and growing the nursing talent pipeline.

WGU Leavitt School of Health

Learn More

Preparing Nurses
for Success

WGU is the largest nursing training provider in the U.S. Over the last five years, WGU has had a first-time NCLEX-RN average pass rate of 89.21%, which is above the national five-year average of all BSN programs.

Building a More
Diverse Pipeline

WGU’s flexible, hybrid program enables students to earn a BSN degree on their own schedule. Through the Fund, WGU anticipates supporting a student body that is 37% Black and 16% Hispanic, far more diverse than the national average for BSN-trained nurses.

Addressing Critical
Talent Shortages

In 2021, WGU produced 17% of the nation’s registered nurses earning a BSN. With support from the Fund, WGU aims to expand its offerings to prepare thousands more nursing graduates—helping employers fill critical roles and improving patient care at scale.

Example Fund Scenarios

Student 1

Student 1 earns a BSN with Fund support and joins Employer A, staying for 3 years. Employer A makes one payment at hiring and three retention payments at the end of each full year. After three years, Employer A and Student 1 have completed their obligation to the Fund.

Student 2

Student 2 earns a BSN with Fund support and joins Employer B, staying for one and a half years. Employer B makes one payment at hiring, one retention payment at the end of year one, and one pro-rated retention payment after separation from Employer B. After leaving Employer B, Student 2 is required to individually repay the remainder of their loan to the Fund.

Student 3

Student 3 earns a BSN with Fund support and joins Employer C. Since Employer C is not affiliated with the Fund, Student 3 individually repays the Fund and has no fund-related financial incentive to stay with Employer C.

Why Become an Employer or Philanthropic Partner?

Meet Nursing Students Before They Graduate

Partner employers can begin recruiting thousands of nursing students while they are still in school.

Increase Retention

Leaving a partner employer means a nurse will become responsible for their own payments, incentivizing talent retention.

Be Protected

Employers only make full payments if a nurse reaches retention milestones.

Achieve Diversity Goals

Employers access a group of nursing graduates more diverse than the national average for BSN-trained nurses.

Strengthen the Pipeline of Qualified Nurses

Unlike with staffing agencies, employer hiring and retention payments go back into the system to help train more nurses.

Advance Health Equity

By developing a larger and more diverse nursing workforce, employers can improve quality of care and help reduce health disparities.

Questions?

Submit your contact information in the form below or email renew@wgu.edu to learn more. We look forward to addressing your needs for a more diverse nursing talent pipeline.

Bob Collins
Senior Advisor, Office of the President & Vice President, Talent Finance
Western Governors University

Spencer Stewart
Vice President, Partnerships
Western Governors University

Justin Bakule
Vice President, Impact Investments
Social Finance

Brandon Zollner
Executive Director of Development
Western Governors University

ReNEW - WGU & Social Finance Initiative

Please fill out the form below if you would like to be contacted regarding the Reinvesting in Nursing Education and Workforce (ReNEW) initiative. We look forward to hearing from you!

Accredited, Respected,
Recognized™

One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.