College of Nursing & School of Allied Health (CONSAH)
Our Role
The Grants & Planning Office powers the mission of the College of Nursing & School of Allied Health by turning external funding into opportunities for students, programs, and Louisiana’s healthcare workforce.
Through strategic partnerships and competitive grants, we:
- Expand access to nursing and allied health education.
- Support faculty positions that sustain high-quality programs.
- Create pathways for non-traditional and underserved students.
- Strengthen the state’s healthcare pipeline through innovation and workforce alignment.
Our work ensures that CONSAH students have the support they need to succeed — and that Louisiana communities benefit from more qualified healthcare professionals.
Programs Strengthened by Funding
Grants and collaborations touch nearly every corner of CONSAH. Students benefit from expanded opportunities in:
- Undergraduate Nursing – ASN, BSN, and LPN-to-RN pathways.
- Graduate Nursing – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthesia, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.
- Allied Health – Radiologic Sciences and Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
- Student Success Initiatives – scholarships, stipends, and retention programs that reduce barriers to completion.
Select Grants & Their Impact
Funding Source: U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration
Purpose: Prepares more Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners to serve rural and underserved Louisiana communities.
- Student Pathways: Provides stipends for PMHNP students; supports preceptors; graduates commit to behavioral health service.
- Faculty & Program Growth: Funds faculty support, curriculum updates, and telehealth integration.
- Workforce Expansion: Trains providers to meet urgent behavioral health needs in underserved communities.
Funding Source: U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration
Purpose: Strengthens the Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthesia program, with a focus on rural and medically underserved areas.
- Student Pathways: Offers tuition, fees, and living stipends for DNP Nurse Anesthesia students during rural clinicals.
- Faculty & Program Growth: Builds new clinical site partnerships and strengthens the DNP NA program.
- Workforce Expansion: Prepares a diverse, practice-ready anesthesia workforce to address health disparities.
Funding Source: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, matched by NSU and private partners
Purpose: Expands accelerated BSN pathways for paramedics, military medics, and science-degree holders.
- Student Pathways: Flexible schedules and financial support help nontraditional students complete degrees faster.
- Faculty & Program Growth: Adds faculty positions and program capacity to enroll more students.
- Workforce Expansion: Creates 300+ new nurses by 2026 — and more than 1,000 by 2032 — for Louisiana’s healthcare systems.
Funding Source: The Rapides Foundation
The Rapides Foundation has invested in multiple initiatives that expand nursing education and strengthen the healthcare pipeline in Central Louisiana.
- Sonography Concentration in Central Louisian
Purpose: Expands access to specialized diagnostic medical sonography training.
- Student Pathways: Creates a new concentration that opens career opportunities in high-demand imaging fields.
- Faculty & Program Growth: Adds instructional capacity to deliver advanced imaging education.
- Workforce Expansion: Increases the supply of trained sonographers serving hospitals and clinics in Central Louisiana.
- ASN Retention in Central Louisiana
Purpose: Provides resources and support to help students persist and graduate in the Associate of Science in Nursing program.
- Student Pathways: Offers targeted support for ASN students, including stipends, mentoring, and success resources.
- Faculty & Program Growth: Enhances student services and academic support strategies led by faculty.
- Workforce Expansion: Improves retention and graduation rates, ensuring more entry-level nurses enter the workforce.
- Increasing BSN Clinical Admission in Alexandria
Purpose: Expands the capacity of NSU’s Alexandria campus to admit and graduate more BSN students.
- Student Pathways: Opens additional seats for BSN students through expanded clinical opportunities.
- Faculty & Program Growth: Supports new clinical partnerships and faculty support to supervise students.
- Workforce Expansion: Produces more bachelor’s-prepared nurses to meet growing demand in Central Louisiana.
Funding Source: Louisiana Board of Regents
Purpose: Expands the pathway for Licensed Practical Nurses to advance into Registered Nursing.
- Student Pathways: Offers stipends and placement support to help LPNs transition to RNs.
- Faculty & Program Growth: Expands admission by ~10 additional nursing students per year on the Natchitoches campus.
- Workforce Expansion: Increases the supply of registered nurses in the region’s hospitals and clinics.
Student Support: Stipends & Scholarships
External funding directly lowers financial barriers for students
Many grants provide stipends tied to service commitments, allowing students to focus on clinical training while committing to serve in high-need areas after graduation. Examples include:
- Willis-Knighton Health System Stipends – for nursing and radiologic sciences students.
- Nurse Anesthetist Clinical Training Support – for DNP NA students.
- Behavioral Health Workforce Stipends – for PMHNP students serving high-need areas.
- ASN Retention Stipends – for nursing students in Rapides Parish.
The Grants & Planning Office manages a limited number of scholarships directly. Most scholarships are administered through the NSU Foundation Scholarship Office, but students in CONSAH may qualify for:
- Willis Knighton Endowed Scholarship – Eligible students are those enrolled in pre-licensure nursing and radiologic science programs on the Shreveport campus who have completed one semester of clinicals, are enrolled full-time, are committed to working in the Shreveport/Bossier area upon graduation, and who hold a minimum GPA of 2.5 cumulative in nursing/radiologic courses. Students who meet these requirements may apply and applicants will be awarded based upon financial need.
👉 For additional scholarship opportunities, visit the NSU Foundation Scholarship Office.
Our Partners
We collaborate with healthcare systems, foundations, and state and federal agencies who share our commitment to workforce development.
Selected Partners:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Louisiana
- Christus Highland Hospital
- Christus St. Francis Cabrini Hospital
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- Louisiana Board of Regents
- Natchitoches Regional Medical Center
- Rapides Foundation
- Roy O’ Martin
- Willis-Knighton Health System
Strategic Planning & Innovation
Looking ahead, Grants & Planning is focused on:
- Sustaining and expanding faculty positions to support enrollment growth.
- Launching new healthcare education programs aligned with workforce demand.
- Partnering with healthcare systems to expand clinical opportunities.
Ensuring funding investments remain student-centered and workforce-driven.
“Through the help of grant funding, it has enabled me to spend more time studying and preparing for the exams and work ahead. Without that assistance I would be inclined to work longer hours to get the necessary funding to afford the tuition. It's allowed to become a better and stronger student.”
“This grant was instrumental in the decision to acquire a student loan or not for this semester. I had exhausted my tuition assistance for the military for this fiscal year. The grant covered the remainder of my tuition and books for this semester. Without it I was going to have to take a student loan. Additional debt is not great for me due to having a mortgage, family of 6, and about to retire.”
Contact Us
Grants & Planning
College of Nursing and School of Allied Health
Northwestern State University
1800 Line Ave
Shreveport, LA 71101
(318) 677-3073
Ms. Tiffany Chasteen – Director
chasteent@nsula.edu
