Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act of 2026

Key Points

• Congress is considering a bill to help nursing schools hire more teachers by offering higher pay. Currently, many nurses choose to work in hospitals or clinics because those jobs pay significantly more than teaching positions at universities, which has led to a shortage of instructors to train new nurses.
• The program would provide grants to nursing schools to bridge this pay gap. For up to three years, the government would pay the difference between what a nurse would make in a medical clinic and what the school can afford to pay them as a teacher.
• To be eligible, a teacher must be a new hire or a prospective hire who is moving from clinical practice into education. The goal is to encourage experienced nurses to train the next generation of healthcare workers by making teaching more financially attractive.
• The bill authorizes $15 million per year from 2027 through 2031. Schools applying for the money must show they have a plan to keep paying the higher salaries once the three-year federal grant ends to ensure the positions remain filled long-term.
• Priority for the funding will go to schools that serve rural or underserved areas, those with the highest number of vacancies, or those that help students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Impact Analysis

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