Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the LINE and PIPELINE programs are producing more than 1,000 new nurses every year.
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $20 million in additional funding to nursing programs across Florida colleges and universities.
During a press conference Tuesday morning at St. Pete College in Pinellas Park, the governor highlighted Florida’s efforts to invest in nurse education, stating that more than $500 million has been invested across the state since 2022.
DeSantis said this is in part due to the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Program and Prepping Institutions, Programs, Employers, and Learners through Incentives for Nursing Education (PIPELINE) Program.
Each program supports nursing education programs through funds, scholarships and other incentives to fight off nursing shortages nationwide.
According to the governor, the programs are producing more than 1,000 new nurses every year compared to before they were launched.
“That’s a meaningful increase,” he said.
St. Pete College specifically has had more than 340,000 total anticipated LINE investments, with the school’s National Licensing Examination pass rate reaching 94.1% for the most recent fiscal year. That’s in comparison to the state’s 83% overall pass rate.
“They’re getting the job done, and we really appreciate that,” DeSantis said.
Of the $20 in funding, $14.5 million is going towards state colleges and private post-secondary education, with another $6 million to state universities.
“Week after week, we continue to make announcements that speak to real results, real impacts that students are feeling,” Florida Commissioner of Education Stasi Kamoutsas said.
In the most recent state budget, more than $130 million was approved for the LINE and PIPELINE programs.
“The mission continues,” DeSantis said. “We understand the need is there.”