AUSTIN, Texas – Texas has awarded about $5.6 million through the Nursing Innovation Grant Program to help eight higher education institutions expand nursing education and strengthen the state’s health care workforce.
The grants will support new curricula, additional clinical sites and preceptors, and stackable credentials intended to help more students enter and advance in nursing careers. The grant period runs from Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2028.
Awards include $748,736 for San Antonio College, $750,000 each for Austin Community College, Sam Houston State University and the University of Houston, $735,134 for Tarrant County College, $749,977 for Texas Woman’s University, $459,840 for the University of Texas at Austin and $716,174 for UT Health San Antonio.
The Legislature created the Nursing Innovation Grant Program in 2023 and provided additional funding in 2025. State officials said the projects are intended to address nursing shortages by improving training capacity and helping schools respond to regional workforce needs.
