Nursing College Partnership Aims to Combat Critical Healthcare Shortage

CINCINNATI, OH – March 26, 2026 – A full-tuition doctoral scholarship awarded to a local faculty member is shining a spotlight on an innovative partnership designed to combat one of the nation's most pressing challenges: a critical and growing shortage of nurses. Taitum Godfrey, a faculty member at the Cincinnati campus of Arizona College of Nursing (AZCN), has been selected to receive the scholarship for a doctoral degree at American College of Education (ACE), an opportunity born from a new strategic alliance between the two institutions.

This collaboration is more than just a single scholarship; it represents a multi-faceted strategy to build a stronger pipeline of highly educated nursing professionals and leaders. For Godfrey, the award is a pivotal career opportunity. 'This doctoral scholarship with ACE enables me to pursue an advanced leadership role within Arizona College of Nursing and participate in shaping national conversations about the future of nursing education,' she shared.

A New Model for Academic Collaboration

The partnership between Arizona College of Nursing and American College of Education, first announced in late 2022, creates a comprehensive framework to support continuing education. Beyond the high-profile doctoral scholarship awarded to Godfrey, the alliance provides a 5% tuition reduction for all AZCN graduates, faculty, and staff across any of ACE's fully online programs. This includes degrees in education, business, and healthcare, from certificates to doctorates.

At its launch, the partnership also created two full Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) scholarships for AZCN graduates, further incentivizing advanced training. A key feature of the collaboration is its transfer-friendly nature. Graduates of AZCN’s three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program can transfer up to nine credits toward ACE's MSN program. This articulation can reduce the program's length from 16 months to just one year and significantly cut costs for students, making advanced degrees more accessible than ever.

'This partnership allows us to further address the nursing shortage, providing more opportunities for nurses to continue their education and fill critical needs,' said ACE Chief Growth Officer Monica Carson. 'We are proud to support leaders in nursing like Taitum, who are hardworking, dedicated, and ready to continue their support the future of healthcare.'

Investing in Educators to Solve a National Crisis

The initiative comes at a crucial time. The United States is grappling with a severe nursing shortage, exacerbated by an aging population, a wave of retirements, and workforce burnout. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects around 189,100 openings for registered nurses each year through 2034. Compounding the problem is a critical bottleneck in the educational pipeline: a shortage of qualified nursing faculty.

In 2023 alone, U.S. nursing schools were forced to turn away over 65,000 qualified applicants due to an insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, and classroom space. By investing in the doctoral education of an educator like Taitum Godfrey, the AZCN-ACE partnership directly addresses this faculty gap. Nurses with doctoral degrees are essential for training the next generation of caregivers, developing evidence-based curricula, and leading educational institutions.

'We are proud to create opportunities that support our graduates and team, furthering our mission to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the communities they serve,' stated AZCN Chief Executive Officer Jason E. Anderson. The investment aims to create a ripple effect: one better-equipped educator can inspire and train hundreds of future nurses, who in turn will care for thousands of patients.

A Broader Strategy for Workforce Development

For Arizona College of Nursing, which has grown to 24 campuses across 15 states with nearly 5,000 alumni, the collaboration with ACE is part of a larger, deliberate strategy of forging academic partnerships. The college maintains similar agreements with numerous institutions, including Grand Canyon University, the University of Phoenix, and Purdue University Global, all offering tuition discounts and streamlined pathways for its graduates and employees.

This network of partnerships underscores a growing trend in higher education: institutions are no longer operating in silos. Instead, they are building ecosystems that promote lifelong learning and provide flexible, affordable routes to career advancement. By creating these pathways, colleges like AZCN not only enhance the value proposition for their students and staff but also contribute directly to solving national workforce challenges.

The Cincinnati campus, which welcomed its first students in 2023 and celebrated its first BSN graduates in 2025, is a microcosm of this national effort. The success of its graduates and the professional development of its faculty are integral to strengthening the local healthcare infrastructure. The scholarship awarded to Taitum Godfrey is a testament to the power of this model, demonstrating how a strategic investment in a single individual can fortify the very foundation of healthcare education for years to come.