Florida House Budget Cuts May Create Nurse, Healthcare Shortage

Florida college and university leaders discussed Monday how the House of Representatives' recent budget proposal to trim $4 billion would affect higher education for state students, particularly those who use Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) grants, which some rely on to pursue degrees in the healthcare industry.

Members of the discussion were from the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF). The ICUF includes President Bob Boyd, Barry University President Mike Allen, St. Thomas University President David Armstrong, and Keiser University Chancellor Arthur Keiser.

Barry University President Mike Allen addressed his concerns and their potential impact, including on the healthcare sector in South Florida. In particular, nurses are heavily employed in the area with the number of local hospitals.

"The impact is significant, particularly when we can't provide the basic services that folks need to come live here. You're seeing this in the school systems now with the high school opportunities, particularly in South Florida," Allen told The Floridian. We're hearing from developers and business leaders constantly that they're having a very difficult time getting individuals and families to move to the State of Florida because they can't find the right types of schools for their kids."

"The nursing shortage is real. If you talk to the heads of all our local hospitals, they are in a panic about the inability to find enough nurses to staff their hospitals. The ripple effect can occur in many directions in many ways, but certainly, one this will really limit our ability, particularly here in South Florida, to provide basic services that people need to live here, and I think that will really affect folks," Allen added.

According to a release, the House of Representatives budget proposal would implement changes to the EASE Grant, which helps students pay their tuition at qualified, independent, non-profit colleges and universities.

If passed, the changes would result in more than 21,000 students at 15 Florida universities losing access to EASE grants and cause higher tuition rates. The implementations also include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the state.

Moreover, the release emphasized that EASE cuts would predominantly hurt low-income students who often carry multiple jobs just to afford college in the first place.

EASE students are thus vital to the state's workforce.

ICUF students produce 28% of the state’s nursing degrees and 25% of teaching degrees when compared to public institutions. The grants help create 79,529 jobs each year and more than $10 billion in economic revenue for the state.

Additionally, every dollar spent on EASE creates $3.83 in tax revenue, making it one of the most cost-effective educational programs in Florida. ICUF institutions also graduate 277 bachelor’s degree recipients compared to just 17 graduates per $1 million from the State University System.