USC Upstate has received a transformational $2 million gift from the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF to launch the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship Fund. The fund will provide 108 scholarships annually over the next four years, totaling 432 awards and creating significant new opportunities for students pursuing careers in nursing.
Beginning in fall 2025, the fund will provide $2,500 scholarships to 48 lower-division nursing majors and $5,000 scholarships to 60 upper-division nursing majors each year. Eligible students must be U.S. citizens, South Carolina residents, maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher, and commit to at least three hours of peer mentoring or community service per semester.
“This is a monumental gift that will change the lives of so many of our students,” said Dr. Shirleatha Dunlap, dean and professor/Mary Black Endowed Chair for Nursing at USC Upstate. “These funds will be transformative in supporting student success—allowing students to decrease work hours, reduce debt burdens, and focus more intently on their studies. It creates a smoother pathway toward degree completion.”
In alignment with the Mary Black College of Nursing’s strategic goals, scholarship recipients will engage in peer mentoring and meaningful service-learning experiences to further enhance student support and community impact.
In addition to scholarships, the gift will fund two new student support initiatives:
- The Joanne Barkett Conway Dean’s Emergency Fund, which will provide urgent financial assistance for prelicensure nursing students facing unexpected hardship.
- The Student Success Initiative Fund, which will offer academic and social support resources such as tutoring services, study skills workshops, faculty training, and continued funding for an upper-division academic advisor position.
“We are honored to partner with the University of South Carolina Upstate to invest in the future of nursing,” said Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and trustee of the Bedford Falls Foundation. “By reducing the financial barriers to a nursing education at USC Upstate, together we can address the critical nursing workforce shortage in the state of South Carolina.”
RJ Gimbl, vice chancellor for university advancement at USC Upstate, emphasized the impact of the philanthropic partnership: “This extraordinary investment in our nursing students affirms the strength of our academic programs and the vision we share with the Bedford Falls Foundation to make a lasting difference in health care. We are incredibly grateful for their trust and generosity.”
Chancellor Bennie L. Harris added, “This gift is more than just a donation—it’s a commitment to our students, our region, and the future of health care in South Carolina. We are proud to steward these resources in ways that will promote academic excellence, student success, and a stronger, more prepared nursing workforce.”
Applications for the scholarships will be available soon. USC Upstate encourages eligible students to apply and take advantage of this life-changing opportunity.
The Bedford Falls Foundation gift was awarded through the USC Upstate Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
About Bedford Falls Foundation: The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation, and Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF, a donor advised fund advised by the foundation, were each established by Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway. Since 2013, the shared mission of their nursing philanthropy is to remove financial barriers to a high-quality nursing education and supporting educational partners in addressing the critical nursing workforce shortage. To learn more about Bedford Falls and the areas that it supports, please visit www.bedfordfallsfoundation.org.