The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation established by William “Bill” E. Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest investment firms, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway, awarded Georgetown University’s School of Nursing (SON) $1 million to fund scholarships, announced Nov. 8.
The fund is the largest single gift for undergraduate scholarships in the SON’s history and will provide scholarships to students pursuing a bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN). Through Conway Scholarships, the SON awarded 45 BSN students with an average gift of between $3,000 to $5,000, offering support to those who would otherwise need a federally subsidized loan to graduate with little to no student loan debt. The scholarship aims to relieve a financial burden and make nursing education accessible to students, especially those from low-income backgrounds.
Conway said he hopes the scholarship encourages students to remain committed to the nursing field.
“By partnering with Georgetown to provide scholarships that will allow students to graduate without federal subsidized loans, it is my hope that the Conway Scholars will be free instead to take the position that best fits their professional goals,” Conway said in the press release. “Part of solving the critical nursing shortage is keeping nurses in nursing, and having a job that they love is part of that.”
Zoe Rosales (SON ’25), a Conway Scholar, said the scholarship reduced financial burdens that would have prevented her from attending Georgetown.
“I wouldn’t be at Georgetown at all if not for scholarship programs like Conway,” Rosales told The Hoya. “The fact that the Conway Scholarship recognizes that there’s a need for anyone who’s from a low income background to be able to attend school has a profound impact on my ability to go here.”
The program’s emphasis on reducing student debt is part of its broader commitment to opening more possibilities for current and prospective nursing students.
John Dolan, associate dean of student affairs in SON, said the funding empowers students to pursue their nursing careers.
“With the help of the Conway scholarship, the awardees can instead graduate from nursing school with little to no student loan debt,” Dolan wrote to The Hoya. “That financial support not only makes nursing education at Georgetown more accessible to eligible students, but also potentially broadens the landscape for where one of our graduates may choose to work after receiving their BSN degree.”
Vivien Tan (SON ’28), a Conway Scholar, said the scholarship was crucial in making her education possible, given her family’s financial situation.
“Most of my life my family has worked minimum wage jobs and we wouldn’t really be able fully afford tuition here,” Tan told The Hoya. “The Conway Scholarship helped a lot with that.”
Rosales said the scholarship enables her to devote more energy to educational interests which allows her to focus on becoming a future healthcare provider.
“The Conway Scholarship is the reason that I’m able to develop more time to studying rather than worrying about things like going to work and spending time on miscellaneous activities that don’t really have to do with my degree,” Rosales said. “It gives me more time to focus on being a student and being a good future nurse.”
Dolan said the funding will hopefully enable BSN students to consider practicing in disadvantaged regions, expanding both their career horizons and potential impact on communities in need.
“If someone has student loan debt to pay back after graduation, it may limit where he or she applies to work based on attaining a certain level of compensation,” Dolan said. “Without that debt to contend with, one of our Conway scholarship recipients may consider working in an underserved area of the country where the pay may be less, but the need for nurses is great.”