Huntington Beach, Calif. — On Thursday, April 4 the CalOptima Health Board of Directors approved a grant of $2,040,000 through its Provider Workforce Development Initiative to the Coast Community College District (CCCD) to expand the Running Start to Nursing pathway at Golden West College (GWC) and develop a K–12 pathway to the Radiologic Technology Certificate program at Orange Coast College. The Coast District is matching the grant with $2,710,000 in statewide Strong Workforce grant funds, for a combined $4.75 million.
GWC will receive more than $2 million to expand its existing Dual Enrollment partnership with Westminster High School and other high schools, as well as its Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) with California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). The Running Start to Nursing pathway program will place high school students on an accelerated path toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree as early as 10th grade.
High school students who participate in the program will have an opportunity to reduce their postsecondary education by up to two years. After graduating from high school, students will continue taking courses at GWC and eventually enroll in the College’s CEP, which allows students to earn college credit toward their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from CSUSB while enrolled in nursing courses at Golden West.
“Given the healthcare needs in this area, we believe that assisting students in earning nursing degrees is essential not only for them, but for this community,” says GWC President Meridith Randall. “We are very grateful to CalOptima for supporting our efforts to build nursing pathways from high schools.”
Graduates of GWC’s School of Nursing are eligible to take the state board licensure exam to become a Registered Nurse (RN) upon completion of their Associate of Science degree in Nursing (ADN). Full-time CEP students are then able to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing in six months after completing their associate’s degree at Golden West.
“The health programs at Golden West College and Orange Coast College are exemplars of the persistent innovation we strive for in the Coast District,” said Dr. Whitney Yamamura, Chancellor. “The colleges are in the community, actively identifying our most pressing health workforce needs, and then bringing together the resources of multiple partner agencies to find solutions.”
The Running Start to Nursing program is built upon GWC’s already cost-efficient ADN program and stands to save students potentially tens of thousands of dollars in tuition. Students who participate in the program will be able to access GWC’s Golden Promise free tuition program for part of their time at Golden West, with an estimated cost of $3,642 for an ADN, and $13,642 for a BSN. Comparatively, tuition at local for-profit schools can run as much as $148,000 for an ADN, and upwards of $250,000 for a BSN. Tuition at California State Universities for a BSN is estimated at $27,500.
