Illinois FY27 Nursing School Grant Program

Illinois competitive grants for eligible nursing schools to expand or improve nursing programs, faculty capacity, clinical partnerships, classrooms, labs, equipment, student supports, and evidence-based instructional strategies.

Funding$10,000 to $150,000 per competitive award; FY2027 program funding is $1,500,000 with 20 expected awards.

DeadlineOctober 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM. The current IBHE FY27 Nursing School Grant page states the date and clock time but does not state a time zone; do not infer one.

Last verifiedSeptember 19, 2026

Required next actionEligible Illinois nursing schools should confirm program/accreditation eligibility, GATA/Grantee Portal readiness, proposal priority, institutional performance measures, budget alignment, and any required ADN articulation agreement, then submit the complete application through AmpliFund by October 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM. IBHE's current public page does not state a deadline time zone, so applicants should verify the portal clock before final submission. AmpliFund marks matching as required but does not publish a numeric cash, in-kind, or other-funding percentage on the public opportunity page; do not assume zero match.

Broad Eligibility

Illinois institutions of higher learning with qualifying ADN, BSN, RN-BSN, or entry-level MSN registered-professional-nursing programs. ADN: DFPR-approved, ACEN-accredited, and articulation agreement required; BSN: DFPR-approved and CCNE/ACEN; RN-BSN: CCNE/ACEN; MSN Entry: DFPR-approved and CCNE/ACEN. Cooperative applications are permitted with one eligible institution as fiscal-agent grantee.

Atlas Analysis

Atlas Opportunity Score 88/100. FY27 is a competitive Illinois nursing-program expansion and improvement opportunity supporting student-success services, Next Generation NCLEX implementation, competency-based education, clinical partnerships and experiences, faculty and staff, instructional expansion, classroom and laboratory improvements, equipment, and program-related instructional materials. IBHE lists $1.5 million in total FY27 funding, awards from $10,000 to $150,000, 20 expected awards, no indirect costs, and a matching requirement without a published numeric cash, in-kind, or other-funding percentage on the public opportunity page. Applicants should align the proposal to institutional performance measures, equity-gap reduction, measurable outcomes, and sustainability.

The Illinois Board of Higher Education is accepting FY27 Nursing School Grant applications from eligible Illinois institutions offering registered professional nursing programs. The program is designed to increase the number of registered nurses graduating from Illinois institutions while improving program quality, completion, licensure outcomes, and equity.

IBHE’s current FY27 application page states that applications are due October 2, 2026 by 4:00 p.m., and the controlling public Euna/AmpliFund record verifies the Submission Close Date as October 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM (CDT). The underlying CSFA catalog contains a September 30 summary date, so Atlas treats the current IBHE FY27 application page and Euna/AmpliFund opportunity as controlling for this cycle. Awards range from $10,000 to $150,000 from a $1.5 million FY2027 appropriation.

Source verificationOfficial state agency source · www.ibhe.orgAtlas last verified this record September 19, 2026. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗