Locals entering the nursing profession stand to get a hefty financial boost — if they stay in the area.
Russell Sage College is teaming up with the Albany Med Health System to boost staffing levels at area hospitals in hopes of alleviating an ongoing nursing shortage.
Newly minted nurses who have graduated from Russell Sage College will be offered up to $9,000 in a series of three grants, one awarded after each of their first three years of employment as a nurse. College President Matthew Shaftel says the money can be used for any purpose... "...from expenses associated with the your education to purchasing a car, but ultimately are meant to provide a strong start for our nursing graduates through their early stages of their career. Our nursing graduates can apply for the program after the first year of working at a Capital Region Acute Care Center such as Albany Medical Center, and can continue to apply after the second and third years of service in those facilities, with the grant award growing in each year of service. So after year one, graduates are eligible for $2,000 followed by $3,000 after year two and $4,000 after year three," Shaftel said.
Unionized nurses at Albany Med have for years complained of staffing shortages. Shaftel pointed out that last year alone there were 850 job postings for registered nurses at just three local hospitals, Albany Med, St. Peter's and Ellis.
"This shortage of RNs has driven up costs at hospitals due to over reliance on travel nurses, staff burnout and turnover," said Shaftel. "So Russell Sage College has to jump into this gap. We have been one of the top producers in our region for many, many years. We have more than 300 students enrolled in our bachelor's of nursing program. Another 200 enrolled in our master's in nursing program, and this prepares students to become nurse practitioners, and we've just launched a Doctor of Nursing Practice program."
Republican State Senator Jake Ashby of the 43rd district told nursing students gathered at the Sage Troy campus that his wife and his mother are both career nurses, and he believes this program will be a game changer.
"In a time where there's a lot of tumult, right, New York state is bleeding population," Ashby said. "It leads the nation in population loss. We feel it across every industry, but most of all, healthcare, and people see it in wait times. People see it in the quality of services sometimes. You are going to be part of the strategy to fix this. And this is why this is so important, because I know many of you are from this area, and you've probably seen and felt this change, you're gonna be part of the solution."
Officials are planning to award up to 50 grants initially, beginning in April 2026. The initiative kicks off in January 2026 for December 2024 Sage nursing grads who worked for a year at qualified acute care hospitals in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Warren counties.
Albany Med also partners with SUNY schools in Utica, Plattsburgh, and Delhi, as well as Maria College and Hudson Valley Community College.
