Bedford Falls Foundation partners with JMU to support future nurses

James Madison University has received a $600,000 philanthropic investment from the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF to support nursing students through the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship Program.

The Conway Scholarships will help remove financial barriers for 60 JMU students preparing to enter the nursing workforce at a time when demand for nurses continues to grow across Virginia and the nation. The first scholarships will be awarded in this fall.

“The Bedford Falls Foundation is recognized nationally for investing in institutions capable of making a meaningful difference in people’s lives, and we are honored by their partnership,” said JMU President James C. Schmidt. “Their investment reflects recognition of JMU’s leadership in preparing practice-ready nurses for Virginia.

“As one of Virginia’s top producers of nurses, we are making a clear promise to the commonwealth: we will prepare the nurses our communities need — ready on day one,” the JMU president said. “We plan on increasing that promise. This gift ensures outstanding students can answer the call to serve as nurses, while helping JMU deliver on a core priority of our institution’s future.”

The gift from the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF, provided over two years at $300,000 per year, will fund scholarships annually for junior- and senior-level nursing students. Each scholarship recipient, also known as a Conway Scholar, will receive up to $5,000. Eligible students must be Virginia residents with significant financial need who are in good academic standing. Conway Scholars may be eligible for scholarship renewal if they continue to meet program criteria.

“This scholarship program is truly a game changer — both for our students and for the future nursing workforce,” said Dr. Melody Eaton, director of JMU’s School of Nursing. “The Conway Scholarships make sure that exceptional students can pursue our top-quality nursing education without regard to their financial status, graduate with less debt and make a smooth transition into professional nursing practice.

“The Bedford Falls Foundation mission aligns directly with ours in the School of Nursing. We see nursing as the cornerstone of healthcare,” Eaton said, “a specialized profession defined by high standards of clinical excellence and collaborative skills. We prepare nursing professionals who are driven to make a difference in the lives of others, often during the most stressful times in their lives.”

JMU nursing graduates are strengthening Virginia’s healthcare workforce with exceptional outcomes:

• More than 75% of JMU’s nursing graduates practice in Virginia.
• JMU’s traditional BSN program for NCLEX-RN boasts a
  • 93.88% pass rate (2026)
  • 99.15% graduation rate within five semesters (Spring 2025)
  • 97% employment rate within six months.
• JMU’s RN-to-BSN program boasts a
  • 100% graduation rate
  • 97.27% employment rate 

JMU is the third public university in Virginia to partner with the Bedford Falls Foundation, joining the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University.

“We are pleased to partner with James Madison University to help grow Virginia’s nursing workforce,” said Bill Conway. “Through strong academic preparation and hands-on clinical experiences, these students will be prepared to make a lasting impact on the patients and communities they will serve.”

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., cofounder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway. The shared mission of their nursing philanthropy is to remove financial barriers to a high-quality nursing education and to support educational partners in addressing the critical nursing workforce shortage.

Through their philanthropic vehicles, the Conways have made transformative investments in the nursing workforce, including donating more than $59 million to support nursing education in 2025. Since 1997, Bedford Falls Foundation together with the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF have distributed more than $499 million and committed another $137 million, with more than half of its giving dedicated to advancing nursing education and launching thousands of nursing careers.