Cleveland Clinic has announced a $12 million gift from the Howley Foundation that will double the number of nurse scholars at the clinic’s ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program.

All programs within the ASPIRE initiative will be renamed to honor the Howley gift, including the Howley ASPIRE Nurse Scholars Program, which will double enrollment to approximately 50 students. The program is open to local high school and college students and seeks to increase diversity in health care, address opportunity gaps, and reduce health disparities in the community. Students work as patient care nursing assistants at Cleveland Clinic throughout their high school and college careers and then can be employed as registered nurses. The Howley Foundation has committed more than $20 million to the program to date.

“We feel strongly that a quality education is the best way to address social inequality and promote economic mobility,” said Howley Foundation chair Nick Howley. “We want students to be able to complete their nursing degrees poised for success.”

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