The Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF has committed $1.5 million to establish scholarships for 100 students each year in the UNMC College of Nursing.
The Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship will be awarded to Nebraska residents pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UNMC who are in good academic standing and demonstrate financial need. Students may be enrolled in any UNMC College of Nursing division — Omaha, Lincoln, Scottsbluff, Kearney and Norfolk. The scholarship will be awarded for the next three years, beginning in fall 2026.
Scholarship recipients will be known as Conway Scholars and receive an average award of $5,000 per year.
“There is a clear need for more nurses,” Bill Conway Jr. said. “We are pleased to partner with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to help grow Nebraska’s nursing workforce and support a healthier future for Nebraskans.”
Nebraska faces a shortage of nearly 6,700 nurses. In addition, nine counties report having no nurses working in their counties, according to the Nebraska Center for Nursing report published in 2025.
“The UNMC College of Nursing is deeply grateful to Bedford Falls for its generous gift, which opens doors for aspiring nurses to pursue their education,” said Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, dean of the UNMC College of Nursing. “Scholarships like this not only ease financial burdens but also empower students to focus on developing the competencies and compassion needed to care for our communities. Bedford Falls’ support is helping to shape the future of nursing, one student at a time.”
The Bedford Falls Foundation and its related donor advised fund were established by Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway. The foundation takes its name from the fictional town in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” and is a nod to the good luck the Conways experienced in their own lives. Since 1997, the Conways, directly and through the foundation and the donor advised fund that it advises, have distributed and committed more than $380 million to nursing programs across the country.
The gift was made through the University of Nebraska Foundation. Scholarships are a top priority of Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future, a historic effort to raise $3 billion from 150,000 unique benefactors to support the University of Nebraska.
To learn about opportunities to support the UNMC College of Nursing, email Camtrice Botos, director of development with the University of Nebraska Foundation.