Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has been recommended to be awarded $270,000 for the 2025-2026 academic year as part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund, continuing investment in high-quality nursing programs in the State of Florida. Gov. DeSantis approved PHSC's recommendation on January 20, 2026, as part of his $20 million investment into LINE funding across participating state colleges, private postsecondary institutions and state universities.
The LINE Fund is a competitive, dollar-for-dollar matching grant that supports partnerships between participating educational institutions and health care providers. In the previous 2024-2025 academic year, PHSC was recommended for $10,000, which went to scholarships and learning opportunities for PHSC’s nursing students. This academic year, the PHSC Foundation received $200,000 from Tampa General Hospital, $50,000 from Advent Health Wesley Chapel and Dade City and $20,000 from BayCare NorthBay Hospital, totaling $270,000, to which the college will receive matching funds from the State via the LINE Fund.
“This significant increase in funding reflects both the dedication from our local hospital partners and PHSC’s strong commitment to expanding high-quality nursing education and addressing critical workforce needs in our region,” said Eric Hall, Ed.D., PHSC president. “These funds will help remove financial barriers for students, strengthen our faculty and enhance hands-on learning opportunities that prepare skilled, compassionate nurses to serve our communities. We are grateful for our community and state’s continued investment in programs that support student success and a stronger health care workforce.”
In addition to securing this new funding, PHSC’s nursing programs continue to demonstrate exceptional outcomes that underscore the quality of education and training students receive. During the 2024-2025 academic year, PHSC nursing students achieved outstanding licensure success, with a 97.27% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program and a perfect 100% first-time pass rate in the Practical Nursing (LPN) program, both significantly above national averages.
“Governor DeSantis has made nursing education a top priority in Florida, recognizing the critical role nurses play in keeping our communities healthy and safe,” said Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas in the official press release provided by the Executive Office of the Governor. “Through strategic investments like the LINE and PIPELINE [Prepping Institutions, Programs, Employers, and Learners through Incentives for Nursing Education] programs, we are supporting the next generation of nurses by expanding opportunity to high-quality education and ensuring Florida’s healthcare workforce is prepared to meet growing demand.”
The LINE Fund provides scholarships for students who meet residency requirements for tuition purposes, supports the recruitment of additional faculty, funds the purchase of equipment and enhances simulation centers to advance high-quality nursing education.