Western Carolina University’s School of Nursing is the recipient of nearly $700,000 in federal grant funding to help address a shortage of primary health care providers in Western North Carolina.

The Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is awarding $349,877 annually over a two-year period to increase student enrollment in WCU’s specialized master’s degree program for family nurse practitioners.

The funding will be used to support second- and third-year graduate students in the university’s FNP program by providing up to $11,000 annually to each student to help defray the cost of education, including assistance with the cost of tuition, fees, books and reasonable living expenses.

Linda Comer, interim associate dean of WCU’s College ...