In a healthcare landscape where nursing shortages persist and student debt looms large, UVA Health has rolled out a novel solution: let employees earn a living while they learn. The Earn While You Learn (EWYL) program, launched at the Charlottesville-based health system, is designed to remove the biggest obstacles that keep many from completing nursing school. Instead of forcing students to choose between a paycheck and a degree, the program offers a middle ground where they keep both.

Participants in EWYL work reduced hours—part-time, essentially—but are compensated with their full-time salary and benefits. The trade-off is that they are simultaneously enrolled in an Associate Degree in Nursing program. The goal is to graduate with real-world clinical experience, zero debt, and a guaranteed foothold in the profession.

Ashlyn Hughes, a nursing student in the program, describes the difference it has made in her life. "I honestly don't know what my nursing school experience would have been like without it," she says. Hughes had initially braced for a grueling schedule: working full-time, burning through her paid time off just to attend classes, and piling on debt. Instead, she found a structure that gave her time to study without sacrificing her livelihood.

The program directly addresses a troubling statistic. According to data from the Virginia Community College System, only about 20 percent of students who start a nursing degree while working full-time ever finish. That low completion rate represents a major leak in the pipeline of future healthcare workers. "Earn While You Learn was implemented to help change those statistics," says Nicole Henley, the EWYL nurse manager. "We need 100 percent of the nurses that start nursing school to finish nursing school, not 20 percent."

For employees like Hughes, the program makes a career that once felt out of reach feel attainable. "When the opportunity came to pursue nursing school through UVA's Earn While You Learn program, it gave me the support and flexibility that I needed to make this goal a reality," she says.

UVA Health is betting that by easing the financial strain—covering tuition costs and providing a steady income—the program will produce more graduates who are ready to step directly onto the hospital floor. The health system hopes this model not only increases retention among its own staff but also strengthens the broader nursing workforce in the region.

Eligibility for the program is limited to UVA Health employees, and interested candidates can find more details on the health system's website. The EWYL program is just one example of how healthcare institutions are experimenting with creative approaches to address the persistent nursing shortage, blending education with employment to build a more resilient workforce.