Articles

Nursing scholarships available for HCC LVN to ADN program

Jun 17, 2025

To help address the state and national shortage of nurses, Houston Community College (HCC) is offering scholarships for its new LVN to ADN program at HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences.

The program, which is pending approval from the Texas Board of Nursing, is currently accepting applications for its inaugural fall 2025 cohort. The first 40 students accepted into the program will also receive scholarships to cover tuition, fees and other program-related expenses.

“This is a valuable opportunity for LVNs seeking to elevate their career to the next level,” said HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences President Dr. Lutricia Harrison. “They are able to receive the education and training they need to become registered nurses, and they will also receive a nursing scholarship.”

LVN to ADN is open to licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) who wish to earn their Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and take the licensure exam to become registered nurses (RNs). This full-time program is just three semesters, with the first cohort to graduate in August 2026.

“This new LVN to ADN transition program at HCC makes it possible for hardworking nurses to advance their careers faster and with less financial burden, so they can achieve their goals and make a greater impact in their communities,” said HCC Dean of Nursing Dr. Nicole Townsend.

“Not only will this program help fill critical registered nurse shortages,” she said, “but it will also help LVNs elevate themselves into positions of greater responsibility, leadership and pay.”

The median salary for an RN in Texas was $77,450 in May of last year, about $17,300 more than the median salary of an LVN, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In the U.S., demand for health care services — driven by an aging population and an increase in the prevalence of chronic disease — continues to increase, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services and the BLS.

The BLS projects that an additional 275,000 nurses will be needed by 2030. And in Texas, the number of nurses is low compared to national numbers. The state has just 826 nurses per 100,000 people, below the national average of 948 nurses per 100,000 residents.

“The HCC Coleman College team is doing all it can to help address the nursing shortage we face in our state and nation,” said HCC Chancellor Dr. Margaret Ford Fisher. “The goal is to help address the shortfall while offering pathways for vocational nurses to move upward in their careers into in-demand registered nursing roles.”

To apply, please visit hccs.edu/LVN-ADN. For questions, call 713-718-7336 or 713-718-6231.