Title:Berkley School of Nursing Current Use Fund

Increasing ‘life-changing’ access for nursing students

• Part of the Berkley Family Foundation’s $25M gift
• Supports students in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) post-baccalaureate program
• ABSN streamlines an accelerated pathway to nursing

Thanks to a transformative $25 million gift commitment from the Berkley Family Foundation, Georgetown University renamed its nursing school the Georgetown University Berkley School of Nursing in May 2025. The gift provided financial support for initiatives to bolster student success and well-being, create endowed faculty positions, upgrade technology, and establish an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) degree, whose first cohort began in August 2025. 

The Berkley family has longstanding ties to the university and a history of extraordinarily generous philanthropy. They established Georgetown’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, as well as an endowed chair at Georgetown McDonough School of Business held by Dean Paul Almeida. The Berkleys have also given generously to Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

William (Bill) Berkley (Parent’95,’96) is a former member of Georgetown’s Board of Directors and the McDonough School of Business Board of Advisors. His son W. Robert (Rob) Berkley Jr. (B’95) is a current member of both Georgetown boards. Father and son are also active in the Wall Street Alliance, an alliance group run by the Georgetown University Alumni Association.

“Part of the Georgetown mission statement is serving society, and one would be hard pressed to find a more noble vocation than nursing,” says Rob Berkley (B’95). “Our goal with this gift is to provide resources to the university in trying to address societal challenges. Clearly a shortage of nurses nationwide is a societal issue.” 

Due to an increase in the aging population and a rise in complex care needs, it is imperative that society educate and prepare more nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Predictions 2022-2032 says the number of registered nurses in the U.S. will grow by 6% by 2032, underscoring the importance of supporting nursing programs that prepare candidates for the field. 

Despite the demand for more nurses, budgets and philanthropy do not typically support nursing needs. “Nursing as a profession has only received one penny of every dollar that goes into health care philanthropy, yet we’re 20.7 million strong, the largest licensed health care profession, and voted the most trusted profession for over 20 years,” says Berkley School of Nursing Dean Roberta Waite, citing Gallup. 

“This gift honors the importance of our work in the formation of students, and shaping leaders, in a values-based environment like Georgetown,” she adds.

‘A force for good’ 

The ABSN program provides a streamlined nursing education for students who have a bachelor’s in a different field. The post-baccalaureate program has attracted a first cohort of students from diverse careers, everyone from EMTs and Patient Care Technicians to finance and HR professionals, to military veterans and returned Peace Corps volunteers.  

As the first cohort commenced classes in Fall 2025, scholarships were already making an impact. 

After earning two other degrees and accumulating over 15 years of work experience, Emily Ratliff (N’26) wanted to attend nursing school, but was deterred by the cost. Georgetown’s ABSN program provided a path aligned with her values. 

She appreciates the “incredibly generous” scholarship that allows her to devote her full attention to her studies while also raising her three children. 

“I want to be a force for good,” Ratliff says, noting her plans to work with underserved populations to address access and care inequities. 

The first cohort of students will graduate in 2026, having logged over 700 hours of clinical, lab, simulation, and experiential learning. They are already looking toward careers in mental health nursing, geriatric or psychiatric nursing, and cardiac critical care, and some are considering advanced certified registered nurse anesthetists and nurse practitioner degrees.