Bedford Falls Foundation Gift
Loyola University Chicago is proud to announce a generous $750,000, two-year commitment from the Bedford Falls Foundation, through its donor-advised fund that establishes new nursing scholarships and strengthens the University’s award-winning nursing student success program.
Loyola University Chicago is proud to announce a generous $750,000, two-year commitment from the Bedford Falls Foundation, through its donor-advised fund that establishes new nursing scholarships and strengthens the University’s award-winning nursing student success program.
The gift expands access to nursing education for students at the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing who face significant financial and academic barriers to success.
“We could not be more excited to partner with the Bedford Falls Foundation as we strengthen our commitment to educating more Loyola nurses to address today’s growing health care needs. We share a commitment to expanding access to nursing education for students of all backgrounds while ensuring they persist, graduate, and enter the workforce prepared to provide high-quality care in the communities that need them most. At a time of extraordinary momentum for Loyola Nursing, this partnership will help us expand opportunity, support student success, and prepare the next generation of nurses and nurse leaders,” said Lorna Finnegan, Dean of the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.
The Bedford Falls Foundation and its related donor advised fund were established by Carlyle Group co-founder and co-chairman Bill Conway, Jr. and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway, focuses its philanthropy on removing barriers to a high-quality nursing education and addressing the nursing workforce shortage.
The gift includes $550,000 to establish the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship, providing need-based scholarship support for 40 junior and senior Bachelor of Science in Nursing students, with priority given to students in Loyola’s Arrupe-to-Nursing Pathway.
This partnership between Arrupe College, Loyola’s innovative two-year associate degree program, and Loyola Nursing allows students to earn their Associate of Arts degree followed by a BSN in five years. The Pathway supports entry into the nursing profession for Pell-eligible and underrepresented students through an affordable, highly supportive model designed to promote retention, academic achievement, and long-term success.
Another $200,000 will support Loyola Nursing’s CARE Student Success Program, which provides wrap-around services to further strengthen student retention and success.
With this investment, Loyola Nursing will not only enhance existing academic support, mentoring and community-building activities, but launch the annual Ascend into Nursing Conway Summer Institute, a nearly weeklong immersion program designed to prepare students as they transition into Loyola Nursing’s rigorous, nationally recognized undergraduate program. The inaugural Conway Summer Institute will be held in July for students in the Arrupe-to-Nursing Pathway Program and will provide students with academic preparation, mentorship, University resource navigation, and community-building.
“Loyola-educated nurses will go on to serve the Chicagoland communities and beyond,” said Bill Conway. “We are pleased to support these students and the initiatives that will help them find success in the program and ultimately their nursing careers.”
About the Bedford Falls Foundation
The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation, and the Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF, a donor advised fund advised by the foundation, were each established by Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway. The shared mission of their nursing philanthropy is to remove financial barriers to a high-quality nursing education and to support educational partners in addressing the critical nursing workforce shortage.
To learn more about Bedford Falls and the areas that it supports, please visit www.bedfordfallsfoundation.org.
About Loyola University Chicago
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, recognized for its academic excellence, commitment to community engagement, and leadership in sustainability. A Carnegie R1 research institution, Loyola leverages its status as one of an elite group of universities with the highest level of research activity to advance knowledge that serves communities and creates global impact. With 15 schools, colleges, and institutes—including Business, Law, Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences—Loyola operates three primary campuses in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, that provide students a transformative, globally connected learning experience. Consistently ranked among the nation’s top universities by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is a STARS Platinum-rated institution that is ranked as one of the country’s most sustainable campuses by The Princeton Review and has earned distinctions from AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation for its longstanding record of service and community engagement. Guided by its Jesuit mission and commitment to caring for the whole person, Loyola educates ethical leaders who think critically, act with purpose, and strive to create a more just and sustainable world.
About the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing
Loyola Nursing’s BSN program is ranked #13 in the country by U.S. News & World Report and consistently boasts a high National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rate. A state-of-the-art new facility will open in 2028 and house the BSN program.