The University of Alabama System on Wednesday highlighted planned expansions in nursing education across its three campuses as part of an effort to address an impending statewide nurse shortage.

According to UA estimates, Alabama will face a shortage of 14,000 nurses by next year.

To address the projected shortage, the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the UAB Health System and the University of Alabama in Huntsville are expanding enrollment to accelerate pathways into practice. The institutions are also increasing access to clinical learning opportunities and advancing research across the state.

According to the Alabama Board of Nursing, approximately 39,000 nurses across the state indicated plans to retire by 2027, creating what the UA System described as “an urgent need to expand the healthcare workforce.”

“One of the greatest advantages of the University of Alabama System is the ability to bring together distinct strengths in pursuit of a common goal,” UA System Chancellor Sid J. Trant said. “By leveraging the expertise and resources of our universities and health system, we can address challenges that matter to Alabamians, expand opportunity and help shape the future of healthcare across our state.”

University of Alabama at Birmingham

To help meet the state’s workforce needs, UAB launched a year-round Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The UA System said that by offering nursing curriculum year-round, including during the summer, the university is creating “additional pathways for students to graduate and enter practice on an accelerated timeline.”

The university welcomed its inaugural summer cohort this year, with 72 students taking summer classes.

Additionally, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding last year, the UAB School of Nursing collaborated with donors on a scholarship drive that will fund more than 80 scholarships valued at more than $3.7 million.

UAB currently enrolls 3,000 nursing and pre-nursing students and graduates 1,000 students annually, most of whom remain in Alabama after graduation. Since 2016, more than one in four Alabama nursing graduates have earned degrees from the UAB School of Nursing.

University of Alabama

In February, the University of Alabama unveiled plans to double enrollment in its Capstone College of Nursing, with a goal of graduating 550 nurses annually from the Tuscaloosa program.

Under the planned expansion, the Capstone College of Nursing will grow to a total enrollment of 3,436 by 2030, positioning UA’s nursing program to become one of the nation’s largest.

UA will add faculty positions, expand its simulation and clinical training facilities and increase clinical partnerships across the state to support the program’s growth. Physical expansions will include renovating 31,000 square feet of existing space and adding 51,000 square feet for classrooms, research facilities, advanced simulation labs, offices and student support services.

A $1.5 million investment in UA from the Bedford Falls Foundation-Donor Advised Fund in April will support approximately 60 additional scholarships annually for in-state UA nursing students.

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Beginning this fall, the UAH College of Nursing will launch a redesigned Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum intended to align classroom instruction with “real-world clinical application.”

“The four-semester program creates a more integrated learning experience, helping students build knowledge and apply it in practice while offering a more streamlined and affordable path to a nursing degree,” the UA System said. “UAH will also continue offering its accelerated three-semester [Bachelor of Science in Nursing] program for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree and are seeking an expedited route into the profession.”

Beyond the classroom, UAH is expanding clinical training for students and local access to care through its Neighborhood Nursing initiative. Launched in 2025, the program provides preventive care, health screenings, education and referrals to patients in rural communities in North Alabama.

Since its launch, the program has served more than 500 residents across five North Alabama communities and is expanding to additional communities.

“By combining expanded enrollment, accelerated degree pathways, scholarships, advanced clinical training and community partnerships, UA System institutions are strengthening every stage of Alabama’s nursing workforce pipeline and preparing more nurses to serve Alabama’s communities,” the UA System said.

The university system also highlighted July data from the Alabama Department of Workforce showing that registered nurses were Alabama’s most in-demand occupation, with RN positions accounting for the most online job openings in June.

The Alabama Black Belt Birding Festival has earned a new distinction after six years of bringing bird enthusiasts, conservationists and tourists to one of Alabama’s most unique landscapes.

The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association has named the festival its first official “Black Belt Signature Event,” recognizing its contributions to tourism, conservation, education and economic development throughout the state’s Black Belt region. During the festival’s kickoff in Greensboro, ALBBAA Executive Director Pam Swanner also presented a $5,000 grant to Alabama Audubon to support the festival’s continued growth and future programming.

The new designation is part of ALBBAA’s initiative to recognize festivals that showcase the Black Belt’s natural, cultural, culinary and outdoor attractions while generating tourism and economic activity for the region.

“The Black Belt Birding Festival has become more than an event. It is a catalyst for sustainable tourism in rural Alabama,” Swanner said. “As attendance continues to set new records and attract more out-of-state birding enthusiasts each year, the festival’s economic impact continues to grow while introducing visitors to the exceptional birding opportunities and rich natural and cultural heritage that define Alabama’s Black Belt.”

Held July 31 through Aug. 2, the sixth annual festival attracted birders from across the country for a weekend celebrating the birds, history and heritage of Alabama’s Black Belt. Organized by Alabama Audubon and presented with Alabama Black Belt Adventures, the event combines guided birding experiences with opportunities to explore the region’s ecology, small towns and Civil Rights history.

That combination is what organizers say sets the festival apart.

“We are thrilled that our festival is now attracting birders from across the country,” Alabama Audubon Executive Director Dr. R. Scot Duncan said before the festival. “With its combination of distinctive birdlife, unique landscapes, and globally significant human rights history, there’s nothing quite like it anywhere. Nowhere else can you see flocks of Swallow-tailed Kites and Wood Storks swirling over a landscape where civil rights foot soldiers marched for freedom and democracy.”

The Black Belt is the largest natural grassland region in the eastern United States. Named for its dark prairie soils, the region provides habitat for grassland and wetland birds while also preserving some of Alabama’s most significant historic and cultural sites. Alabama Audubon’s Black Belt Birding Initiative uses bird-based ecotourism to promote conservation while creating economic opportunities in one of the nation’s most economically challenged rural regions.

Festival activities this year stretched across multiple Black Belt counties and included guided birding excursions, educational programs, historical tours and cultural events. Visitors explored destinations such as Perry Lakes Park, Old Cahawba Archaeological Park and Joe Farm, a fourth-generation Black-owned cattle ranch that has been featured by BBC Travel, National Geographic’s “Extraordinary Birder” and Cornell University’s “Living Bird” magazine.

The weekend also included art exhibits, history programs and a keynote address from American Birding Association author and podcast host Nate Swick.

Swanner said the festival’s continued growth demonstrates how nature-based tourism can benefit rural communities.

“We’re proud to support Alabama Audubon in this festival, which continues to demonstrate that birding in Alabama’s Black Belt is a powerful tourism driver,” she said. “The festival’s growth year after year generates sustainable revenue for our rural communities, directly supporting the livelihoods of those who live and work here. The national and international attention it attracts delivers a strong return on investment — earning the kind of high-value exposure that traditional advertising simply can’t match.”

The Black Belt Signature Event initiative is part of a grant program offered by ALBBAA in partnership with the Alabama Association of RC&D Councils. The program supports festivals, events and destination development projects that demonstrate broad visitor appeal, measurable tourism impact and meaningful contributions to the region’s economy and heritage.

Duncan said the designation recognizes years of collaboration aimed at protecting the region’s natural resources while creating new opportunities for the communities that call the Black Belt home.

“Alabama Audubon is honored the festival has been recognized as a Signature Event for the region. As we approach a decade of conservation work in the Black Belt, this designation celebrates our shared commitment to protecting birds while creating new opportunities for local communities through birding and nature-based tourism,” he said.

State leaders also praised the festival’s impact. Sen. Gerald Allen said birdwatching continues to grow as a national pastime while helping visitors appreciate Alabama’s natural resources.

“It was a pleasure meeting with individuals from all over the country who recognize the importance of our environment,” Allen said. “Birdwatching is a growing national pastime.”

Rep. Curtis Travis called the festival more than a celebration of birds, saying it creates opportunities for tourism, education, conservation and economic growth across the state’s rural Black Belt communities.

“The Alabama Black Belt Birding Festival is more than a celebration of birds — it’s a celebration of one of Alabama’s greatest natural treasures,” Travis said. “It showcases the beauty of our Black Belt region while creating opportunities for tourism, education, conservation and economic growth in our rural communities.”

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].