South Texas College received a $2 million boost to expand its nursing program on Monday, and local health experts say it couldn't have come at a better time.

STC officials say the Valley experiences firsthand the critical need for nurses, and the new funding will go towards instructor salaries, increasing enrollment, and helping combat the current nursing shortage. 

"This is the right place to make an investment that is going to yield the highest dividends that you could ever imagine," STC Board Chair Rose Benavidez said. 

Currently, more than 14,000 registered nurses are employed in the Rio Grande Valley, but with a vacancy rate of 11.6% for RNs, the demand is expected to grow. 

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