A Central New York employer is offering free bachelor’s degrees for their full-time nursing staff. In 2017, then-Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law that any registered nurses need to earn a bachelor’s degree or higher within 10 years of being licensed. It's sometimes referred to as the BSN in 10 law.

Full-time nurses at SUNY Upstate now have the option to get that higher education for free.

Potential students were first introduced to the Upstate Edge program in the fall, and the coursework began this semester. Students can choose either a 16- or 22-month track for the online program.

Jeannette Jackson has chosen the 16-month route.

“I feel like we were the guinea pigs, though. We were like the first class to go through the Edge program. But I've learned a lot on how to be a student again, how to get focus, get my head in the game,” said Jackson.

Jackson works at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Syracuse and recently decided to start earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing, which SUNY Upstate is providing at no cost to her.

“I'm already grandfathered in. I don't have to complete the BSN, but it was always something that I always wanted to complete because of just looking at my short-term and long-term goals,” said Jackson.

She originally got into nursing because she was inspired by her best friend’s mother.

“I felt like more representation of people of color would really help in the nursing field, just make us all feel comfortable,” said Jackson.

Before starting classwork, she took a "Nursing 2.0" class, to help reacclimate nurses to skills of being a student.

“My role as an educator is to make sure that they are best equipped to provide comprehensive, holistic, ethical care to the patients, families and communities that we serve. And their associate programs do a wonderful job of preparing them to do that. We're just helping them elevate their game,” said Caitlin Nye, RN to BS program director with SUNY Upstate Medical University College of Nursing.

Jackson plans to use this degree to work toward bigger dreams.

“My goal is to work in education. I would like to teach some CNA students and the passion that I have for nursing and try to put that into them, some of those things that I've learned and what brings me joy to nursing,” said Jackson.

Anyone working at Upstate as a full-time nurse can join the Upstate Edge program to pursue their bachelor’s degree at no cost. The institution says the value of the program is around $20,000.

According to the New York State Department of Health, the state is on track to be short by 40,000 nurses in five years.