Long-term care giant Beverly Enterprises is providing a $1 million grant to the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing to provide scholarships and support for students interested in geriatric nursing.

The donation will establish the Penn-Beverly Partnership Fund, which, in part, will offer scholarship loans that may be forgiven if the recipients complete a work commitment after they graduate. The scholarships are seen as one tool in an ongoing battle against nursing shortages.

“The objective of our grant is to stimulate interest in geriatric nursing and attract qualified clinicians into long-term care,” said Beverly CEO and President William R. Floyd, who earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Penn-Beverly Partnership will include a strong mentoring component in which Beverly nurses will team with Penn students to facilitate the students’ clinical work at skilled nursing facilities.

The gerontology specialty curriculum at the school is ranked best among all graduate schools in a recent survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report.

Beverly operates 372 skilled nursing facilities, 20 within a 100-mile radius of the school.