Graduating nursing students can donate their uniforms to incoming classmates to help the next group save money.

Nursing students wear white uniform shirts, blue pants and white leather shoes in their classes and labs.  

“It’s so nice to be able to see the students on the other end wanting to take care of those incoming students just by doing that small donation,” Nursing Professor Denise Lyons said. 

Lyons said past nursing students can donate their uniforms by dropping them in a collection bin Room 270 of the Health and Life Science building. 

Graduates have been donating their used uniforms which cost between $17 and $35 per piece, for the last few years, Lyons said. 

First-year nursing student Cady Bilyeu said she appreciates the donation system. 

“It’s already a really expensive program,” Bilyeu said. “So adding uniforms to it just adds to the cost and it adds up quickly.” 

But first-year nursing student Brianna Shankster said she bought her uniform. 

“I don’t mind having a fresh pair,” Shankster said. “So I wasn’t opposed to buying them.”

Lyons said she reserves the donated uniforms for students who have a financial need.

“It’s not really a free for all,” Lyons said. “I really go through and tell somebody if they’re in need, like financially, for individuals who maybe are single moms, or they’re not getting as much financial aid as possible, that we go ahead and we let them have these uniforms. So it’s on a selective basis that I try to do this for the students that are in need.”