Heart of Detroit Tuition Pledge helps Wayne State student find her path to nursing

When Nyla Colvard was deciding where to attend college, Wayne State University offered something that almost seemed too good to be true. As a lifelong Detroit resident, Colvard was among the first cohort of students to qualify for Wayne State's Heart of Detroit Tuition Pledge, which provides a pathway to attend the university tuition-free.

She seized the opportunity - and is now pursuing another degree and a career that she hopes will give back to mothers and babies in Detroit. Colvard earned a bachelor's in psychology in December 2024 and is now enrolled in the College of Nursing's accelerated BSN program.

"I was definitely shocked when we first heard about Heart of Detroit. My family and I questioned if it was even real," Colvard said. "It made choosing Wayne State an easy decision. WSU was the best financial choice and close to home, but it also felt like, 'Oh my gosh, they really believe in me. They want me as a student.'"

Those feelings were quickly affirmed once Colvard began classes and got involved at Wayne State. While she arrived at WSU initially interested in medicine and majoring in biology, she discovered the wide range of opportunities available in nursing after exploring her interests and options with advisors. She eventually switched her major to psychology while completing the prerequisites required to start the accelerated nursing program after graduation.

Along the way, she also found a community and has been involved on campus. Colvard is vice president of Wayne State's chapter Lambda Chi Beta of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Incorporated, an African American nursing sorority that participates in community service activities including blood pressure and glucose screenings. Colvard is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated with a mission of service to all mankind and sisterhood. She's also engaged with other community health groups, including Women in Healthcare and Student Nurses' Association.

As she looks toward her nursing career, Colvard is particularly interested in labor and delivery - an interest inspired by a desire to help address racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes in Detroit. She is also drawn to the profession in part by her own mother's experience with a complicated pregnancy and an exceptional nurse.

"My mom still talks about the nurse that was so sweet, that just helped her through everything when I was born," she said. "Nurses meet your family, they really engage with you, they understand your pain levels. It's a different level of care."

Colvard says that her classes have reaffirmed her goals and says that she's learned how to "really think like a nurse." She credits Dr. Jessica Smith's Health Assessment course with "rewiring" her brain to understand health data and chart information and think critically about applying that information to help a patient.

"Our program educates and trains students to be nurses who are clinically strong, thoughtful and deeply connected to the community they serve," said Smith. "Nyla's commitment to serving moms and babies in Detroit is a great example of that community-driven passion that fosters the best care."

Colvard is among the hundreds of students who are accepted into the university's Heart of Detroit Tuition Pledge program, which was launched in fall 2020. To date, 643 Heart of Detroit students have already graduated from WSU, and 1,913 participants are enrolled for the 2026-27 academic year.

"The Heart of Detroit Tuition Pledge is a showcase of our significant commitment to Detroit and its residents," said Dr. Charles Cotton III, vice provost for strategic enrollment. "While we're an institution with a global reach, it's equally important that we don't lose that sense of support for those in our immediate backyard, the community in which we are deeply ingrained as far as research, scholarship, internships and economic development."

The commitment extends beyond helping Detroit students earn a degree. Heart of Detroit also creates opportunities for graduates like Colvard to use their education and skills in the community they call home.

"I just want to at least be in the room to help one day at a time where I can," Colvard said. "I know I can make a difference here in Detroit."