Arkansas State University has approved plans to build an $8 million nursing building on the Three Rivers campus in Malvern.

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports that the building will enable the university to increase practical nursing and registered nursing slots, as well as create new programs for certified nursing assistants and emergency medical technicians. The project will be financed entirely through federal grant funds.

ASU Three Rivers now has 200 students in its nursing programs in an 11,000-square-foot building, and "we need more room," Chancellor Steve Rook said.

The new building is expected to have between 22,000 to 25,000 square feet of space. Enrollment and retention rates are up this year compared with the prior year at ASU Three Rivers, officials said.