48 Scholarships for Nursing Students

Updated on January 30th, 2024

Scholarships for nursing students are essential for anyone who wants to pursue their educational dream without incurring unnecessary debt. Fortunately, many organizations want to encourage students to pursue healthcare careers. As a result, there are often far more nursing scholarships than students expect.

If your student is interested in nursing, scholarships can make nearly any school affordable. If you and your student want to learn about scholarships for nursing students and the scholarship process, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Take a quick trip over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve a spot today.

Regardless of where your student is in their academic career, there are likely nursing student scholarships available that could meet their needs. If your student has their sights set on a career in nursing, here’s what they need to know.

Contents

1 Qualifying for Scholarships and Grants for Nursing School
2 The Types of Nursing School Scholarships
3 48 Scholarships for Nursing Students
- 3.1
4 Application Steps for Nursing Degree Scholarships
5 Application Steps for Nursing Degree Scholarships
6 Scholarship Interviews for Nursing Students
- 6.1
7 How Many Nursing Scholarships Students Should Apply For

Qualifying for Scholarships and Grants for Nursing School

Many students wonder if they qualify for scholarships and grants for nursing school. In reality, eligibility requirements typically vary. As a result, students may qualify for some awards and not others.

The reason not all nursing school scholarships and grants are open to all students is that awarding organizations typically want to target the specific individuals or groups they’re trying to assist. In most cases, the requirements align the scholarship program with the awarding institution’s values and goals, and since not all organizations hold the same positioning, that leads to some distinct differences.

Ultimately, awarding institutions are allowed to limit who qualifies for an award, so they get to set any rules regarding eligibility. Here are some common requirements students may encounter.

Enrollment in the Right Program

In most cases, the biggest part of the eligibility equation is the student’s official major or program of study. For nursing grants and scholarships, applicants typically must pursue a qualifying degree or credential, such as:

Diploma in Practical Nursing
Nursing Assistant Certification
Associates in Nursing
Bachelors in Nursing
Masters in Nursing
Doctor of Nursing

However, those are merely examples of potentially qualifying programs or majors. Some awarding institutions may limit applicants to those pursuing just one of the options above, while others may welcome students who are focusing on other credentials or areas of study.

It is critical to note that most scholarship committees do require students to enroll in an accredited nursing program. Accreditation means that the college meets specific standards regarding educational quality and prepares students effectively for upcoming licensing exams. Since that’s the case, many scholarships aren’t open to students who are participating in a non-accredited program, so students should keep that in mind when selecting their school.

Educational Level

Nursing school scholarships may also focus on different educational levels. Many are open to all undergraduate students or graduate students pursuing an applicable degree. A few target high school students preparing to begin their college journey.

However, some nursing scholarships not only require current enrollment in a qualifying nursing degree program; they also require a few years of degree completion. Usually, this means the awards aren’t open to high school students.

There are also awards that focus on helping current nurses elevate their careers. For instance, RN to BSN scholarships target students who already have an Associate’s degree – allowing them to work as registered nurses in many states – and want to secure their Bachelor’s to advance their careers.

Students may also find scholarships explicitly aimed at post-graduate level education. There are graduate nursing degree and doctoral degree program awards that aren’t open to undergraduate students. For example, nurse practitioner scholarships are limited to students enrolled in an eligible Master’s or Doctorate.

Non-Major and Educational Level Requirements

Along with having the right major and being within the targeted educational level, students will have to meet other requirements. Precisely what that entails can vary depending on the awarding organization.

For example, there are male nurse scholarships that limit applicants to men, while minority nurse scholarships may focus on specific races or ethnic backgrounds. Nursing scholarships for international students concentrate on students who aren’t American citizens or lawful permanent residents, while military-associated nursing grants and scholarships may be limited to veterans or those who are willing to serve after graduating.

There can be requirements beyond that as well. Financial need is common for many private and government nursing scholarships. Having a strong academic performance in science courses is typical, and some scholarship committees seek out students with a history of community service, too.

Students may also encounter location-based requirements. For example, some nursing school scholarships are open to students in specific states or regions. Others may limit applicants to students attending a particular school or set of colleges.

Since the requirements can vary, students need to look closely at each nursing scholarship program to see whether they qualify. That way, they can focus their energies on the right awards, increasing their odds of success.

The Types of Nursing School Scholarships

Generally speaking, there are two types of nursing scholarships and grants. First, there are awards that focus on nursing school students specifically. Second, there are generally healthcare scholarships that can be used for nursing programs and select medical or healthcare majors outside of nursing.

With the former, one of the key requirements is usually being enrolled in a qualifying nursing program or at an eligible nursing school. While there may be more to eligibility than that, that requirement is typically the basis for deciding whether a student qualifies.

With the latter, students studying healthcare-related majors may also qualify. That could include any medical major, as well as specific policy, community health, or sociological majors. As a result, competition for these awards may be fiercer, as a broader range of students is likely to qualify. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth pursuing, especially since additional eligibility requirements may narrow the field far more than most students expect.

Scholarships and grants for nursing students are incredibly common for several reasons. One, having a strong medical community ensures the health of residents. Second, there’s currently a nurse shortage, so organizations are using scholarships to attract capable students to the field.

Since nursing scholarships are widespread, most students interested in becoming a nurse can often find awards that could reduce their cost of college with relative ease. However, the requirements for each award vary. As a result, students need to review the rules carefully to see which of the scholarships below can work for them, allowing them to concentrate their efforts in the right direction.

Here is a list of 48 scholarships for nursing students:

If you and your student want to learn more about where to find undergraduate nursing scholarships, graduate nursing scholarships, or other opportunities, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Head to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve your spot today.

Application Steps for Nursing Degree Scholarships

Just as eligibility requirements for nursing school scholarships vary, so do application requirements. However, many of them are highly similar. That’s good news for undergraduate and graduate students seeking a nursing degree, as it makes predicting what lies ahead simpler.

Most nursing scholarships have a standardized application that collects personal data from students. Usually, it requires straightforward information like the student’s name, contact information, past school information, and similar details.

Another standard part of the equation is the scholarship essay. Exactly what this entails varies depending on the questions asked by the awarding organization. However, students should expect prompts that focus on their prospective nursing career in some capacity, such as why they want to become a nurse. For scholarships aimed at helping nurses elevate their careers, questions about their experiences as a nurse so far may also come up.

In many cases, students must provide transcripts or similar academic information to show they’re well-positioned to excel in a nursing program. Needing to submit a scholarship letter of recommendation (or a few) may also be part of the process.

Fortunately, students can typically review all of the steps before they begin applying for the scholarship. That allows them to prepare before they start working on the application, creating opportunities to get all of the necessary documentation coordinated so that they can complete the entire process in a single sitting.

Scholarship Interviews for Nursing Students

Scholarship interviews aren’t universally part of the process, but they are relatively common. With the interviews, scholarship committees get a chance to learn more about the applicants, making it easier for them to select a suitable student for the award.

While the idea of participating in a scholarship interview is often intimidating to students initially, there are steps students can take to ensure they’re prepared. Some of the most critical scholarship interview tips that can help students excel include researching the awarding organization, practicing answers to potential scholarship interview questions, and learning what to wear to a scholarship interview.

By covering those bases, students feel more prepared for the interview experience. That means they’re in the best position to excel during the meeting, which ultimately increases their chances of landing the award.

How Many Nursing Scholarships Students Should Apply For

Many nursing students wonder if they should try for a specific number of scholarships. While there isn’t a set number that students should target, there are some guidelines that may help students decide how to approach the process.

Generally, students should apply for as many nursing scholarships as they can without sacrificing application or essay quality. By casting a wider net and trying for more awards, students increase their chances of landing something that can help reduce their out-of-pocket college costs. However, students shouldn’t stretch themselves so thin as to make compromising the quality of their application a necessity.

Fortunately, there are some techniques that can reduce the workload while ensuring overall quality. One strategy is to make sure that any letters of recommendation they gather aren’t targeted to just one scholarship. That makes the recommendation letters reusable, which can reduce the need to request new ones for every scholarship.

Similarly, saving copies of scholarship essays is a smart move. Students can reuse scholarship essays if they approach it the right way. For example, if two scholarship committees ask the exact same question and have functionally identical requirements regarding details like essay length, then students could potentially submit one resume more than once. But even if some of the requirements are slightly different – such as having unique word count minimums or limits – students could tweak an existing essay to align it with those requirements instead of writing something new from scratch, which saves time.

What matters most is striking a balance between going after awards and ensuring quality. That way, students are positioning themselves for success by going for more awards while still turning in excellent applications.

If you and your student want to learn more about where to find undergraduate and graduate nursing scholarships, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Take a trip over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve your spot today.