Nursing Scholarships

From LoveToKnow College

There were few times throughout the history of the United States when the need for nursing scholarships was as critical as it is today. Read on to learn more about the severe nursing crisis in this country, and what many organizations are doing about it.

Two Nurses

The Nursing Shortage

According to an April 2008 fact sheet issued by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the U.S. is in the middle of an intensifying nursing shortage. The AACN fact sheet makes the following points in its case:

  • The demand for nurses is expected to grow by 2% to 3% every year.
  • More nurses are needed to meet demand than the current rate of annual graduates.
  • Nursing is the nation's top profession in terms of projected job growth.
  • There is currently an 8.1% nursing vacancy nationwide.
  • A 2006 survey indicates that 55% of surveyed nurses plan to retire between 2011 and 2020.
  • The nurse shortage is expected to expand to over a million nurses by 2020.

Nursing Scholarships Provide Incentives

A number of public and private organizations have recognized this critical nationwide shortage of registered nurses. They are stepping forward and providing financial incentives to high school graduates in hopes of convincing them to enter the nursing field. In such an environment, any student who intends to go to school for nursing should have no problem graduating with a four year nursing degree, owing nothing in the form of student loans. The following organizations are offering significant nursing scholarships to future nurses.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Health Resources and Services Administration offers an impressive nursing scholarship program that allows any student to obtain a nursing degree for absolutely free. The only significant requirement for the program is that, in exchange for receiving a free nursing degree, you agree to work at least two years at a health care facility with a "critical shortage."

While typical academic scholarships usually only pay for tuition, this one pays for tuition, fees, books, clinical supplies, lab expenses, and even a monthly stipend of just over $1,000. This is a "full scholarship" in every way.

Requirements:

  • U.S. citizen or national
  • Enrolled or accepted, full or part-time, at an accredited school of nursing
  • Starting classes for the fall term
  • Free of Federal judgment liens, service commitments, or delinquent on a Federal debt

Financial need is a consideration when students are selected to receive the scholarship. The program typically funds an average of just over 200 nursing scholarships every year.

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

The AACN offers $1,500, every year, for registered nurses who are seeking a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing. The funds can be used by students to pay for tuition, fees, books or supplies.

The selection process for this nursing scholarship is very fair. After eligibility is verified, all applications are sent to a selection committee for a "blind review," which means that they only read through the narratives that applicants have written. They are unaware of the identity of applicants during the review. Selected applicants are chosen based on their essay, and how that essay reflects a "dedication to patient care outcomes," commitment, vision, and of course the applicant's ability to write clearly.

Requirements:

  • Must be a member of the AACN
  • Must have an active RN license
  • Must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better
  • Should currently be working in critical care
  • Must be above junior division or higher
  • Must be enrolled or accepted to a nursing program

Nurses Educational Funds, Inc

The Nurses Educational Funds is actually a privately funded institute that offers a number of scholarships. The organization accepts funds from individuals and organizations who wish to start an endowed named scholarship, then handles the process of screening students and distributing scholarship funds each year. The focus of this organization is to assist nurses in obtaining a Master's degree.

Requirements:

  • Must be a registered nurse
  • Must be a member of a professional nursing association
  • Must be enrolled in an accredited nursing Masters program
  • Or must be enrolled in a doctoral program
  • Must be a U.S. citizen, or officially declared intention to become one.

The fact that the NEF manages so many funds in one place makes it an excellent organization to submit an application to. As a prospective student, your odds of winning at least one of the scholarships is very good.

Can't Afford Education?

If you are avoiding college because you think you can't afford it, then nursing is a field you may seriously want to consider. Given the obvious national crisis caused by the current nursing shortage, there isn't a single student who can legitimately say that they can't afford a nursing degree. Almost every major medical organization offers some form of scholarship for nursing. The three examples provided above are only a few of the many available funds.

Consider the following resources:

Scholarships for nursing include those for military, Native Americans, holistic nurses, midwives, men in nursing, and much more. Anyone who wishes to become a nurse in this country will be providing a tremendous service to our society. This is why so many organizations offer financial support to the men and women who help this country to care for its sick and injured citizens.

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