Online Resources & Scholarships for Registered Nursing Students
Becoming a registered nurse needs the substantial training typically obtained through a nursing associate or bachelor’s degree program. Although these programs often require a substantial investment of both time and money, there are plenty of scholarships and other financial aid resources out there to help you pay for the RN education. In this EduMed student guide, we’ll introduce you to a number of valuable scholarship opportunities available to registered nursing students today. You’ll also get tips on applying to and winning the scholarships you want, along with links to useful online funding-related resources.
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Overview of Scholarships and Grants for Registered Nurses
Nursing school can be expensive. Fortunately, there are plenty of potential sources of funding assistance available for those who want to become registered nurses; these include loans, work-study opportunities, employer tuition reimbursement programs, and more. But the top of financial aid wish lists for most students are scholarships and grants. They’re essentially “free money” for your education, meaning that you won’t be paying them back.
Scholarships and grants may be in-house (i.e., school sponsored) or external (not tied to any specific school or program). In either case, most scholarships and grants are competitive, so before you submit your application, be sure you understand clearly who a particular award is geared toward and whether you meet all eligibility requirements.
To get your started on your degree funding search, here are ten external scholarships currently available to qualifying registered nursing students:
A Nurse I Am Scholarship
Sponsored by Cherokee Uniforms, this scholarship is open to both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in accredited nursing education programs (including pre-RN licensure ADN, BSN, and diploma programs) within the United States. Both full-time and part-time students are eligible. Ten awards of $3,000 each are made annually.
Amount: $3,000
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AORN Foundation Academic Scholarships
The Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses offers several scholarship opportunities to nursing students pursuing a degree leading to initial licensure as an RN with an expressed interest in the field of perioperative/surgical nursing. Applicant must have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Selection factors include financial need, academics, essay content, and accurate completion of the scholarship application.
Amount: Varies by specific scholarship.
Barbara Rhomberg Excellence in Nursing Scholarship
Sponsored by B4 Brands, this scholarship awards $1,000 annually to a full-time, non-traditional student pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing. A non-traditional student is one with a minimum three-year gap between high school graduation and enrollment in a college or university. This is one-time award, but previous recipients are eligible to re-apply in future years.
Amount: $1,000
CEUfast Undergraduate Nursing Scholarship
CEUfast awards $1,000 annually to a student enrolled in a nationally accredited undergraduate ADN or BSN program for at least one semester who submits the top nursing-focused educational essay. This essay will be published in the blog section of CEUfast.com. The awardee will additionally receive a free subscription to CEUfast.com for Nursing Continuing Education (CE).
Amount: $1,000
DAR Caroline E. Holt Nursing Scholarship
The DAR Caroline E. Holt Nursing Scholarship awards $2,500 annually to three students with demonstrated financial need who are enrolled or accepted in an accredited U.S. nursing school. The scholarship is sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution. However, neither DAR membership nor sponsorship by a DAR chapter is required to apply.
Amount: $2,500
ENA Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships
The ENA Foundation (the charitable arm of the Emergency Nurses Association) offers a number of scholarships of varying award amounts to students pursuing an undergraduate (associate or bachelor’s) degree in an ACEN or CCNE accredited nursing program. ENA membership is required for all but one award. Selections are made based on the applicant’s statement of education and career goals, professional work involvement, community activities, leadership and participation in ENA and other nursing associations, and letters of recommendation.
Amount: Varies
FNSNA Undergraduate Scholarship Program
The FNSNA Undergraduate Scholarship Program provides several awards of up to $10,000 per year to currently enrolled students in state-approved undergraduate nursing programs (including those leading to RN licensure). Factors considered in award selection include academic achievement, financial need, participation in nursing student organizations, and involvement in healthcare related community activities. Sponsored by the Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association.
Amount: Varies (up to $10,000)
Hurst Review/AACN Scholarship
Sponsored through a partnership between the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and Hurst Review Services, this program awards one $2,500 scholarship twice yearly. Eligibility is available to students enrolled in an entry-level nursing program at an AACN member institution. Applicant must possess a minimum 3.2 GPA in their current program or last school attended.
Amount: $2,500
NBNA Scholarships
The National Black Nurses Association offers annual scholarship awards to nursing students on all academic levels, including those in pre-RN licensure programs. Applicant must be an NBNA member. Required application submittals include a one-page biosketch, current resume or CV, two letters of recommendation (including one from an NBNA member), personal career statement, and current high-resolution photo.
Amount: Varies (starting at $1,000)
Nurse Corps Scholarship Program
Offered through the Federal government’s Health Resources & Services Administration, the Nurse Corps Scholarship program is open to U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents who are enrolled or accepted in an accredited, U.S. based nursing program. Recipient must agree to fulfill a minimum two-year full-time (or part-time equivalent) nursing practice commitment in a Health Professional Shortage Area upon completion of their nursing program.
Amount: Full-tuition, fees, other qualifying costs, and monthly stipend.
The Secret to Success for RN Scholarships
Scholarships are an incredible way to help you get through nursing school with as little debt as possible, but they can be highly competitive, and you only get one shot to impress the scholarship selection committee. Here are five keys to ensuring that your application is great enough to get their attention.
Key #1: Beef up your presence in the field.
Scholarship selection committees tend to favor applicants with particularly impressive resumes, especially ones with lots of entries describing participation in healthcare-related work and community service/volunteer activities. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn when it comes to pointing out any and all experience you’ve had in the nursing field.
Key #2: Go local.
Big national scholarships with equally big awards are always a huge draw, but that huge draw can be a real problem. That’s because more money means more applicants, and more applicants means more competition, and that, in turn, means lower chances for you to win. It’s to your great financial advantage to also consider smaller regional and local scholarships. The money may be less, but big awards only matter if you win them, and since you’re not limited to only one, landing several smaller less competitive scholarships can be just as lucrative.
Key #3: Revise that essay or personal statement.
Application essays and personal statements are also weighed heavily by scholarship committees when selecting award winners. That’s why we cannot emphasize strongly enough how important it is that you make the time and effort to write the best essay or statement you can. and that can include several revised drafts. You should seek out someone like an English major or your university’s writing center to read over your essay and provide you with polishing advice. Winning a scholarship may ride on the quality of your essay or personal statement.
Key #4: Don’t just look for RN scholarships.
Don’t limit yourself to scholarships designated exclusively for pre-licensure registered nursing students. If you do, you’ll be missing out the vast majority of awards you could be eligible for. For example, there are scholarships exclusively for BSN students, including those that are pre-licensure. There are also lots of scholarships open to nursing students of all kinds on any degree level. And, of course, there are scholarships you could qualify for that have nothing specifically to do with nursing whatsoever.
Key #5: Pay close attention to deadlines.
It is critical that you make note of any and all deadlines associated with your scholarship application. Write them on your calendar (or your arm, if necessary) and circle them in red. Do whatever you have to do to make sure you don’t miss one. A missed deadline is the death knell of a scholarship application.
Breakdown: Where to Find Funding as a Registered Nursing Student?
Scholarships are the best funding sources available to help pay for your RN education. But you’ll likely need to tap into other forms of financial aid as well. Here are several online resources available to aid you throughout the entire process of your registered nurse degree financing search.
Federal Student Aid
Website for the office within the U.S. Department of Education that handles most federally-funded financial aid resources (scholarships, grants, loans, loan repayment and forgiveness programs, etc.) for college students, including those pursuing degrees leading to careers as registered nurses.
Graduating from Nursing School Debt-Free: How to Finish School Without Breaking the Bank
EduMed’s own guide, providing information and advice on how to get through and graduate from nursing school with little or no student debt.
Guide to Online BSN Programs that Offer Financial Aid
Another of our guides, this one takes a look at the current landscape of online bachelor of nursing programs with financial aid, including those that lead to initial registered nurse licensure.
How to Budget for Nursing School: Smart-Saving for Students
Valuable information and advice, including an expert interview, on starting and managing your budget for nursing school and beyond.
Online ADN Programs with Financial Aid: Which Schools Offer It?
Primer to online associated degrees in nursing (the most popular degree type for prospective registered nurses) and the financial aid resources available to help students pay for their ADN programs.
Sallie Mae
Website for one of the largest private providers of student loans for nursing school. Visitors to the site can get detailed information on Sallie Mae’s loans for undergraduate nursing students as well as access to tons of excellent blog articles on practically any topic you can think of related to paying for your RN education.
The Student Loan Handbook: A Guide to Better College Borrowing
EduMed’s comprehensive guide to applying to, managing, repaying, and refinancing loans for nursing and other healthcare college students. Included is information and advice on the different types of loans, tips for finding the right loans for you, and much more.
What is Tuition Reimbursement? The Often-Overlooked Employee Benefit
Informative article from Southern New Hampshire University explaining the ins and outs of what employer tuition reimbursement is, how it works, and how students can benefit from it.
