How To Find Scholarships To Help You With Nursing School

By Gregg Hall

Statistics show that college costs are rising dramatically. Some schools cost upwards of $30,000 per year, not including textbooks and other supplies. This is leading to a sharp decline in enrollment. Should you give up your dream of becoming a nurse? Perhaps not, there is high demand for nurses. For this reason, nursing school scholarships are easy to find.

Though there are many nursing school scholarships available to men and woman who dream of entering the field of nursing, you do have to do your research. Plan to spend a good deal of time searching for grants and scholarships online, in medical publications, local hospitals, and through university financial departments.

The best place to start searching for nursing school scholarships is at the colleges or universities where you plan to apply. Every college or university has a toll-free phone number. Call the financial department and ask for help in finding scholarships or grants that apply to your needs and financial standing.

In some cases, the institution for higher learning will only give you this information if you have been accepted. If that is the case with one or more of your choices, you may want to start your search online. Check with the federal government as they have many programs available. Many online companies will run the searches for you at no charge, use them to your advantage. Avoid companies who make you pay any fees.

Check with hospitals and medical practices in your area for any grants and nursing school scholarships that are available. They will have lists of grants, scholarships, and even work study programs. They may also be able to help you select the best area colleges and universities. Some hospitals may even agree to pay for your education if you sign a contract with them that states in exchange for your college education you will remain an employee of their hospital for a certain number of years. This is an excellent program that keeps young adults from leaving states after college.

Remember that some scholarships will be restricted to minority groups, low income families, children of labor union organizations, athletic groups, children whose parents are employees of certain businesses, foster children, and honor students. Do not become discouraged when you discover that there is not much out there that fits your needs. Keep searching because you will come across a number of suitable programs. It just takes time.

Being organized is essential when searching for nursing school scholarships and grants. Keep all necessary paperwork on hand and ready to be faxed or mailed to the financial program. Income statements, personal essays, and school transcripts are usually required additions to the application. Make sure you have them handy.

Regardless of your financial or ethnic standings, there are nursing school scholarships available. Stick with it and you can make your dreams of nursing come true.

How Nursing School Grants Work

If you're a nursing student who is going out of your mind to find money to pay for your studies, nursing school grants would be your best choice. It is a financial assistance given by organizations or agencies to support all kinds of schools and studies.

Q. How do you apply for nursing school grants?

A. The most recognized nursing school grants program is from the U.S. Government. It is called Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. Money awards or grants could be given to any qualifying student and does not need to be paid back.

1. Usage of grants

These grants could be used for long-term nursing training or for the entire four or five years of your college. Many of these nursing grants are used in the cost of the study or program. They could be used in thesis of nursing students and other medical studies.

2. Planning

By planning to acquire nursing school grants, you are ahead on everyone else. Request for a submission form and check for the deadline of the application process. Remember to complete the form with valid information. Double-check your work. Get hold of the procedures in applying for nursing school grants and follow it correctly. You should send your application sooner than the date of the deadline. By preparing earlier, you would prevent missing the deadline and qualifying for the nursing school grants. It would cause you to apply for it on the following year.

3. Eligibility

The grants would be given to any individual (attending private or public schools. or any educational organizations (whether private or public offices. that has been qualified to receive the grants. The main key to qualifying is to prove the nurse's capability on safety and health training (whether college level or professional level). The nursing school grants could be also based on the financial need of the student, the ranking of the grades, and special talents. The agency would be the one to pass the criteria for the applicants.

4. What Amount Should You Aim For?

The amount of the grants would depend on the criteria passed by the nursing student. Although there are only 208 grants provided a year, the nursing student applying for grants should be able to meet the requirements. When successfully passed, the nursing student would be given sufficient additional training for nursing practices or researches and updated techniques.

5. Procedure

The highest scoring nursing student would be given priority. Although it would still be processed by the FAFSA, once permitted the grant would be given to you. Usually, the awards are divided into two - initial and final grants.

6. Guidelines

- Make sure to get hold of a written policy that a refund will be given if your grant is not approved.

- Never give your information in particularly with credit card numbers.

- Don't believe when an agency says that they would do all the processing for you. You should be the one to sign when your signature is needed.

- Never give money to agencies that claim you owe them interest in the handling of the processing. These nursing school grants should not cost you anything.

- If you are not approved, don't give up. There is always next year to apply.

How to Receive a Nursing Scholarship

By Grant Eckert

First Things First: What is FAFSA?

The first step in receiving any sort of scholarship or financial aid for college is to complete the FAFSA. FAFSA, or free application for student aid, is a form that is filled out by every student wishing to be considered for college tuition. This is a federal form, and you only have to complete it once, unlike the past when you had to complete separate paperwork for each college you hoped to attend.

The FAFSA form will provide you with information that will determine the amount of money your family is expected to provide for your education. The difference between what your family is expected to pay and the amount of tuition at your chosen college can be covered by federally backed grants and loans. To reduce the amount that you are expected to pay further, you can apply for a variety of scholarships.

Academic Based or Need Based Scholarships

While there are a variety of scholarships available, they generally fall into two categories, academic based and need based. Academic based scholarships are determined on grades and test scores. Financial need is not a consideration. Competition for these awards is typically stiff, with many very strong candidates vying for the same scholarship. You may be required to submit an essay, or chronicle any previous volunteer work.

Need based scholarships are determined on the financial need of applicants. While grades are typically considered, the academic pressure is usually not as intense as with an academic based scholarship. Many scholarships are a combination of the two: needs based scholarships that require a high GPA, a concentration in certain subjects, community involvement, or specific career goals.

The Nursing Shortage

There is currently a nursing shortage, and the future outlook is that a shortage will remain through the immediate future. As our population lives longer and medical technology continues to grow, the need for nurses outstrips the rate in which they are completing school. This nursing shortage means that an industrious student is likely to earn enough scholarship money to pay his or her way through college and graduate debt free.

One program many hospitals have implemented is paying tuition for current nursing students. Of course, this does come with strings attached. Once the student graduates from nursing school, he or she is expected to work for the hospital for a prearranged period of time. If the nurse leaves before that time, he or she is responsible for paying back part or all of the tuition. This can be an excellent way for students who would otherwise not be able to afford college to earn a degree. Not only does the student graduate debt free, but they automatically have a job once they leave school. The years after nursing school can be spent gaining experience in a variety of hospital settings, and if they decide to move on once their obligation is fulfilled, they have a good idea of what field of nursing they are most interested in.

Financial Help for Graduate Degrees

The lack of nurses with graduate degrees indicates that it is possible for you to earn a Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, or Nurse Anesthetist degree without the burden of taking on a significant debt. Previously, it was often difficult to weigh the benefits of returning to graduate school against the problem of expensive graduate school credit hours. With many hospitals and clinics lowering costs by employing Nurse Practitioners in place of physicians, and Nurse Anesthetists to assist the Anesthesiologist, it is very likely that the medical group that you currently work for offers tuition reimbursement. If they do not, you should speak to your supervisor or human resources personnel. They may be willing to offer tuition reimbursement on a case by case basis. If your current employer does not offer tuition reimbursement, you may want to consider moving to a different employer. Many employers will offer full tuition reimbursement or even allow you to attend school full time, with the agreement that you will work for them for a specified time once you receive your graduate degree.

Increasing Your Likelihood of Receiving a Scholarship

Whether you are looking for a needs based scholarship for an undergraduate nursing degree, or are searching for a hospital financed scholarship offer to complete your graduate degree, there are several things that you can do to improve your chances of success.

Work in your field. It does not matter if it is paid employment or volunteer work, but working in the field you plan to earn a degree in shows the decision makers that you understand the work and are less likely to switch majors or drop out.

Watch your grades and your money. No matter if you are looking for a need based or academic based scholarship, keep your grades high, even in classes that you do not think matter, and watch your money. When you receive your scholarship money be sure to buy the books and study materials that you will need to succeed. If possible, hold some money back so that you can afford a tutor before exams if you find yourself struggling.

Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation gave $12 million in Nursing Grants for 2008-2009

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation (PHEF) Board of Directors today announced funding allocations for its Nursing Education Grants for the 2008-09 academic year. PHEF will distribute the grants to Pennsylvania nursing education schools statewide to assist in the creation and retention of new nursing students and nurse educators.

LPN and RN programs at 127 Pennsylvania Schools of Nursing will receive a total of $10.4 million while 35 Graduate Schools of Nursing will share $3 million in grant funding. The Nursing Education Grant awards for individual nursing schools will be announced in July.

“The Foundation has contributed more than $66 million through its various programs in support of Pennsylvania nursing students since 2003,” said Representative William Adolph, Foundation Board member. “It is vitally important that we continue assisting students and nursing schools because the health of our citizens is ultimately at stake.”

“The beauty of the Foundation's student aid programs is that they are privately-funded by generous donors from the healthcare community as well as private individuals,” noted Senator Sean Logan. “In today's difficult economic environment it would be extremely difficult for the State to fund these important programs that are so vital to the health of our citizens.”

The PHEF Nursing Education Grant Program was created to help reverse Pennsylvania's nursing shortage by generating non-taxpayer supported funding which otherwise is not available to schools of nursing. This funding, in turn, helps Pennsylvania schools increase the recruitment and retention rates of their nursing programs, providing more qualified nurses for the citizens of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania nursing schools must submit an award proposal to PHEF to receive Nursing Education Grants. Once approved, the nursing schools administer and distribute the awards to their qualifying students based on their unique awarding criteria. Nursing students should contact their school's financial aid office or nursing department for eligibility information.

In addition to the funding for the Nursing Education Grants, the PHEF Board approved more than $1 million to provide awards through the Dr. Edna McKenzie Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students program. Ninety-seven Pennsylvania schools of nursing will each receive $10,310 in scholarship money. The scholarship is named for the late Dr. Edna McKenzie, a distinguished educator, long-time member of the PHEF Board, and noted African American historian.

PHEF was created five years ago and began offering financial support shortly thereafter to help students afford their nursing education. The Foundation currently offers numerous aid programs for students, including:

- Nursing Education Grants
- Nurse Scholars Program for graduate nursing students
- Low-income Nursing Students Tax Credit Program
- Graduate Nurse Education Grant- Nursing Faculty Development Grants
- Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students
- The Foundation also supports the Big 33 Nursing Scholarship Program and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Health Occupation Students of America (Penn Hosa) Scholarship Program

“Nursing students frequently tell me how important these awards are to them,” said Elinor Z. Taylor, PHEF Board Chairman. “Sometimes the Foundation's awards make the difference between continuing their program of study or dropping out. With the shortage of nurses we are experiencing, every nursing student that graduates is important.”

For more information on PHEF's student aid programs for nursing students, visit FuturesInNursing.org.

PHEF & The Pennsylvania Nursing Assistance Fund

Purpose

The Pennsylvania Nursing Assistance Fund of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation was established to provide assistance to students and schools for nursing education in Pennsylvania. The fund will provide grant and scholarship monies to nursing students through the use of donations from individuals and organizations directed to Pennsylvania schools of nursing.

Overview

Until recently, the equilibrium of new nurses entering the profession versus tenured nurses retiring remained stable. However, the cycle of quality health care will quickly decline because although demands on the nursing profession are increasing, new entries in the profession are not keeping pace with planned retirements.

Through the Pennsylvania Nursing Assistance Fund, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation hopes to reverse this trend by giving students access to nursing education by offering grants or scholarships that otherwise would not be available.

The Pennsylvania Nursing Assistance Fund will directly impact the number of educational opportunities students and schools will have to help the Commonwealth continue its cycle of quality health care.

There are numerous flexible giving opportunities for donors to participate in this fund with specific schools, student populations and programs in mind, based on individual interests and relationships. Scholarship and grant naming opportunities as well as generous matching funds from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation are available to foundation, corporate and individual donors.

Guidelines

For information on guidelines, or to find out if your institution is a recipient of the Pennsylvania Nursing Assistance Fund, contact your school’s nursing department. Contact the Foundation office for more information on giving opportunities.

Nursing Scholarship Sources

There are many scholarships available to any and all people that are going into the nursing profession. Some people don't want to take the time to find out about scholarships for nursing school. Many believe that the monies that they receive from financial aid will be sufficient. Indeed, sometimes it is, that is if you also take the student loans that eventually have to be paid back.

The payback period usually begins approximately six months following graduation from nursing school. But be careful, if you drop out of nursing school for any reason, and do not apply for a hardship extension, you will be liable to begin paying back the student loan, in spite of your circumstances. With scholarships, you do not have to pay them back, period! This is true even if you have to drop out of nursing school for a short period of time. There is another false hood that is widely accepted. That is, that one has to have a 3.0 grade point average or greater to be eligible to apply for a nursing school scholarship. Not true.

There are many factors that allow an individual to apply for a nursing school scholarship. Maybe your are a single mother living on government aid, there is a scholarship for you. Maybe you are of a low income bracket and have a particular ethnicity, there is a nursing school scholarship for you, maybe you just live in an area that is considered economically challenged, there is a nursing school scholarship for you. The list goes on and on.

Where do you begin to find out if there is a nursing scholarship available for you. Other than the internet, the best other place to begin is in your home town, at your place of worship, your place of employment and the schools that offer a nursing program. You will be surprised to find that there are scholarships out there just for being you! Many places of employment or large companies have foundations and wealthy founders that put monies into funds for scholarships. Maybe your parents worked at a company for most of their lives that now makes you eligible to obtain a scholarship. Automotive company founders offer scholarships. Even large supermarket chains offer scholarships for nursing school.

The main idea behind scholarships is to promote education in the community. So don't ever feel that you are left out in the cold. It might be that you may run into a counselor that may not seem to have the time to do any research for you, but don't let that discourage you. Sometimes when you are going after something that you really want, like a career in the nursing field, you have to take the reigns and be assertive. That means finding someone to help you, if someone else won't.

The point is, that there are people that are hired to help you find the scholarships for nursing school that best fit your needs. That does not mean that you shouldn't do your own research as well. The chances of you finding some other scholarships for nursing school in addition to those found for you can only help not hurt.