nursing_scholarshipHealth care continues to be one of the career areas where professionals are still in demand and nursing is about as recession-proof a career as you will ever find, especially with the ‘graying’ population at an all time high. as the number of people who get sick doesn’t decrease when times are bad.

So, the question is – how do you find scholarships for nursing school?

Nursing programs at community colleges and state sponsored four year schools are in heavy demand and that means that even many qualified students are actually being rejected and end up turning to the very expensive private schools and training programs.

it’s also important to note that nursing school has more expenses associated with it than getting your degree in business, for example: you need to purchase the required uniforms for your clinicals, you are required to carry malpractice insurance, you need reliable transportation between the school and the hospital site, and you are required to have extra immunizations

The first step, even before applying for admission, will be to contact your chosen school to determine what kind of aid package might be available for you. In most cases, this will be a combination of scholarships, grants, work study and loans. At most of the ‘for-profit’ nursing schools, your financial package will be comprised mostly of loans, as very few of these schools offer scholarships for nursing school.

If you are planning to get a four year Bachelor of Science of Nursing with a RN, you may qualify for a military nursing scholarship. When you graduate, you will be commissioned into a branch of the military as an officer, but these scholarships cover all expenses, including your tuition and books, and provide a small living stipend as well.

For example, with the Air Force nursing scholarship program, all students who meet the minimum qualifications get the award – there is no further selection process. In most cases, students will have an eight year commitment to the military, three of which must be active duty.

The sponsored ladder is another possibility for a nursing scholarship: a hospital will pay for your first year of school to become a practical or vocational nurse. In exchange, you commit to work for the hospital for two or three years following graduation. You draw a full salary once you get started working.

But the best part of this arrangement is that the organization will pay for your part time studies toward a Registered Nursing (RN) degree during your employment commitment. In this way, you have your tuition paid for and, after the first year, you earn while you learn.

If you are considering majoring in nursing, you should take advantage of a free online scholarship database that will let you search nationwide nursing scholarship opportunities.

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Filed under: Nursing Scholarship

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