Nursing Scholarships

Nursing Scholarships for students wishing to pursue nursing as a career are available through a variety of venues. The qualifications for scholarships vary widely, some may be based on excellence in academic performance, community service, or on financial need.

• Civic groups such as the American Legion or Rotary clubs often offer scholarships. Scholarships are even available for minority and ethnic groups such as women, American Indians, or African Americans. Even hospitals and churches can be sources for nursing school scholarships.

The key to finding a scholarship is to begin your search early and devote time to it on a regular basis.

• The deadlines for scholarships vary and there is paperwork that must be completed to apply for the scholarships. The local library is a good place to begin your search, as is the Internet. Be wary though of any service that asks you to pay money to find you a scholarship, you can do this yourself with time and effort and you have no better chance of obtaining a scholarship if you have someone else research it for you.

Scholarships are generally gifts of money to complete your education. The money may be paid directly to the college upon your behalf. Some scholarships come with stipulations, such as agreeing to a term of service in an area or with a hospital in return for the sponsorship, others come with no strings attached, so make sure that you fully understand and agree with any stipulations in the scholarships before accepting the money. And remember, a thank you note of appreciation should be written to the giver for any scholarships that you receive, it's not only the polite thing to do, it shows you are a professional.