How to Receive a Scholarship For Nursing School?

If you are not sure how to get money for nursing school, you can try many options that include nursing school scholarships, grants and student loans.

In general, scholarships and grants are both free financial aid. You are not obligated to pay them back. However, there are some types where in return of funding for your school expenses you will have to put in a year or two of work in an underserved area after you graduate. Scholarships are often awarded to students who have excellent academic performance and other special abilities. While grants are most often awarded based on the students financial need.

Nursing student loans, on the other hand, allows the student to borrow money for nursing school but they will have to repaid. A student loan works just like any other loan with either fixed or variable interest rates and various payment options depending on the lender.

Nursing schools themselves offer financial aid to students. The school may receive state funding, which allows them to grant financial support or the school may participate in government financial aid programs, which enables them to assist the student in getting aid. Many schools work with private financial institutions to provide loans to students.

Nursing associations in your state are other good sources of funding. Many of these organizations award grants and scholarships to individuals who are intent in specialty studies such as oncology, critical care, psychiatric nursing and many others.

One of the best sources of money for nursing school is the US Department of Education, which has various programs providing educational funding such as grants and low-interest loans to students and parents. Some government student loans are given based on need and some are based on the borrower's credit history. The Nursing Student Loan is one specific loan funded by the government designed specifically to provide money for nursing school.

Besides federal student loans, you can also apply for a loan at private lending institutions. Service organizations and other non-profits in your area are other possible sources of money for nursing school.

Once you have chosen a source of funding, it is time to make your application. Study the eligibility and application requirement to ensure that you complete your application successfully. It is best to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is an application form that you can use when applying to different organizations for funding. See to it that you send all your applications within the deadline. Different organizations will have different deadline schedules so keep track of the dates.