How are you planning to pay for nurse practitioner school? Most NP programs come with a pretty hefty price tag. So, if you’re planning to further your nursing education, you’ll need to look into your options when it comes to financing your tuition. Taking out loans is popular among nurse practitioner students, and it often the most practical way to fund your NP program experience. Don’t forget, however, loans must be repaid with interest. Investing a little time and energy into supplementing your loan package with scholarships decreases the amount you’ll owe come graduation.
If you’re enrolling in a nurse practitioner program this coming year, or if you’re already an NP student, check out these scholarships for aspiring advanced practice nurses.
If you don’t have the time to participate in a lengthy application process and aren’t afraid of playing the lottery (so to speak), then DiversityNursing.com has the education award for you! In order to be eligible for its annual $5,000 compensation, applicants need only to be enrolled as a full-time or part-time student in an accredited School of Nursing or work full-time, part-time or per diem at a U.S. based organization as a Registered Nurse, LPN, Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Leader/Administrator. Though the application takes just minutes to complete, there are several caveats. In addition to participants being required to create a Jobseeker Account for the website, the award recipient is chosen solely on the luck of the draw, not on merit.
2. Giva Nursing Student Scholarship
Giva’s Semi-Annual Outstanding Nursing Student Scholarship award of $1,000 is available to anyone currently enrolled in an accredited nursing program in the U.S. or Canada. Applicants must include their resumes and be able to thoughtfully answer two essay questions in 600 – 1,000 words. Upon receiving the award, the recipient’s educational institution must post the scholarship announcement on their public website to maintain eligibility. Scholarship winners are given the opportunity to publish subsequent essays to encourage and inspire other nurses on Giva’s social media platforms and public forums; a great incentive for NPs who love writing!
3. MinuteClinic Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program
Partnered with Johnson & Johnson, MinuteClinic’s Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program awards up to forty $2,500 scholarships to NPs and DNPs annually. Applicant’s must be legal U.S. residents, enrolled in either an accredited Master’s Nurse Practitioner program with a FNP specialty or a special interest in community or public health; or a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Applicants must also demonstrate high academic performance with a GPA of 3.2 or higher, as well has have strong community involvement/leadership activities. The program opens in January of each year and closes in March, or when 280 applications have been received.
4. National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence
With the support of the John A. Hartford Foundation, the NHCGNE created Scholar and Fellow Award Programs aimed at increasing academic gerontological nursing in the U.S. The Patricia G. Archbold Scholar Award Program offers a $100,000 scholarship, designed to support two years of doctoral work for nurses committed to careers in academic gerontological nursing; while the Claire M. Fagin Fellow Award Program provides for a $120,000 scholarship to assist doctorally prepared nurses in faculty careers in gerontological nursing. Both come with the requirement that 10% of the awarded amount be contributed by the recipient’s educational institution with certain stipulations. The application processes and eligibility requirements for these awards are not for the faint of heart, with very specific prerequisites and conditions.
5. Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation
Each year the NPHF applies to a number of organizations to provide a variety of scholarship and award programs providing funding in support of NP graduate students and NP clinicians. The scholarship and award programs encourage research and innovation in NP practice, in addition to helping NP graduate students attain their degrees. Requirements and eligibility for each scholarship and award offered through the NPHF differ depending upon the current sponsor(s) for the year.
6. Nursing Economic$ Foundation
Awarding up to four $5,000 scholarships to registered nurses enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral nursing program, Nursing Economic$ Foundation’s scholarship program is available to applicants who are pursuing degrees with an emphasis on administration or management. Recipients must be RNs enrolled in an accredited program, a U.S. citizen, and must plan to continue in the nursing field with a career interest in administration, management, leadership or education upon graduation. Applications for 2017 will be accepted starting in January.
7. Tylenol Future Care Scholarship
For twenty-three years, Tylenol has awarded over eight million dollars to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in health related programs such as medical school, nursing and pharmacology. Over forty scholarships ranging from $500 – $10,000 each are awarded annually. Applicants are evaluated based on their GPAs, academic records and community involvement, and must submit an essay. Recipients must be enrolled in full-time at accredited, nonprofit institutions in order to retain eligibility.
8. American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Each year, the AANP supports NPs and the advancement of the NP profession by offering multiple grant and scholarship opportunities as well as resources for external funding available to NPs. In the last year, AANP awarded $60,000 to twenty-four recipients enrolled in MSN and DNP programs.
9. American Nurse Practitioners Foundation
American Nurse Practitioners Foundation’s twelve, $2,500 scholarships are available to all NPs in America who have completed at least one semester of their program. Hopefuls must submit a CV, letter of recommendation, official university transcript, and a personal summary along with their application. With a competitive selection process, applicants are encouraged to put their best foot forward in describing what makes them stand out.
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