Grants for Nursing Degrees

Thousands upon thousands of high school students scour the Internet for ways to pay for their college education. Some are fortunate enough to have parents that can afford to make their college dreams a reality; others have to seek financial help for their own education.

If you are one of the many students that want to pursue a career in nursing but you need to find help to finance your education, you need to learn the secrets to finding grants for nursing degrees.

What is a Grant

Before you can start searching for nursing grants you need to have an understanding of what a grant is and what it is not. First, grants are not loans. You are not required to keep up a specific grade point average to keep the grant and you don’t have to pay the money back. However, grants are typically service-related or have other obligations that you must meet in order to get the money. Some of the most common grants are explored further below.

Subject Grants

One type of grant is subject-based. This simply means that the money is given by a foundation, organization, or other groups that have an interest in seeing the degree proliferated. There are many nursing organizations that give grants to up-and-coming nurses each year. You should investigate these and find out what the requirements are and how you go about applying for them. Some of the more common nursing associations that offer grants include:

  • The American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  • National Student Nurses Association
  • Your state nursing association

There are other nursing associations that offer grants and can be found online using any search engine. Once you have found the available grants, make sure you thoroughly follow all instructions. The completion is tough, many new nursing students apply for every nursing grant they can in an effort to get their education provided.

Minority Grants

If you are considered a minority you have grant options that are available. There are many different qualifications that can help you qualify as a minority, including:

  • African American Heritage
  • American Indian Heritage

There are other ethnic designations that may be considered a minority. You should investigate these and determine if you fit into any of the groups. It is possible that there is a relative in your lineage that qualifies you for one of these minority grants.

Women’s Grants

Nursing is not a female-only profession; however, the majority of nurses are women and there are many different types of grants available for women. Some people tend to classify women in the minority heading; however, women have their own category and are highly backed and influenced by the American Association of the University of Women. This organization can help you find every grant available for your nursing education.

Student Grants

There are many educational grants that are designed for a specific type of student and that may be used for nursing degrees as well as many other degrees. Some of these student-specific grants include:

  • Adult Student Grants – these help adults go back to school
  • Low-Income Student Grants – also known as disadvantaged grants
  • Graduate School Grants
  • Undergraduate Grants
  • Military Grants

This list shows the variety of grants that are available and points out that there is practically a grant for every student who is willing to do the research and find them.

State Grants

Finally, potential nurses should research their own state for any available grants that may be available. Some states are extending many different types of financial aid options to nursing students in an effort to help combat the shortage of nurses that is currently occurring. You should research your state using the Internet or library and then apply for any grants that pertain to nursing.

It is easy to see that there are many grants for nursing degrees available if you are willing to take the time to search for them. Once you find the ones that are available you should follow the instructions very carefully, one small error can cost you the grant and allow one of the hundreds of other applicants to get the money that you need for school.