Scholarships for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA's) administer anesthesia to patients undergoing surgery in both clinics and hospitals. Nurse Anesthetists require up to three years of advanced training, and students must be a registered nurse with a baccalaureate degree to enter most CRNA programs. The rigorous training combines academic course work, lab work and clinical rotations before final exams can be taken and certification can be obtained. It is a costly educational undertaking, and full-time enrollment is mandatory. For students pursuing a career as a nurse anesthetist scholarships and grants are an absolute necessity.

Cost and Scholarship Potential

Nursing anesthesia school is a full time proposition that requires a great level of commitment on the part of the interested student. It is not a career path one can study at part time, or online. You will need to undertake a full regime of in class study, and lab work to complete your coursework. Additionally, this specialized field requires 2 to 3 years of hard study to complete. It is a much needed, and noble profession. But it is not a career path to be chosen lightly.

The college costs associated with earning a degree as a certified registered nurse anesthetist can be as daunting as the required training. This intense course of studies is expensive, and most students will need to consider all available forms of financial aid to make this career goal possible. But with the current nursing shortage comes a number of scholarship and grant opportunities designed to put nursing school, and nursing anesthesia school, in the affordable reach of more students.

Scholarships from Nursing Associations

National and regional nursing associations are prime sources for scholarships and grants devoted to helping students pursue their nursing degrees. Membership in these associations gives student nurses access to many lucrative financial aid opportunities that can make nursing school much more affordable.

The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists awards annual scholarships to first-year CRNA students who are members in good standing of the association. Applicants for these scholarship awards must have completed at least six months of a nurse anesthetist program.

Local and regional nursing associations also offer scholarships and grants to eligible student members. These are typically smaller awards, but help to offset the mounting costs of tuition, books and supplies. For example, the Arkansas Association of Nurse Anesthetists offers a $500 scholarship award to college seniors enrolled in a nurse anesthetist program. If you are thinking of pursuing a career as a CRNA, look to any local and regional nursing associations that may provide financial aid to up and coming nursing students.

Scholarships from Nursing Anesthesia Schools

Your Nursing Anesthesia school should be your number one go-to source when seeking free scholarship aid for graduate school. Nursing schools may provide the best source of financial aid for students pursuing a career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Your nursing school will have a financial aid adviser who can explain in detail the programs that may be available to you. A few examples of scholarships sponsored by nursing schools from around the country might give you a general idea of what to look for.

Mayo School of Health Sciences offers scholarships and grants in varying amounts to qualifying students pursuing degrees and certification in all levels of the nursing profession.
The University of Michigan-Flint offers second year students in the nurse anesthetist program the Barbara I. Sprague CRNA Scholarship. Emphasis is given to high merit applicants with a history of participation in community affairs and professional healthcare organizations.
The University of Chicago sponsors the The Nursing at the Forefront Scholarship for Study in Anesthesia Nursing Award. This is a full tuition scholarship, with recipients also eligible for a $1000 monthly stipend to be paid during the students clinical residency.

For a detailed list of accredited Nursing Anesthesia schools and programs across the country refer to the dedicated website of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

When searching for available scholarships and grants to help pay the sizable costs of a nurse anesthetist degree, pay special attention to programs that may target minorities, returning education students and graduate students. In many cases you will find scholarship programs specifically devoted to certain groups of students, and you may find yourself in the right position to take advantage of them.

Students pursuing a career as a CRNA have a rigorous and challenging few years ahead of them,and finding the right scholarship can make all the difference to the struggling nursing student. You are embarking on a challenging and rewarding career. Work hard, study hard and take advantage of all the scholarship opportunities that you can find.