Pursuing an Undergraduate Nursing Program? Scholarship Search Guide

Undergraduate nursing education remains the most popular pathway to a nursing career now in the 21st century. In some cases employers prefer the Bachelor of Science in Nursing—the four-year baccalaureate degree—but yet again the largest population of new RNs comes via the two-year Associates degree. And why not? This career pathway offers a fast-track to a well-paying bullet-proof career as well as ample career mobility if one should so desire.

Now, tracking down hot scholarship opportunities for helping finance that undergraduate nursing education:

Federal Undergraduate Nursing Scholarships

The federal government is a guaranteed source for some very good undergrad nursing money.

Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students helps fund the education for low-income undergraduate students wishing to study Nursing or any of a number of other health science majors. This federally funded opportunity seeks to attract new students to these critical need professions.
The Indian Health Service Preparatory Scholarships provides full-tuition scholarships to Native American and Native Alaskan students pursuing undergraduate Nursing or another Health Science. Obligation is that recipients agree to practice as nurses or other health professionals within the tribal health care system.

RN Completion Scholarships

For many employers the BSN is the flagship degree for undergraduate nurses. But the ASN remains THE most popular entry-level degree. For this reason the RN to BSN degree program enjoys high popularity. Why? Professional RNs that discover they want to move up or specialize or do something more with their careers go back to school to finish their Bachelors degree. Plenty of sources actually create scholarships specifically to award to students trying to complete their BSN.

For example, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses offers Educational Advancement Scholarships. These funds are open to member nurses pursing the last two years of their baccalaureate degree. Minority nurse candidates are given priority in at least 20% of the funding.
The National Student Nurses’ Association Foundation, the charitable arm of the NSNA, annually awards scholarship money to undergraduate student nurses.
But professional nursing associations are well known for giving scholarships to their own. The American Holistic Nurses’ Association, the Emergency Nurses’ Association, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, and more all offer undergraduate nursing scholarships to student members.

State Funded Scholarships for Undergraduate RNs

For health science and especially nursing students you may discover that your state government sponsors one or more scholarships or scholarships for service programs. Remember, the nursing shortage has hit some state facilities hard and in response some state governments have answered with incentive scholarships. For example:

Delaware’s Nursing Incentive Program is a scholarship for service program. Eligible candidates must be undergraduate nursing students. Awards are up to $3,000 and obligate the recipient to service at an underserved facility within the state.