You’ve applied to your nurse practitioner program, received a fat envelope in the mail indicating your acceptance and can’t wait to embark on this new life experience. Immediately following your excitement, worry begins to creep in. How are you going to pay for your NP education?
Fortunately, many companies, organizations and universities off scholarships for prospective nurse practitioners. The following websites offer lists of scholarships for nurse practitioner students and are worth searching in your effort to finance your education.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Willing to work in an area of medical need? The HHS offers an extensive loan repayment program as well as multiple scholarship programs that are your best bet for paying off a large chunk of your NP education. Most of these programs require nurse practitioners to commit to two years of service in a medically underserved area. The longer commute to practice in a rural area may just be worth it.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
From the $10,000 scholarship offered by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to smaller awards offered by other companies and organizations, the AACN maintains a list of scholarships available to NP’s. Some of these awards are offered frequently, up to eight times a year so keep the applications coming.
Minute Clinic Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program
Minute Clinic is an organization dedicated to nurse practitioners. Not only do they hire NP’s in massive numbers, together with Johnson & Johnson, Minute Clinic awards 30 nurse practitioner and 5 DNP scholarships each year. Scholarships range from $2,500 at the MSN level to $5,000 towards a DNP degree.
Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation
The NPHF lists scholarship opportunities for nurse practitioner’s with specific interests such as research or community service. Awards range from $1,000 to $3,500. If you have been involved in these extracurricular activities, the Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation may have just the scholarship for you.
Nurse Corps Scholarship Program
The Nurse Corps, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, offers a sweet deal for nurses and nurse practitioners. Not only does the Nurse Corps program foot the bill for your tuition, they also offer a monthly stipend of $1,289 towards living expenses during your education. The catch? To qualify for this program, you must make a two-year commitment to practice in a health professional shortage area.
Nursing Economic$
Planning to avoid the clinical scene instead focusing on nursing administration or management? You’re in luck. Nursing Economic$ offers up to four $5,000 scholarships for nurses pursuing a masters or doctoral degree in an administration related field of nursing.
Best of luck in your scholarship applications! Are you aware of any additional NP scholarship opportunities? Please share with other readers by commenting below.
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