Connecticut Nursing Scholarships and Grants

All students find it hard to cope with their financial obligations, and nursing students are no exception to this rule.

Fortunately, there are numerous scholarships and grants available to deserving students and some of them are specific to students who are resident in Connecticut and/or who wish to study in educational institutions located in Connecticut.

General Scholarship and Grant Information Relevant to Connecticut Nursing Students

Grants and scholarships are available to Connecticut residents at all levels of study and are offered and administered by such diverse organizations as community foundations, nursing leagues, memorial funds and even the Association of Jewish Registered Nurses.

Each of these different grants and scholarships will have their own specific eligibility requirements but all have in common that the students must be Connecticut residents. They also all base their selection on factors like academic achievement to date and involvement in the community, as well as financial need, so the better a student’s record is, the more chance he or she will have of being awarded a scholarship or grant.

This list is not exhaustive and further information can be obtained from resources like Connecticut educational institutions and nursing websites.

Specific Scholarships and Grants

Connecticut League for Nursing Scholarship

Several scholarships are available from the League every year and the exact amounts that will be awarded to each successful applicant will depend on factors like the total sum available for distribution that year and the applicants’ qualifications. The eligibility requirements for these scholarships include:

1. Students have to be Connecticut residents and have to be enrolled in an accredited nursing education program taught in Connecticut that is also a supporter of the League;
2. Students enrolled in diploma and associate degree programs are only eligible after they have completed their first year of study of a two-year course;
3. Students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree are only eligible after they have completed their third year of a four-year program;
4. Students enrolled in RN to BSN programs are only eligible when about to enter their senior year of study (and this has to be verified by their dean or program director); and
5. Students enrolled in graduate studies are only eligible after they have completed 18 credits in the nursing program (again, this has to be verified by their dean or program director).

These scholarships are awarded during Student Day in the fall of every year and further information can be obtained directly from the Connecticut League for Nursing at 51 North Main Street, Suite 3D, Southington, CT 06489 (tel: 860-276-9621 and website: ctlrn.org).

Eva Levitan Memorial Scholarship

This is a scholarship that is only available to Jewish residents of Connecticut who are interested in enrolling in a nursing program, and is administered by the Association of Jewish Registered Nurses. $750 is awarded once a year, every year, and applications have to be submitted by April of any given academic year. This scholarship’s eligibility requirements include:

1. Applicants have to be both Jewish and residents of Connecticut; and
2. Applicants must already be enrolled, or must be planning to enroll, in an accredited college nursing program.

Exactly who will receive the scholarship will also be determined by factors such as how active the applicant is within the community and academic record. Further information regarding this scholarship can be obtained from the Association c/o The Scholarship Chairperson, 10 Tanglewood Court, Bloomfield, CT 06002.

Katherine Portnoy Mattleson Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded under exactly the same terms and conditions as the Eva Levitan Memorial Scholarship, except that it is for $500 instead of $750. Information concerning applying for this scholarship can also be obtained from the Association of Jewish Registered Nurses.

Martha L. Bankhead / Karen Elizabeth Garvey Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded through the American Association of Nurse Anesthetics and one award of $1,000 is made each year. The deadline for the submission of applications is April of any given year and this scholarship’s overall objective is to provide financial help to those members of the AANA who wish to enroll for further study in Connecticut-based schools.

Specific eligibility requirements include:

1. Applicants must be current members of the AANA and must already be enrolled in an accredited nursing anesthesia program offered by a Connecticut-based education institution; and
2. Applicants must also hold a current nursing license and at least a bachelor of science in nursing.

Other factors that will influence an applicant’s chances of being awarded the scholarship include academic achievement and the level of the student’s involvement in community and school activities. The AANA can provide further information regarding this scholarship and can be contacted at 222 S Prospect Avenue, Parkridge, IL 60068 (tel: 847-692-7050.

Waterbury Women’s Club Fund Awards

The Waterbury Foundation Women’s Club administers these grants, which are aimed at providing financial assistance to Connecticut residents who plan to attend college in Connecticut in order to study nursing or another health care-related subject. Students who have already received funds in terms of this grant can reapply and, depending on the number and eligibility of the applicants, one or more grants are made per year, and each lasts for a year. The deadline for the submission of the grant application is April of each year.

This grant has highly specific eligibility requirements, however, which include that:

1. Students must attend a Connecticut college to study nursing or a related health-based discipline;
2. Students must be graduating high school seniors; and
3. Students must reside in one of the 21 towns that are located in the foundation’s service area which include New Milford, Beacon Falls, Oxford, Prospect, Thomaston and Warren.

Other factors that will also be taken into consideration include a student’s extracurricular activities, financial need and academic record, and students also have to submit an essay. Further information regarding this grant can be obtained from the Foundation at 81 West Main Street, 4th Floor, Waterbury, CT 06702 (tel: 203-753-1315.