Nursing Grants from the Federal Government

People who are interested in nursing as a career have a great advantage when it comes to many things, including benefits, sign-on bonuses, many employment opportunities, and job security.

There are also many opportunities available to fund your nursing school education, which include scholarships as well as federal government grants.

There are several things that you should know about federal government nursing grants, including where to find them, how to apply for them, the requirements for getting them, and the amount of aid available to you.

Knowing all of these things will help your search for federal government nursing grants go much more smoothly and quickly.

Where Do I Look?

This is probably one of the first things you will be asking yourself when you start the search process. A great resource for finding federal government nursing grants, or grants of any kind for that matter, is studentaid.ed.gov.

This website is designed to be used as a resource to link students to different resources of the federal government, and there is a whole list of links that directs you to various scholarships and scholarship search sites.

It also gives you resources on applying for school, career development, and calculating the cost of school attendance so you can figure out just how much money you should try to apply for in grants.

Other places you should look are your local city and state websites, which will often provide you with a link to various federal government sites, and can link you to great resources for finding grants, scholarships, and loans.

The US Department of Health and Human Services website has a list of various grants and scholarships for nurses and people who are interested in working in other aspects of the healthcare industry.

It is a great tool for anyone looking for general information about the field and you won’t have to worry about stumbling upon sites that are full of scams or outdated information.

How Do I Apply?

The details of the application process will vary from grant to grant, but the basic process is pretty much the same for all of them. You will fill out their application with all of your basic information including name, address and phone number.

You will write down the school you will be attending or the schools that you are applying for.

Most of these grants require that you supply your official school transcripts. Many will require letters of recommendation from school counselors or people you have worked with in a professional setting.

Many also require you to compose an essay that answers a given question, usually related to the nursing field.

They are meant to be thought-provoking and provide insight to your personality. The purpose of these essays is to draw attention to individuals who stand out and provide a great example of what is needed in the nursing field.

Requirements

The requirements necessary to be considered for government nursing grants will vary from one to the next. Some may require that you be a high school senior, or that you be in your second or third year in college. Some will require that you be a descendant of someone who is of a certain race, or the kin of someone who served active duty in the armed forces.

There are grants available for specific racial groups, and also women, and those who have different levels of financial need.

Some, but not all, require that you have a certain grade point average, and some are dependent on the extracurricular activities or volunteer work that you have been involved in.

Amount of Aid Available

The amount of aid available for federal government nursing grants depends on each individual grant.

Some are only a few hundred dollars or cover certain items like books and equipment, while others pay varying percentages or amounts of your tuition. Some cover an entire year of tuition, others cover a semester, and some will cover the expense of your exit exam.

The trick is to apply for as many grants as possible. The more you apply for, the more likely it is that you will get as much aid as you need.

There are enough resources out there and if you spend enough time looking for the right ones and applying for them, you should be able to fund your entire education.