Maine Nursing Scholarships & Grants

Nursing students around the country are finding it harder and harder to afford their tuition, textbook and other course fees.

A partial solution to this problem would be to apply for – and be awarded – one or more of the available non-refundable ‘gift award’ scholarships and grants.

General Scholarship and Grant Information Relevant to Maine Nursing Students

Scholarships and grants can be specific to a particular state, or even a county in one state, and Maine is no exception.

Those programs that are available to nursing students in Maine include those funded by philanthropic societies, nursing associations and memorial funds.

Financial assistance is also not restricted to any level of study and students at levels ranging from graduating high school senior to returning graduate student can apply.

Each scholarship or grant program will have its own specific requirements, will be for a specific amount and will require an application to be filed by a specific date. No two programs will be identical and students should do their research to ensure that they fulfill all of the different requirements for any programs they apply for.

This list is also not exhaustive and students should supplement it with further information. Websites belonging to Maine-based universities would be a good place to start as they usually feature ‘financial aid’ pages.

Specific Scholarships and Grants in Maine

Meane Scholarships

This program makes one award of $1,000 every year and its objective is to assist with the financial burdens placed upon Maine-residing and other nursing students. The deadline to file applications for this scholarship program is April of any given year and its rather specific eligibility requirements include:

• Applicants must be members of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and must hold a bachelor of science and a current license in nursing; and
• Applicants must be either resident in Maine or must be attending a nurse anesthesia program in either Maine or several other states.

Further factors that are taken into account when determining eligibility for this program include academic achievement, community involvement and participation in school organizations.

This program is administered through the AANA and, should students wish to obtain further information, the Association can be contacted directly at 222 South Prospect Avenue, Park Ridge, IL 60068 (tel: 847-692-7050 and website: www.aana.com).

CWG Scholarship Fund

This scholarship’s overall objective is to assist nurses and college graduates working in the mental health field in Maine. It was established in 1999, makes one award each year – or sometimes more – and the deadline for the submission of applications is April of every year. All applicants must comply with the eligibility requirements, however, and these include:

• They must be residents of Maine;
• Those applicants from the nursing field must be Registered Nurses (RNs) that work for either hospitals or outpatient providers of mental and social health services; and
• They must want to undertake further, specific, post-RN training that will allow them to work with mental health patients.

The scholarship committee will take certain further factors into account when determining a student’s overall eligibility and these include academic achievement and financial need. Preference will also be given to those applicants who wish to work in Maine with adolescent and adult mental health patients.

This program is administered through the Maine Community Foundation, from which further information can be obtained. The Foundation can be contacted at 245 Main Street, Ellsworth, ME 04605 (tel: 877-700-6800 and website: www.mainecf.org).

Odd Fellows and Rebekahs Nursing Scholarship Program

The amount awarded in terms of this program varies each year but this scholarship can be renewed for up to three years. Set up to assist those wishing to further their nursing studies in Maine, the program invites applications to be submitted by April of each year.

Eligibility requirements that are specific to this scholarship include:

• Applicants must live in Maine and must want to enroll for a nursing degree on either the undergraduate or graduate level;
• Applicants must wish to study at a school situated in Maine; and
• Applicants must be adults returning to school, graduating high school seniors or graduate students who are not presently enrolled in a Maine RN program.

An applicant’s financial need will, however, be the most important factor in determining who the scholarship will be awarded to. Should a student have any queries concerning this scholarship, they can contact the International Order of Odd Fellows, Grand Lodge of Maine, 131 Queen Street, Gorham, ME 04038 (website: www.ioofme.org).

OMNE Nursing Leadership of Maine Scholarship

Two of these $500 awards are presented to nursing students each year and applications for this scholarship have to be submitted by April of any given year. Special requirements regarding a student’s eligibility for this program include:

• Applicants must reside in Maine;
• Applicants must be currently enrolled in either a bachelor’s or graduate degree in nursing; and
• Applicants must be either returning graduate students, entering graduate students, currently enrolled undergraduates or graduating high school seniors.

This scholarship program is administered through the Organization of Maine Nurse Executives and the Nursing Leaders of Maine and requests for further information can be sent to them C/O The Maine Medical Center, 22 Broomhall Street, Portland, ME 04102 (website: www.omne.org).

Pearl Ramsey Memorial Nursing Scholarship

The deadline for submitting an application for this scholarship is April of any given year and the eligibility requirements for this particular program include:

• Applicants must live in Kennebec County, Maine; and
• Applicants must submit an essay on why they want to specialize in the field of nursing as well as two letters of recommendation.

Factors that will be taken into account to determine overall eligibility include GPA (grade point average), involvement in school and civic communities and financial need. Further information concerning this program can be obtained from The Waterville Business & Professional Women’s Club at P.O. Box 585, Waterville, ME 04903 (tel: 207-465-2162).