Ohio Nursing Scholarships & Grants

Nursing students in Ohio have the benefit of living in a state that offers many financial aid assistance opportunities. Between scholarships and grants, students interested in pursuing a career in nursing will find that paying for their education is made easier by the abundance of awards offered. Essays are required for many of the scholarships and grants listed below, so students should make sure they are able to cohesively explain why they want to enter the nursing field. Funding is also available for certified RNs who wish to become nursing instructors and enhance the education of up-and-coming nurses.

General Financial Aid Resources for Ohio Nursing Students

The Campus RN scholarship program is a nationwide program that assists nursing students all over the country by awarding six $2,500 scholarships per region, with the state of Ohio falling into the Midwest Region. A 200-500 word essay is required, which will be published on the CampusRN2RN blog as part of the CampusRN social network site for nurses and nursing students. Fellow members of the social network will be able to read all of the essays and help determine scholarship winners. Log onto http://www.campusrn.com for more information.

Funded by the Ohio Board of Regents, the nurse education assistance loan program (NEALP) for future nurses is an award available to nursing students who plan on staying in the state of Ohio after graduation. Awards (most recent annual award amounted to $1,500 per year) are given out based on financial need, with those requiring the most assistance given first priority. To be eligible for full loan cancellation, recipients must be employed full-time as an RN or LPN for a minimum of five years after graduation. Email nealp_admin@regents.state.oh.us for more information.

The service league nursing scholarship is funded by the Akron General Medical Center and is intended to provide financial aid assistance to nursing students “…regardless of race, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin”. An essay and three letters of reference are required as part of the application process and finalists must attend a personal interview. Recipients of the scholarship will be invited to the May Service League Luncheon Meeting. Contact Nurse Recruitment at (330) 344-6867 with any questions.

The traditional nursing student scholarship is aimed at recent high-school graduates or those students who graduated from high-school less than two years ago. A renewable $1,000 per year scholarship, eligible candidates graduated from a high-school in Ohio and had a minimum cumulative 3.5 GPA at the end of their junior year. Applicants are also required to write a short personal essay (maximum of 100 words). For more information, call (614) 237-5414.

Specialized Ohio Nursing Financial Aid

Minorities living in Central Ohio are eligible for the Ohio house minority leader Joyce Beatty scholarship, which is an award set aside for those students attending school for their first nursing degree. Eligible candidates must live in the central Ohio region and be of a minority race. While the scholarship is renewable, it is not automatic and recipients must reapply and go through the application process for a second time to be considered for additional assistance. Contact The Foundation of the Ohio Nurses Association at (614) 237-5414 for more information.

Students attending Hiram College, Kent State University, or The University of Akron are eligible for the Summit and Portage district nursing scholarship. This renewable $500 per academic year scholarship is awarded to undergraduate nursing students (excluding freshman) and RNs pursing an advanced degree at any of the above-named institutions. Eligible candidates must have a permanent residence in Ohio and a personal essay is required. Contact Gingy Harshey-Meade of the Ohio Nurses Foundation at (614) 448-1020 with any questions.

Ohio Nurse Educator Scholarship & Grants Programs

Those interested in teaching should consider the Mary Beth Hayward scholarship. This one-time renewable scholarship is available to licensed Ohio RNs who plan on staying in Ohio as nursing instructors. Members of the Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) are given first priority. For more information, contact The Foundation of the Ohio Nurses Association at (614) 237-5414.

Another financial aid opportunity designed for those interested in teaching is the nursing education assistance loan program (NEALP) for future nurse instructors, which was created in an effort to meet the dire shortage of nursing instructors in Ohio by providing assistance to future nursing educators. Eligible applicants must be certified and licensed RNs already enrolled in a nurse educator program at a college or university in Ohio. Awards are given in the minimum amount of $5,000 per academic year with the agreement that recipients will work as an educator for at least four years in an Ohio nursing program after graduation. More information can be obtained by emailing nealp_admin@regents.state.oh.us.

The senator Sue Morano scholarship is a $500 minimum award available to licensed RNs who wish to return to school in order to earn an advanced degree that will allow them to teach nursing at a school in Ohio. First priority will be given to members of the Ohio Nurses Association (ONA). An essay, explaining why the applicant wants to be a nursing instructor in Ohio, is required. Call (614) 237-5414 for more information.