Federal Government Grants

• The federal government has created scholarship programs specifically for nursing students. This is to ensure the country has a steady stream of nurses to cater to the aging population and others. One such scholarship is the Health Resources and Services Administration Nursing Scholarship Program. Available to American citizens and legal permanent residents, applicants must be enrolled in an accredited nursing school. The school can either be in the United States or in a U.S. territory such as Puerto Rico or St. Thomas. Candidates get money for books and tuition, plus a monthly stipend. In exchange for the assistance, recipients must work, on a full-time basis, at a government-approved health facility.
  
  

State Government Grants

• Like the federal government, state governments are taking steps to prevent a nursing shortage. Virginia, for instance, has a variety of scholarships that were created to address the fact that the state has fewer nurses than other states, as reported by the AARP. Nursing students who are state residents can apply for the Mary Marshall Nursing Scholarship Program for Licensed Practical Nurses. The scholarship is available to both full-time and part-time students. To repay the financial aid, recipients must gain their nursing licenses within 60 days of graduating. And recipients must work at a state-approved facility a month for every $100 received.
  
  

Minority Grants

• There is a push to encourage more people from minority groups to enter the nursing profession. Several private organizations have, therefore, created grant programs to help individuals from these groups pay for a nursing degree, which can cost up to $80,000 at private schools. The American Nurses Association is one such organization. Through its Ethnic Minority Fellowship Program, the body assists its members to pay for school. Candidates for the program must be U.S. citizens who are racial or ethnic minorities. They must also plan to practice in the areas of substance abuse care, psychiatric health care or mental health care to qualify.
  
  

Private Organization Grants

• Nurses that opt to return to school for an advanced nursing degree also face the challenge of paying for their degrees. Luckily for them, there is grant money to help them achieve educational advancement and improved nursing techniques. The Continuing Professional Development Scholarships, for example, gives up to $3,000 to selected candidates. Administered by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for its members, the program aims to help nurses close the gaps in their nursing knowledge.