Nursing school prepares students to become licensed nurses by providing education in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, patient care, and hands-on training via clinical rotation in healthcare settings.
There are several types of nursing degrees or training programs for nurses. These include the following: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Licensed Practical, Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Accelerated BSN (ABSN), Master of Science in, Nursing (MSN), Doctorate (DNP)
Career opportunities after nursing school include clinical roles such as ER nurse, pediatric nurse, hospital RN, travel nurse, and more. Non-clinical nursing careers may include nurse researcher, healthcare administrator, case manager, nurse educator, and more. Other unique nursing career routes may include school nursing, telehealth nursing, military nursing, or public health nursing.
It is a great time to pursue a career in nursing, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Employment in the field is projected to grow 9 percent (compared to the national average of 4 percent) through the year 2030.
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: Varies Scholarship Details: The WOCN Society Accredited Nursing Program Education Scholarship is available to students pursuing an education in wound, ostomy, and continence nursing care. You must be accepted into a WOCN Society Accredited nursing program to be considered for this award.
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $5,000 Scholarship Details: The DiversityNursing.com Education Award is available to undergraduate and graduate students. You must be enrolled in an accredited School of Nursing in a professional registered nurse program to qualify for this award.
Available to: Graduate Students
Award Amount: $5,000 Scholarship Details: The Nursing Economic$ Foundation Scholarship is available to registered nurses in a master's or doctoral program. You must hold a career focus in nursing administration, management, leadership, or education to qualify for this award.
Available to: High School Seniors & College Students
Award Amount: $500 - $1,000 Scholarship Details: The Mometrix Nursing Scholarship is available to high school seniors and current college students. You must be pursuing a degree in nursing to be eligible for this award.
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $1,500 Scholarship Details: The Smith Award is available to EMS, nursing, and allied health students. To be eligible, you must post a selfie or photo to any social media platform that includes the hashtags #PlatinumEdScholarships and #FutureHealthcareProvider.
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $5,000 Scholarship Details: The BuzzRx Bee Healthy Scholarship is available to full-time undergraduate and graduate students. To be eligible for this award, you must be pursuing a career in healthcare and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Available to: Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: $1,500 Scholarship Details: The Anders Scholarship is available to undergraduate students majoring in allied health, nursing, or therapy. To be considered, you must submit a 500– to 1,000-word essay discussing the role of allied health, nursing, and therapy professionals in today’s world and how their roles affect public safety and everyday lives. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is also required.
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $1,500 Scholarship Details: The Michael Moody Fitness Scholarship is available to full-time students. You must be majoring in a health - related field, such as athletic training, psychology, biology, kinesiology, nursing, general medicine, dentistry, behavioral sciences, personal training, physical education teaching and coaching, health and physical fitness, exercise science, sports and recreation management, health sciences, or physical therapy to be eligible for this award.
Available to: Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: $2,000 Scholarship Details: The Iowa Nurses Foundation Scholarship is available to students enrolled in a pre-licensure ADN or BSN program at DMACC, Grand View University, or the University of Iowa College of Nursing. You must be a resident of Iowa to be eligible for this award.
Available to: High School Senior through Graduate Students
Award Amount: $1,000 Scholarship Details: The AvaCare Medical Scholarship is available to students who are pursuing a degree in a medical field. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award. Additionally, you must submit an essay, video, or image that describes or represents an act of kindness that inspired you. Preference will be given to students with a physical disability.
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $2,500 Scholarship Details: The Baby360 Nursing Scholarship is available to full-time nursing students. To be eligible for this award, you must have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Available to: Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: Varies Scholarship Details: The Good Samaritan Scholars Program is open to undergraduate and graduate students in Texas. You must be accepted into or have an application pending to a nursing program and be currently working or planning to work in the Texas healthcare system to be eligible for this award.
Available to: Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: Varies Scholarship Details: The HRSA Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students is available to students from a disadvantaged background as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You must be attending a participating school of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing, or a related allied health field to be considered for this award.
2025 Nursing Scholarships
WOCN Accredited Educational Scholarship
Deadline: 5/1/25Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: Varies Scholarship Details: The WOCN Society Accredited Nursing Program Education Scholarship is available to students pursuing an education in wound, ostomy, and continence nursing care. You must be accepted into a WOCN Society Accredited nursing program to be considered for this award.
DiversityNursing.com Education Award
Deadline: 5/12/25Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $5,000 Scholarship Details: The DiversityNursing.com Education Award is available to undergraduate and graduate students. You must be enrolled in an accredited School of Nursing in a professional registered nurse program to qualify for this award.
Nursing Economic$ Foundation Scholarship
Deadline: 5/16/25Available to: Graduate Students
Award Amount: $5,000 Scholarship Details: The Nursing Economic$ Foundation Scholarship is available to registered nurses in a master's or doctoral program. You must hold a career focus in nursing administration, management, leadership, or education to qualify for this award.
Mometrix Nursing Scholarship
Deadline: 5/23/25Available to: High School Seniors & College Students
Award Amount: $500 - $1,000 Scholarship Details: The Mometrix Nursing Scholarship is available to high school seniors and current college students. You must be pursuing a degree in nursing to be eligible for this award.
Smith Award
Deadline: 5/31/25Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $1,500 Scholarship Details: The Smith Award is available to EMS, nursing, and allied health students. To be eligible, you must post a selfie or photo to any social media platform that includes the hashtags #PlatinumEdScholarships and #FutureHealthcareProvider.
BuzzRx Bee Healthy Scholarship
Deadline: 6/27/25Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $5,000 Scholarship Details: The BuzzRx Bee Healthy Scholarship is available to full-time undergraduate and graduate students. To be eligible for this award, you must be pursuing a career in healthcare and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Anders Scholarship
Deadline: 7/31/25Available to: Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: $1,500 Scholarship Details: The Anders Scholarship is available to undergraduate students majoring in allied health, nursing, or therapy. To be considered, you must submit a 500– to 1,000-word essay discussing the role of allied health, nursing, and therapy professionals in today’s world and how their roles affect public safety and everyday lives. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is also required.
Michael Moody Fitness Scholarship
Deadline: 8/1/25Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $1,500 Scholarship Details: The Michael Moody Fitness Scholarship is available to full-time students. You must be majoring in a health - related field, such as athletic training, psychology, biology, kinesiology, nursing, general medicine, dentistry, behavioral sciences, personal training, physical education teaching and coaching, health and physical fitness, exercise science, sports and recreation management, health sciences, or physical therapy to be eligible for this award.
Iowa Nurses Foundation Scholarship
Deadline: 8/1/25Available to: Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: $2,000 Scholarship Details: The Iowa Nurses Foundation Scholarship is available to students enrolled in a pre-licensure ADN or BSN program at DMACC, Grand View University, or the University of Iowa College of Nursing. You must be a resident of Iowa to be eligible for this award.
AvaCare Medical Scholarship
Deadline: 12/15/25Available to: High School Senior through Graduate Students
Award Amount: $1,000 Scholarship Details: The AvaCare Medical Scholarship is available to students who are pursuing a degree in a medical field. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award. Additionally, you must submit an essay, video, or image that describes or represents an act of kindness that inspired you. Preference will be given to students with a physical disability.
Baby360 Nursing Scholarship
Deadline: VariesAvailable to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $2,500 Scholarship Details: The Baby360 Nursing Scholarship is available to full-time nursing students. To be eligible for this award, you must have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Good Samaritan Scholars Program
Deadline: VariesAvailable to: Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: Varies Scholarship Details: The Good Samaritan Scholars Program is open to undergraduate and graduate students in Texas. You must be accepted into or have an application pending to a nursing program and be currently working or planning to work in the Texas healthcare system to be eligible for this award.
HRSA Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students
Deadline: VariesAvailable to: Undergraduate Students
Award Amount: Varies Scholarship Details: The HRSA Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students is available to students from a disadvantaged background as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You must be attending a participating school of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing, or a related allied health field to be considered for this award.
How to Win a Nursing Scholarship
Winning a nursing scholarship is not too different from winning other scholarships. Students majoring in nursing should strive to get involved in community service. Volunteering in your community is a great way to showcase your compassion, care, and dedication to the greater good. Some nursing volunteer ideas within your community could include the following: • Homeless Shelters • Nursing Homes • Hospitals • Animal Shelters There are many national-level healthcare-related causes looking for volunteers, too. Below are just a few organizations that could benefit from student nurse help: • American Heart Association • American Red Cross • The Medical Reserve Corps • Action for Healthy Kids • Project HOPE Your volunteer service can be highlighted on any essays required for nursing scholarship applications. It is important for you to keep a list of each community service and/or volunteer event you participate in. Gaining hands-on experience is another way you can boost your odds of winning a nursing scholarship; consider finding and applying for a healthcare internship. Be sure to reference all your nursing internships and volunteer experiences on your scholarship applications. Having served is a great way to make your scholarship application stand out. Remember, the more scholarships you apply for, the more chances you have to win. Do not fall for the idea that you can submit one scholarship application and win a full-tuition scholarship—while this can happen, the odds are slim. Winning scholarships takes creating a consistent habit of applying for scholarships.How to Pay for Your Nursing Degree
Many organizations have created scholarship funds just for nurses. Many state hospitals offer college tuition reimbursement to their employees. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resource and Services Administration is a federal-level example of a program that awards nursing scholarships and grants. Joining the military is another smart way to pay for your nursing degree. Three military branches, the U.S. Navy, Army, and Air Force offer active duty and reserve duty nursing roles, according to Nursing 2022. • Navy Nurse Corps • Army Nurse Corps • Air Force Nursing Having your nursing degree paid for in full while serving active duty is possible. Military.com adds, "... the military pays up to 100% of college tuition while you serve on active duty, the military also offers the GI Bill (about $36,000) to use for college up to 10 years after leaving the service." It is important to note that if you choose to work as a nurse for any government organization at the local, state, or federal levels, you may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, according to StudentAid.gov. This should not be your first plan of action to pay for your nursing degree. Consider scholarships and grants as the primary way to pay for your nursing degree. To qualify for financial aid, you will need to complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).What You Should Know About Pursuing a Degree in Nursing
Nursing is part of the STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) career fields—meaning your college course load will be heavy. However, the rewards of being a nurse will pay off in your career, as you will touch many lives. Expect to take courses in chemistry, microbiology, physiology, psychology, and human anatomy, just to name a few. Ask any student majoring in nursing and you will likely hear it takes a lot of studying and a determined spirit to earn that nursing degree. Many current licensed practical nurses, vocational nurses, and nurse practitioners retire annually, making room for new job prospects for those graduating in the field. What's more is that as baby boomers age, the need for nurses and healthcare professionals is expected to continually increase, especially in residential health care facilities and in specialties such as geriatric care and in-home health care environments. Just as there are many types of nurses, there are different paths you can take to make your nursing career dream a reality. You can pursue a bachelor's degree in the Science of Nursing, an accredited nursing program at a hospital, or an associate degree program. There are also online nursing degree programs. Whatever path you decide, Fastweb has the scholarships for nursing students and financial aid resources you need to get your nursing school scholarships and make your nursing career happen.You Might Also Like
Shawna Newman
Managing Editor, Contributing Writer
Shawna Newman covers various topics related to post-secondary education, including trade schools, the military, and college. She details strategies for paying for school, such as scholarships, financial ai...
