Real Financial Aid for Nursing Students

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you’re dedicated to pursuing a career in nursing but are low on funds, you’ll need to channel some of your career energies into securing money for your healthcare education. This can take the form of scholarships, grants or even loans (interest rates have never been lower). Here are a few sources you may want to look into:

U.S. Department of Education. Most nursing students who need money start here. The USDE offers a number of different programs that provide financial aid from several sources. To apply for student aid, fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Johnson & Johnson Scholarships. Check out their full range of scholarship opportunities at DiscoverNursing.com. The scholarships cover a wide range of healthcare specialties--everything from Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) programs to holistic nursing. Some scholarships offer support for residents in certain states or various ethnic groups.

NursingScholarship.US. This site is always being updated with the latest public and private scholarships. You can also find research grants for both undergraduate and graduate studies. The have over 100 listings on nursing financial aid and scholarships

FinAid. Another useful site for loans and scholarships, FinAid.org lets you sign up and receive e-mail notifications about scholarships for your desired field. Access to FinAid is free and you pay nothing to link to the site. Unconventional types of aid are also found here—everything from free scholarship lotteries to student profile-based aid.

Flo's Cookie Jar. If you’re in a real bind and you need some immediate cash (less than $2,000), Flo’s Cookie Jar will help tide you over so you can stay in school.

NursesHouse. If you’re a nursing student and you need help with rent/housing payments, food, utilities, telephone and health insurance, give NursesHouse a try.

For an added perspective, check out this video:

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.