Nursing School Financial Aid Guide - Part 1 - Career

Learn Financial First Aid for Nursing School: Get Nursing Scholarship, Grant and Student Loan Info

Article Source: Allnursingschools.com
Click here for Nursing School Financial Aid Guide - Part 2

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Whether your nursing school tuition fund is half-full or half-empty, chances are you can always use financial aid assistance. Nursing school is expensive, but there are many grants, loans, scholarships, work-study and loan forgiveness programs available to hard-working students — you just need to know where to find them.

Discover how easy it is to apply for financial aid, and learn how the Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program (NSLFP) can help you pay for your nursing degree. You should also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is usually a prerequisite for financial aid eligibility. Here is a basic tutorial on how to tap into the many financial aid resources.

Nursing School Grants

Grants are a smart way to finance your education because it's "free" money—you don't have to pay back a grant. With over a thousand federal grant programs in the US, worth more than $400 billion, securing a student grant can help you save hundreds or even thousands of nursing school dollars. Sure, it takes time and energy to apply for a grant, but the payoff is well worth the application effort. Often, schools automatically consider you for grants when you complete a FAFSA and apply to school.

For more information, visit these financial aid resources:

FAFSA application and information:
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
Federal student aid grant information:
http://www.fsa4counselors.ed.gov/clcf/grants.html
Federal student aid on the web:
http://studentaid.ed.gov

Nursing School Scholarships

Scholarships generally recognize academic achievement, athletic ability or artistic accomplishments. Scholarships can be very competitive, but they do not need to be paid back and are an excellent way to help finance your education.

Some scholarships may have restrictions, such as applying to a specific course of study or active involvement in an organization or group. Some scholarships apply to general education (such as athletic scholarships), but usually a certain grade point average needs to be maintained to keep these types of scholarships.

For nursing students, the professional associations for your specialty may give scholarships to qualified individuals. For example, the Oncology Nursing Society offers scholarships to students pursuing a master's, doctorate or post-master’s certificate. Some of the best scholarship resources, however, can be religious organizations, private and public schools, small businesses, large corporations, community groups, generous individuals or philanthropic foundations.

For more information, visit these nursing scholarship resources:

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) financial aid resources:
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/financialaid.htm#aacnresources
Scholarship searching resource:
http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/signup.jsp?sourceid=254868

Nursing School Work Study Programs

Work-study programs help students finance their education by working in on-campus jobs, community-related jobs or assisting teachers. Work-study awards typically depend on factors such as level of financial need and school funding availability.

You can work with professors' on-campus or work with a nonprofit agency or public bureau off-campus. Often students choose work study programs that are related to their field of study which, not only helps them finance their education, but also gives them resume experience.

Work-study pays at least the federal minimum wage, and often more, depending on the skills and level of experience needed. You can indicate whether you want to be considered for work-study assistance when completing your FAFSA form.

For more information, visit these work-study resources: