10 Nursing Scholarships for Practitioners Attending Graduate Programs

• If you’re thinking about beginning a graduate program or you’re already enrolled, consider these 10 nursing scholarships sponsored by national nursing organizations. 
• Although the NP role tends to be the most popular graduate nursing program focus, there are many other graduate nursing roles to choose from. 
• These graduate nursing scholarships can offset your tuition and make continuing your education much more affordable. 

Are you currently enrolled in a graduate nursing program? Or recently accepted into one? Or maybe just have an interest in enrolling? While your job can help with tuition costs through assistance programs, you can also receive help from national nursing organizations.  

Scholarships are often associated with undergraduate tuition, but many organizations are highly supportive of nurses who want to return to school for a graduate degree.  

Although the NP role tends to be the most popular graduate nursing program focus, there are many other graduate nursing roles. You can consider other advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) graduate roles, such as nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse anesthetist. You can also pursue a non-APRN graduate focus, such as nurse educator, clinical nurse leader, nursing administrator, nurse informaticist, or nurse scientist.  

Whichever route you take, explore these graduate nursing scholarships to offset your tuition and discover how joining a national professional organization may be required before you can even apply. 

Eligibility for Nursing Scholarships

Many scholarships are awarded by national nursing organizations, such as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or the National League for Nursing (NLN).  

Keep in mind that these scholarships often require you to be a member of the organization before you can apply. The great news is that some membership dues are as low as $150 per year. As a member, you’ll have the added benefit of free continuing education credits, access to job boards, discounts on retailers, and more. If you want to become certified in your field, membership in a professional nursing organization can also afford you discounts on certification exams, which can cost up to $400 otherwise.  

It may be time to consider joining a professional nursing organization if you plan to advance your education and expand your career opportunities. If you’re willing to join, you can apply for multiple scholarships, sometimes offering up to $10,000. 

10 Graduate Program Nursing Scholarships

If you prefer to avoid student loans for your graduate programs, try applying for several scholarships at once if you qualify. The following scholarships are available for nurses pursuing APRN and non-APRN graduate nursing roles. 

American Association of Nurse Practitioners Scholarship Program

• Sponsor: AANP 
• Award: $2,500 to $5,000 
• Deadline: annually in March 
• Eligibility: For RNs enrolled in an accredited NP program pursuing an MSN, DNP, or Ph.D. in nursing or a related field. Must have completed at least one semester of schooling at time of application. Must submit two recommendation letters. 
• Details: https://www.aanp.org/education/professional-funding-support/scholarships  

Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation / Proctor & Gamble Endowed Scholarship in Community Service 

• Sponsor: NPHF 
• Award: $1,000 
• Deadline: annually in December 
• Eligibility: For NP students enrolled in a Master’s, DNP, or Ph.D. program. Must have either made significant contributions in patient care or the community or have an interest in gastroenterology. Must submit one recommendation letter. 
• Details: https://www.nphealthcarefoundation.org/scholarships-awards-fellowships/  

National Health Services Corp Scholarship Program

• Sponsor: Health Resources and Services Administration 
• Award: Varied amount (multiple awards) 
• Deadline: (rolling dates) 
• Eligibility: For full-time NP and nurse midwife students enrolled in an accredited school. NP students must specialize in adult medicine, family medicine, geriatrics, primary care pediatrics, psychiatric mental health, or women’s health. All applicants must commit to working at least two years in rural, urban, and tribal communities (those with limited access to care) after graduation. 
• Details: https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/scholarships/eligibility-requirements  

American College of Nurse-Midwives Basic Midwifery Student Scholarships 

• Sponsor: American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Foundation  
• Award: $3,000 
• Deadline: Jan. 26, 2025 (visit website below for next application period) 
• Eligibility: For ACNM members enrolled in an accredited midwifery program. Must have completed at least one semester or course. Award recipients are selected based on academic performance, professional excellence, plans to promote health equity, leadership potential, and financial need. 
• Details: https://acnmf.org/basic-midwifery-1  

American College of Nurse-Midwives Doctoral Graduate Education Scholarships for Midwives 

• Sponsor: ACNM Foundation  
• Award: Varied amount (multiple awards) 
• Deadline: Varies 
• Eligibility: For ACNM members enrolled in a scientific research-oriented or practice-oriented doctoral or post-doctoral program, such as PhD, DNP, Doctor of Science (ScD), and Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc). Award recipients are selected based on excellence in merit, leadership, scholarly work, and future contributions to ACNM and midwifery. 
• Details: https://acnmf.org/scholarships-%26-awards  

The Katie Brush Critical Care CNS Scholarship

• Sponsors: National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) and the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Institute
• Award: up to $2,000
• Deadline: annually in June
• Eligibility: For NACNS members enrolled in a critical care CNS graduate program. Must have a background in critical care, preferably holding critical care RN (CCRN) certification. Must submit two letters of recommendation, one from a faculty member and the other from a professional colleague.
• Details: https://nacns.org/career-education/awards/the-katie-brush-critical-care-cns-scholarship/

Theresa Murray Clinical Nurse Specialist Scholarship for Quality & Safety, Clinical Excellence, and Professional Development

• Sponsors: NACNS and CNS Institute 
• Award: up to $2,000 
• Deadline: annually in June 
• Eligibility: For NACNS members enrolled in a CNS graduate program. Must have a passion for quality, safety, and clinical excellence. Must submit one letter of recommendation from either a faculty member or a leader in the applicant’s clinical environment. 
• Details: https://nacns.org/career-education/awards/theresa-murray-scholarship/  

American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) Foundation Resident Scholarship Program

• Sponsor: AANA Foundation 
• Award: $1,000 – $9,000 (multiple awards) 
• Deadline: (rolling dates) 
• Eligibility: For students enrolled in an accredited nurse anesthesia program. Most award recipients are selected based on merit and financial need. Some awards are exclusive to mothers, veterans, and residents of certain states. 
• Details: https://www.aana.com/resident-hub/education-grants-and-scholarships/foundation-scholarship/  

National League for Nursing (NLN) Education Scholarship Award 

• Sponsor: NLN 
• Award: up to $8,000 (multiple awards) 
• Deadline: annually in May 
• Eligibility: For NLN members pursuing a graduate degree who have completed at least one year of study at time of application. Must send in two letters of recommendation. Must work full-time as a nurse educator after graduation.  
• Details: https://www.nln.org/nln-foundation/foundationoverview/nursing-education-scholarship-awards  

Edmund J.Y. Pajarillo Health Informatics and Innovation Scholarship 

• Sponsor: NLN 
• Award: up to $5,000 
• Deadline: annually in May 
• Eligibility: For nurses and nurse educators enrolled in an accredited graduate program focused on health informatics and innovation in research in nursing education. This scholarship is public, but preference will be given to NLN members. Preference will also be given to members of marginalized communities interested in transitioning from clinical practice to full-time teaching.  
• Details: https://www.nln.org/nln-foundation/foundationoverview/nursing-education-scholarship-awards  

The Bottom Line

Going back to school doesn’t have to break the bank. Try joining a national nursing organization to gain access to multiple scholarships. You can even access additional scholarships through nursing specialty organizations like the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses or Emergency Nurses Association. 

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