Nurses suffer through exhausting shifts. They are paid well, but perhaps not well enough considering the challenges of their work. The risk factors. They deal with sick people constantly and are often consequently sick themselves.
Then there is COVID. During the pandemic, how many nurses left so as not to put themselves and their families at risk? How many people simply became burned out?
And, of course, shortages create more shortages. Nurses are overworked under the best of circumstances. The problem only becomes worse when the hospital where they work is short-staffed.
The actual problem is more complex. The field of nursing has been headed for severe shortages for decades. The issue? More people leave the field than enter it.
Bad news for the world of healthcare. Good news for those who would like to enter the world of nursing on the strength of a scholarship. In this article, we take a look at how to get started with a nursing scholarship.
Can You Get Good Grants or Scholarship Opportunities for Graduate School?
Graduate degree seekers often find that there are fewer scholarship opportunities waiting for them than there were at the undergraduate level. That said, if you are trying to get your MSN or become a nurse practitioner, you will still find that there is money on the table.
Though the advice included below pertains largely to people entering undergraduate programs, there are still useful tips for people seeking their master’s.
What Do Scholarship Committees Look for?
The most competitive scholarships generally require two things from applicants:
- An excellent transcript.
- A strong resume filled with extracurriculars and volunteer hours.
Schools try their very best to populate their campuses with high achievers. People who will not only succeed but also further the university’s good name once they graduate and begin to fill professional roles in their respective communities.
Good grades simply aren’t enough to land a full ride at most schools. You may be near the top of your class, but so are many other people. Each scholarship may have ten applicants with grades at least as good as yours. It’s the other things—school participation—that will set you apart from other people.
To that end, it is best to start building a scholarship-ready record early. By beginning your freshman year, you can ensure that you have a consistently compelling resume that sets you apart from other people.
I already didn’t do that. Now what?
If you haven’t been preparing to receive a scholarship since birth, that is ok. There are lots of other ways to pick up award money. Below, we will take a look at some tips that will help you maximize your scholarship potential.
Think About What Makes You Different
Really think about it. Surely there is something. There are grant/scholarship opportunities for minorities. Members of the LGBTQ community. First-generation students. Immigrants. If you fall into any of those categories, you will have a (slightly) easier time finding opportunities.
Why? It’s a simple numbers game. Really specific scholarship or grant opportunities have fewer applicants than those that are open to the general population.
The fewer the applicants, the better your chances are. Naturally, you will still want a strong transcript, but your odds will be a little more promising even without one.
Consider Grants
Grants are not merit-based in the same way that scholarships are. While a good transcript certainly won’t hurt your appeals for grant money, you can most likely pick up some money without having the best academic record at your school.
Grants are offered by universities, non-profits, and even churches. Start by looking for local grant opportunities. You may find organizations within your town that help local students pay for college. These opportunities, though often smaller, will help make your college education more affordable. They add up, and they are easier to get than many scholarships.
Target Smaller Awards
As you research scholarship and grant opportunities, you’ll find that there are many awards in the $1000 or under category. Don’t sleep on these opportunities. While it is easy to ignore them in the hopes of netting a five-figure award, it’s important to consider the situation objectively.
If someone put $1000 in your bank account right now, you’d probably be delighted. Small scholarship awards effectively accomplish the same thing. In fact, a $1000 grant or scholarship is probably worth more to you than its face value. That’s money you won’t have to borrow. Which means it is also money you won’t have to pay interest on.
What’s more, many smaller scholarships are recurring. Provided that you can maintain your grades and keep up with whatever other requirements are present, you may get that money each year. So, instead of being worth $10000, it is worth $4000.
Look Into Conditional Grants/Scholarships
Some organizations will offer conditional scholarships or grant awards. In nursing, for example, an organization might care very much about the future of rural healthcare. Rural hospitals are notoriously understaffed. A non-profit or even government organization looking to remedy that situation may come up with someone like this.
Students willing to commit to five years in an approved rural hospital will receive X amount in scholarship money.
If you put in the years, the money is yours. If, for some reason, you do not work five years at a rural hospital, that money will turn into a loan that you will need to repay.
Naturally, this option won’t be for everyone. However, you may be surprised by how accessible some of these opportunities may be. Let’s say that instead of focusing on rural hospitals, the award money goes to people willing to work in a low-income area. Or an urban hospital. Or a significantly understaffed area.
Hospitals that fall into those categories are everywhere. Hospital staffing shortages are an almost country-wide problem. In fact, during the pandemic, many travel nurses—people who go to hospitals with the highest need—were often able to work in their hometowns for the simple reason that the need was high everywhere.
You may find that some “conditional scholarships,” include provisions that are similarly universal. Healthcare worker shortages are a very bad thing, but they can benefit incoming nurses. The higher the need, the more incentives there are for people willing to fill in. Start early, and look broadly. Chances are, you will find some scholarship or grant money that is yours for the taking.
