General Information on Applying for a Scholarship

There are several things to think about when applying for a nursing scholarship. If you need to submit an essay you need to know how best to write an award winning submission. Help from your teachers and from other students will be essential in doing this. There is also a lot of information online for your parents and family if they wish to know how best they can help you during this process. Information on tax credits and studying abroad is also useful.
Nursing is a very specialized field to enter into. Remember also that scholarships and grants is money that you do not have to pay back, so getting one of these is really a bonus, and applying for them locally is the easiest option. Naturally, loans for education come with low interest rates but you may be able to have the fee waivered if you choose to work in an underserved area or in low-income communities. Avoid any scholarship scams that claim to have a monopoly on information, expect any payment for the scholarship or suggest that there is no application process. A financial aid counsellor is always a great person to talk to if you are unsure.
There are several ways to calculate how much your college costs are going to be. There is Finaid which helps you work out how much your EFC contribution will be. The ACT’s Financial Need Estimator is free online and will work out your family contribution and costs at certain institutions. It’s best to start as soon as possible to get funding for your nursing qualification as you need to meet tight deadlines and research takes time. The forms take time to fill in and this must be done as thoroughly as possible to succeed. There will always be the chance to work part time during your degree, say ten to fifteen hours per week, to help you, but not working so you can dedicate as much time to studying as possible is preferable. Some students might like the idea of gaining experience in whatever kind of setting they can get however that is relevant to the nursing career. This could involve working in a college library or at a medical center, perhaps in an administration or voluntary role.

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Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association Promise of Nursing Scholarships

Sponsor: Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association
The Foundation of the National Student Nurses Association (FNSNA) was created in 1969 to honor Frances Tompkins, the Association's first Executive Director. Organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, the Foundation awards scholarships to qualified nursing students. These scholarships are available in selected regions of the U.S. Eligibility is determined by applicant’s school/college of nursing’s zip code. This program is supported by fund-raising events sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. Funds for this scholarship are supported by contributors in selected regions.
Award Amount: 2500
Award Duration:
Deadline: January 13, annually
Apply for this scholarship

Qualification Requirements
Grade Point Average (GPA):

Contact Information
Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association
45 Main St., Suite 606
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Telephone: 718-210-0705

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NEUROSCIENCE NURSING FOUNDATION REGULAR SCHOLARSHIPS

Provide scholarship to nurses interested in further study in neuroscience nursing
Amount of Award: $1,500/year
Duration of Award: 1 year
Deadline: January each year
Contact Information:
Neuroscience Nursing Foundation
4700 West Lake Avenue
Glenview, IL 60025
Phone: (847)375-4733
Fax: (877) 734-8677
http://www.aann.org/nnf/

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SCHOLARSHIPS OF THE UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY

Provide scholarship for nursing education to lineal descendants of Confederate veterans.
Amount of Award: Varies
Application Deadline: March of each year.
Number of Awards: 1/year
Duration of Award: 1 year
Contact Information:
United Daughters of the Confederacy
Attn: Education Director
328 North Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23220-4057
Phone: (804) 355-1636
Fax: (804)353-1396
Email: hdqudc@rcn.com
http://www.hqudc.org/scholarships/scholarships.html

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General Nursing Scholarships

SGNA RN GENERAL EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP

Provide scholarship to full-time students working toward licensure as a registered nurse.
Amount of Award: $2,500
Application Deadline: July of each year
Number of Awards: 1 or more
Duration of Award: 1 year
Contact Information:
Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc.
Attn: Awards Committee
401 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611-4267
Phone: (312) 321-5165; (800) 245-SGNA
Fax: (312) 527-6658
http://www.sgna.org/Education/scholarships.cfm
Other nursing scholarship by SGNA: RN Advancing Education Scholarship, Novice Nurse/Associate Scholarship and more.

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Avoiding Scholarship Scams

Searching for scholarships can be time consuming and confusing. Scholarship scam artists prey on

people who are trying to reduce the time spent searching for scholarships. The following are some common scholarship scams to avoid.
Programs which require a scholarship handling fee. There are a few legitimate scholarships which do ask for a small fee of $5.00 or less to cover mailing and administrative costs. However, if a scholarship program asks for more than this, it is probably a scam.
Scholarship programs which claim to do all the work for you. Almost all legitimate scholarship programs will ask you to do some work, usually by filling out forms and writing essays. If a scholarship program claims that you do not have to do anything to win a scholarship, it’s probably a scam.
Programs which claim you can’t get the information they are offering anywhere else. All legitimate scholarships are advertised for free, you should never have to pay someone to find them. If you are looking for information on scholarships, you can look at scholarship websites including the U.S. Department of Education’s website at www.ed.gov, or the FinAid website at www.finaid.org. You can also run a free computerized scholarship search at www.fastweb.com. Your school’s career center will also have access to many scholarship databases and reference materials.
Programs which request your credit card number or bank account number to hold a scholarship for you. Legitimate scholarship programs will not ask for any account number or confidential information to hold a scholarship for you. If a scholarship program is asking for this information, do not give it to them.
Guarantees that you will win a certain number of scholarships. There is no way for a legitimate scholarship program to guarantee that you will win a certain number of scholarships. Most often the companies that make these statements are really offering loan programs and calling them scholarships.
Programs which ask you to schedule an appointment to pick up a free scholarship and financial aid package at a hotel. At these hotel appointments, students and their parents are usually forced to sit through sales presentations aimed at getting people to pay a fee for a scholarship search service. You should never have to pay for a scholarship search.
The following sources can be contacted to research scholarship programs and to report scholarship scams.
National Fraud Information Center
1-800-876-7060
www.fraud.org
Council of Better Business Bureaus
703-276-0100
www.bbb.org
Federal Trade Commission
877-FTC-HELP
www.ftc.gov

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How to Write a Winning Nursing Scholarship Essay

Writing an effective essay is one of the most essential components of a successful scholarship search. In fact, many scholarship awards are based solely on the quality of the essay. The follo

wing are some tips to remember when writing a nursing scholarship essay.
Prepare a clear outline for your essay. Nursing scholarship programs are looking for essays that present a clear thought pattern. You can make sure that your scholarship essay is presented in a clear manner by creating a simple outline. Your outline should include three main parts, the introduction, body and conclusion.
The introduction should capture your readers’ attention and introduce the main points you will discuss in your essay. The body of your essay should be broken out into several paragraphs that present the main points of the essay. The main points should be supported with facts, thoughts, ideas, quotes and other material which will hold your readers’ interest. The conclusion of your essay should restate the main idea of your essay. It is also effective to refer to the future in the conclusion of a scholarship essay. You can do this by discussing your future career goals in the nursing field, or by stating a specific aspiration which you hope to achieve during your nursing career.
Use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation. It is always important to use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation in writing a scholarship essay. Although the nursing profession may not require you to study grammar and spelling, it is essential that you avoid any simple errors in your essay. Ensuring that your essay is free of mistakes will make you look professional and leave a positive impression on the judges.
Write in response to the scholarship requirements and purpose. Be sure that your essay responds to the scholarship requirements. Some scholarships may require that you intend to practice in a certain field of nursing, that you work in a certain area, or that you attend a certain nursing program or school. Your essay should clearly identify how you meet these requirements.
Do as much research as you can about the scholarship program and the organization that is offering the scholarship. Organizations typically give away scholarships to promote certain interests or purposes. Make sure that you highlight the ways in which your career goals will fit with the scholarship program’s purpose.
Answer any questions thoroughly. If the scholarship program has requested that your essay address certain questions, make sure you answer these questions clearly and thoroughly. This is often an easy way to for judges to weed out applications that don’t fit the award criteria. Your essay must respond to any questions which are asked, or it is likely that it will not be given consideration.
Be original. Your essay will be among hundreds or even thousands of others, all from other nursing students who have the desire and ability to succeed in the nursing profession. If your essay does not stand out, it will be overlooked. To be original, you can either find a unique essay topic, or you can write about an ordinary topic and approach it in an original way. When you are trying to come up with original ideas for your essay, think about your own unique personality and experiences. What is it that made you decide to enter the field of nursing? What life experiences will you contribute to the nursing field? Spend some time thinking about what makes you unique as a nursing student and future nurse. This will help you to think of an original topic or approach.
Be cautious when recycling essays. In your scholarship application process, it is likely that you will be able to use parts and pieces of essays for more than one scholarship application. However, you should not merely write one or two general essays and send them out with every scholarship application. Remember, the judges who choose the scholarship winners are looking for an essay that is original and responds to the purpose and goals of the scholarship program. If you tailor each of your essays to the particular nursing scholarship you are applying for, you will have a much greater likelihood of success.
Get a second (or even third or fourth) opinion. After you have finished writing your essay, be sure to review it with at least one more person. You can ask your friends, family members, teachers, or professors to be your editors. When others review your essay, they can find errors and suggest possible improvements. You should review your essay with at least one other person, but it is even better if you can find three or more people to review your essay.
Follow these guidelines, and you will be able to write an original, professional and effective essay that gives you an edge over the competition.
Resource:
Improve Your Nursing Essay at EssayEdge.com : EssayEdge provides industry-leading nursing essay prep services and named "the world's premier application essay editing service" by the New York Times Learning Network and "one of the best essay services on the Internet" by the Washington Post.
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Ethnic Minority Bachelor's Sholarships in Oncology Nursing

Provide scholarships to ethnic minorities interested in careers in oncology nursing
Amount of Award: $2,000/year

Number of Awards: Varies
Duration of Award: 1 year
Deadline: January of each year
Contact Information:
Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Foundation
125 Enterprise Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275
Phone: (412) 859-6100
Fax: (412) 859-6163
foundation@ons.org
http://www.ons.org/

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WOCN Society Advanced Education Scholarship Program

Provide scholarships to members of the WOCN interested in working on an undergraduate or graduate degree.
Amount of Award: Varies

Number of Awards: Varies
Duration of Award: 1 year
Deadline: May of each year
Contact Information:
WOCN National Office
15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C
MT. Laurel, NJ 08054
Phone: (888) 224-9626
Fax: (856) 439-0525
http://www.wocn.org/Education/Scholarships

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