Scholarships for Nursing Students in Alaska

Alaska has a great need for nurses, particularly in rural areas that have traditionally been underserved by medical professionals. For this reason, you will see some especially lucrative scholarship opportunities in the state. Some of the scholarships that carry the highest monetary value come with a service obligation. As long as you are employed for a period of time in an area of high need, you will never need to repay the money; if you don’t, however, the money will become a debt.

There will be some difference in your scholarship opportunities depending on whether you are a native or merely a resident of the Last Frontier state. There are scholarships available either way. If you are native, though, you can have a particularly valuable role in giving back to some historically underrepresented communities; if you are among the best candidates, your schooling costs may even be covered in their entirety.

AK Nursing Scholarship Requirements

Nursing students, whatever their heritage, can compete for the David E. Knox Memorial Nursing Fellowship, administered by the Alaska Community Foundation. This is a $2,500 service obligation scholarship open to those who have a commitment to serving in a small Alaskan town; one of the most important criteria is simply that you have the skills to make a difference. The deadline for the application is April 1.

The JoAnn LaCour Memorial is open to Alaska residents from various walks of life who are enrolled in different levels of nursing preparation. Applicants must include transcripts, ACT or SAT scores, and three letters of reference. The application form asks about your goals and background.

If you are a Native Alaska or America Indian, you are also eligible to apply for the very lucrative Alaska area IHS scholarship, which is facilitated by the Native Tribal Health Consortium. For health professionals, the scholarship pays not only tuition expenses, but a portion of living expenses as well. For undergraduate students, it is now limited to just tuition — but this is still a very good deal. The competition is described as very competitive. You must fulfill a service obligation after graduating.

The National Alaskan Native America Indian Nurses Association has a smaller merit-based competition, which asks for transcripts and a letter from an advisor. One must be a member of the organization, though, to apply.

If you are already enrolled in a nursing program at the University of Alaska Anchorage, you can apply for Seamus Mawe Nursing Scholarship. Preference is given to those who are studying community health and intend to work in either a less developed part of Alaska or a less developed nation.

The CampusRN program is another good option. As an Alaska nursing student at a registered college you are eligible to apply for the Pacific region scholarship.

Application Professional Advice

Some committees post winning essays. If you read the essays on the site of the CampusRN program, you will notice a couple of things. Essays combine solid writing with a clear articulation of one’s personal goals and vision. Often there is a good deal of idealism; nursing is, after all, a helping profession. The Pacific winner, for instance, writes about her aspirations to become an infectious diseases nurse practitioner; she discusses how such diseases disproportionately affect people in lower economic brackets.

As the Joann Scholarship website notes, it is important that one has a realistic dream and a good chance of achieving it. Your references, academic achievements, and volunteer experience are all a part of the package when it comes to convincing the committee that you have, in addition to dreams, a path and a foundation.

Contact Information for Nursing Scholarships in Alaska

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