Scholarships for Nursing Students in Georgia

Over a ten year period — 2008 to 2018 — Georgia is expected to see a 36% increase in demand for professional nurses. Meeting this demand can be a bit of a challenge! One way that organizations are meeting their staffing needs is by helping to finance the education of qualified candidates. Traditional scholarships are still available, of course, as are general grants like the United States Pell Grant. There are also loan scholarships, though, specifically created for nursing students in the state. These are scholarships that don’t have to be paid back as long as you commit to, and fulfill, a work obligation.

Nursing Scholarship Requirements in Georgia

Some of the best opportunities come from your future employers — organizations that are willing to finance your education; this is particularly true if you have what it takes to succeed in areas that have been hard to fill. One organization that may be willing to finance your education is Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. They have two loan scholarship programs. The Opportunities Scholarship is for bilingual Spanish-English candidates accepted into BSN (bachelor’s level professional nursing) programs. The Chances Scholarship is similar, but is open also to those who are not bilingual. Either can be worth as much as $5,000 a semester. In addition to a resume, transcripts, and recommendations, the process includes writing an essay on your pediatric nursing aspirations and possibly sitting for an interview.

Those in Southern Georgia can also apply to the Archbold Medical Center for scholarship assistance. Candidates turn in a simultaneous employment application and scholarship application. Work agreements for accepted candidates are from one to three years.

There are other opportunities that don’t come with a specific work commitment. The Georgia Nurses Foundation offers two scholarships in amounts at or above $500. The competition is open to both graduate and undergraduate students, based on need as well as merit. The Annie Lou Overton scholarship gives preference to students in RN to BSN programs. Both the Katherine Pope and Annie Lou Overton scholarships require a statement of professional goals, as is standard practice in the world of nursing scholarships. There is also a question for applicants about the role of nursing within the healthcare system. Each of these scholarships, it should be noted, requires membership in a Georgia professional organization. There are some choices as to which one.

Some Georgia nursing students are eligible to apply for the Georgia Legion Auxiliary Past Presidents Scholarship. This award requires fully four letters of recommendation, including one from the sponsoring local unit and one from a principal or superintendent

Graduate students who are studying to become nurse anesthetists have yet another resource in GANA, the Georgia Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Applicants are asked about student involvement and financial need.

Nursing Scholarship Professional Advice – GA

Whenever you apply for a scholarship, keep in mind the particular goals of the sponsoring organizations. In some cases, they are your future employers. In other instances, they want to help you because of challenges in your own life, but they also want to know that you have what it takes to succeed in the nursing field.

You want to write an essay that is interesting. It can be helpful to read winning essays online, through organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. GANA also profiles winners on the state site, and tells a little bit about why each was selected. The Exceptional Nurse site has a very moving essay by a nurse who had a life threatening illness herself. A representative of the organization notes that it is important to thoroughly answer all parts of an essay question, and that if a person does tell a personal story, it can be good to weave it into the essay as oppose to making it their whole essay.

Make sure you follow the guidelines of the particular organization. If, for example, they specify references from particular people in the community, allow yourself enough time to get those references.

Contact Information for Nursing Scholarships in Georgia

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