Scholarships for Nursing Students in Nevada
Nevada is in need of nurses, particularly those with high levels of professional training. The Department of Labor has projected that Nevada will have 80 openings a year for LPNs, but fully 690 for RNs. If you’re good at what you do, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Still, financing your nursing degree can be difficult! The more scholarship or grant money you can secure, the less you will need to rely on loans.
How do you earn a nursing scholarship in Nevada? One place to start is your own college. Individual schools often receive grants and private endowments that allow them to offer scholarships to needy and deserving students. There are also several private organizations that offer scholarships to nursing students. So once you are accepted to a nursing school in Nevada, you will want to contact their financial aid department to learn about additional sources to pay for you nursing education.
Nevada Nursing Scholarship Requirements
Undergraduates and graduates alike are invited to apply for the Dan Mordecai Educational Scholarship Award, administered by NONL (the Nevada Organization of Nurse Leaders). Three $1,000 awards are made each year. The application asks you to make a list of professional organizations you belong to and offices you have held. The committee requires a personal statement, but it is shorter than it is in many competitions — just 100 words. Materials are due August 14.
If you graduated from a Nevada High School, you may be eligible for the Nevada State Elks Association Past Exalted Rulers Nursing Scholarship. The minimum GPA is 2.5. A completed application packet includes transcripts, reference letters, and answers to two short essay questions. They’re fairly standard ones in the scholarship world: what your goals are and why you feel you’re deserving. Everything needs to be in by February 10.
Additional scholarships are administered through the financial aid office of your school. The Northern Nevada Nurses of Achievement sponsors scholarships at each of five Northern Nevada colleges and universities, including Carrington and Great Basin.
The above competitions are open to general nursing students. Other scholarship opportunities depend on the particular type of nursing that you’re interested in. One of the most lucrative Nevada scholarships is specifically for students interested in providing cancer care. The Siemens Oncology Scholarship Program comes with a volunteer agreement to put in 20 hours a semester for two semesters at Nevada Cancer Institute. Your application must include a 500 word essay that addresses your interest and goals in oncology nursing and also how the award could make a difference in the care of cancer patients.
If you are currently working in some capacity in long term care, you might want to look into the Vital Life Healthcare Administration Scholarship.
Nursing Scholarship Expert Recommendations
There are even more niche scholarships — scholarships for nurses working in specialty areas — available on a national level. Often, the process of winning one begins with identifying a nursing goal/ focus and putting in time at an appropriate facility. You don’t have to be accepted into a nursing program to begin the process; in many cases, you don’t even need to be eighteen. Most hospital websites include a page about volunteer opportunities. If you live in the Reno area, you can find contact information for various facilities, from hospitals to hospices, on the site of medicine.nevada.edu.
Your experiences as a volunteer or intern also provide material for your scholarship essay. Scholarship committees often have many application essays to read; they note that applicants do well to make their essays stand out in some way. Stories and concrete examples can be a part of what makes your essay sparkle. It’s admirable to want to help children with muscular dystrophy; it becomes memorable when you can recount a specific experience: Who have you helped? Who taught you a lesson or gave you a new perspective?
Contact Information for Nursing Scholarships in NV
NONL
1878 Lemon Grove Street, Henderson, Nevada 89052
Website: nonl.clubexpress.com/
NSEA Past Exalted Rulers
Website: nsea-elks.org/Nursing%20Scholarship%20Form2.PDF
Northern Nevada Nurses of Achievement
5250 Neil Road, Suite 302, Reno, Nevada 89502
Website: nursesofachievement.com/
Vital Life Healthcare Administration Scholarship
Website: nvhca.org/blog/92572/4017/