Scholarships for Nursing Students in Kentucky

Are you in nursing school in Kentucky, or at least considering taking that big step? For many, the biggest fear involves not career choice, but money. You don’t necessarily have to finance your education all by yourself, though. You will find multiple funding sources within Kentucky: professional organizations, schools, and even the state itself.

One thing you need to consider, when applying for nursing scholarships in Kentucky, is what level of commitment you are ready to make. Some very lucrative scholarships entail making a commitment to serve in a particular area after graduation. If you are ready to make the commitment, and you are selected as a recipient, the award may finance a large portion of your education. If you are unable to work in the area that you have committed yourself to, then the scholarship does become a loan and, as such, requires monetary repayment.

Nursing Scholarship Requirements in Kentucky

Kentucky’s loan scholarship program is known as the Nursing Incentive Scholarship Fund, or NISF. Pre-licensure nursing students, from LPN to MSN level, are eligible to apply. Your school does not necessarily have to be located within the state; accredited online programs are generally acceptable. In order to apply, you must have completed your prerequisites and moved on to the clinical phase of the program. Financial need is not necessarily a requirement, but it will give you some priority in the selection process. You must apply by June 1; if you are demonstrating financial need, you should allow several weeks for your school to process necessary paperwork. Awards are $3,000 a year. Each year of financing requires a year of work in a Kentucky healthcare facility.

Smaller scholarships are available through the Kentucky Nurses Foundation. Students from ADN to DNP level are eligible to apply. Your application packet must include two references letters and a one page statement that describes what receipt of the award could potentially mean to you. Submit all materials by September 15.

Graduate level nurses (MSN, PhD, and DNP) may also apply for scholarship assistance through the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives. Applications should be turned in by March 11. This competition requires both an essay and a personal statement. In most cases, the personal statement addresses goals. Doctoral level candidates, though, are expected to discuss how their work will benefit society. The 2011 essay topic is “The Benefits of Belonging”; applicants should discuss how professional membership can foster important relationships and further the profession.

The University of Kentucky, and other individual schools, also offer nursing scholarships to nursing students. These are often memorials or endowments; they may favor students in particular programs or those who come from a specified county or region of the state. The Teresa Ann Free Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Scholarship is for a graduate student in the NP track. The Lynn Garman Au Scholarship is for a true leader, someone who can initiate or otherwise develop a community program or event while still in college. The award comes with high expectations — and the possibility of having one’s in-state tuition paid for up to three years.

Kentucky Nursing Scholarship Professional Advice

If you are asked to write about what a scholarship could mean to you, focus on your potential accomplishments, not just personal need. A representative of Exceptional Nurse, a program for disabled nurses, has noted that it can be effective to weave a personal story into an essay, but not necessarily to make it the whole focus.

If you find yourself staring at a blank page, you might want to look at some models or sample essays for inspiration. You can find an inspiring one on the Exceptional Nurse website. You might also want to look at the website of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a national foundation for nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Contact Information for Nursing Scholarships in Kentucky

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