Scholarships for Nursing Students in New Jersey

Considering a career in nursing? New Jersey is expected to have 740 job openings each year for vocational nurses and an additional 2,400 for registered nurses. Since there are significant openings at each level, you will find scholarship opportunities at each level as well.

Some students use governmental programs like the Pell Grant or Hope Scholarship to finance their education at the lower levels. If you’re just beginning your academic career, you may receive significant governmental aid on the basis of need alone. If you have exhausted these resources or need more support, there are scholarships available through private organizations as well as individual schools. Some are quite competitive; the good news is that there are a lot of them out there, and the selection criteria varies.

Nursing Scholarship Requirements in New Jersey

The New Jersey League for Nurses awards scholarships from the LPN level right on up to the MSN level. Candidates must be enrolled in a school that is accredited by the League for Nurses and must have a GPA of at least 3.0. If you decide to apply, you will need to write a short essay about why you selected the nursing profession. All materials must be received before the 1st of August.

The C.R. Bard Nursing Scholarship is open to students who are attending any of New Jersey’s independent schools. You must be a full-time student at an ICFNJ member school, have reached at least the second semester of your sophomore year, and have maintained a 3.0 grade point average. In addition to grades, the committee considers leadership and participation in outside activities. There is a March 31st application deadline. Winners will receive $2,500.

Some professional organizations have scholarship competitions that favor their own members. One resource is the New Jersey State Nursing Association. Their foundation has awarded scholarships to nurses at various stages of their career. Those LPNs or RNs who have worked in a Health Care Association of New Jersey member facility for at least 12 consecutive months are eligible for one of the association’s two nursing scholarship opportunities.

Individual schools like Rutgers also award nursing scholarships. Several of them require you to have a GPA of 3.4 — others reward different skills. If you are in the psychiatric/ mental health field and you’re good at writing, you might consider applying for the Peplau Writing Award. It could be worth $500.

Nursing Scholarship Professional Advice

Scholarship committees have slightly different purposes; you will do better if you write your essay or personal statement with the overall purpose in mind. Often you can discover a lot by examining the website of the donor. Make sure it is a good match, then brainstorm how your own life experiences and attributes make you a good candidate. The stated goal of the C.R. Bard Nursing Scholarship is to support nursing students who will go on to improve the quality of life of their patients. This sounds like a goal that most nurses share! You can learn a bit more about the vision, though, on the scholarship site. You will also find a link to the website of the donor, a maker of healthcare products.

When it comes time to fill out applications, make sure to use the checklists provided. What will happen if you make a simple mistake like sending in an unofficial transcript (if an official one is required)? You can get disqualified. But if you allow yourself time for all steps, you’re already ahead of many of the people you’re competing against.

Contact Information for Nursing Scholarships in New Jersey

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