Scholarships for Nursing Students in Vermont

Nurses are in demand across the nation, and many students would like to rise to the challenge. In today’s economy, though, it can be hard to pay for postsecondary education. You might rely on Pell Grants and Hope Scholarship Credits at the early stages of your career. These may not be enough, though, to see you through — particularly if you want to attain career mobility through higher levels of education. Fortunately, in a high-demand field like nursing, there are a lot of financial aid opportunities offered through schools, private donors, and governmental agencies.

Residents of all states are eligible to compete for both state and national level nursing scholarships. As a resident of the small state of Vermont, you may also be eligible for New England regional scholarships.

Nursing Scholarship Requirements in Vermont

Many of Vermont’s state specific scholarships are administered through individual schools. Students in LPN and ADN programs are given priority in the Evelyn M. Soforenko Scholarship competition at Vermont Technical College. This award is administered through the financial aid office of the school.

If you are pursuing a BSN or MSN at the University of Vermont, you will have multiple scholarship options. Some require an application. Many, though, are selected by the school and awarded to those judged to best meet the criteria.

You can also look to outside organizations for scholarship assistance. The Vermont Nurses Foundation makes several $1,000 awards each year. Competitions include the Pat and Frank Allen Scholarship and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency Scholarship. If you win one of these, the award is made directly to your school.

If you are African American, the New England Regional Black Nurses Association is another good resource. The application process includes writing an essay of up to three pages. The essay addresses several questions related to career choice and financial hardship.

The government is another resource for those pursuing the highest levels of training. The Vermont Educational Loan Repayment Program for Nurses is offered through AHEC (Area Health Education Centers Program). You must be committed to serving a year for each year that you were funded. AHEC uses a number of criteria to determine awards, among them, the severity of need at the facility and in your own specialty area. Your own level of debt may also be considered.

Nursing Scholarship Professional Advice – VT

How do you compete for a nursing scholarship? It depends on what stage you are in your education and your nursing career. In a sense, the search begins a year or more before you turn in that application. If you don’t have experience in the field, it’s good to have experiences that 1) show you that the nursing field really is right for you 2) give you some idea what area of the profession you are drawn to and 3) demonstrate that commitment to others.

ChooseNursing.Vt.org, a workforce research and development site, lists career exploration and volunteering options for people of different ages. Daring to Care is a Mt. Ascutney Hospital-based program for junior and senior high school students. Medquest is a short, but intensive program for high schoolers. And even if you’re way past your teen years, you can volunteer at institutions like Fletcher Health Care.

What if it’s close to crunch time? Work on the presentation of your application package. The face of nursing is changing. As a scholarship recipient, you are an important part of what the world sees. Recognition events are held for recipients of awards like Duncan Regional Hospital’s Health Foundation Nursing Scholarship. Awardees may be asked to read a statement or give a speech. Take some care with the written materials you submit and ask yourself if they’re up to that level.

Contact Information for Nursing Scholarships in Vermont