Depending upon your financial situation, your GPA (grade point average) and your skills and knowledge, you may be able to pay for a substantial portion of your graduate education through scholarships. Scholarships differ from grants in that many scholarships demand that the student meet certain criteria to continue receiving funds. A minimum GPA or the amount of time spent in classes are just two requirements that many scholarships demand of students once funded.

Since scholarships become available throughout the year, you can set a recurring time in your schedule to research nursing school scholarships. Begin with the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), and then talk with your school’s financial aid office to learn more about what is available to graduate students. The AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) provides information about funds earmarked specifically for those who seek an advanced degree in nursing and the HRSA , or Health Resources and Services Administration, also offers information on basic, advanced and nurse faculty programs designed for education.

Online searches for scholarships can reveal funds offered to minority groups, to veterans and their families, to the disabled or to the skilled athlete or musician. You may be surprised at the ways you can pay for your college education once you begin your research for these ‘free’ funds. Although school leaves little time for extracurricular activities, you can pick and choose the ones that might lead to a scholarship in your second year.

You might also explore internship and fellowship options, depending upon your future goals. Both opportunities are similar toscholarships in that they supply the nursing student with hands-on experience and may pay stipends during the time spent on the “job” or in conducting research. These opportunities can provide you with experience that provides insight into your advanced training and the experiences also can provide you with material for your master’s thesis should you need one to graduate.

Finally, take a look at specialty services such as oncology and their nursing societies or associations. Often, these groups can provide funds for advanced degrees to those individuals who show dedication to that field. The Oncology Nursing Society offers more than 70 college funding opportunities and $500,000 in available awards, scholarships and research grants for students who show a commitment to this specialty.

Additionally, you may want to think about joining the Honor Society of Nursing, or Sigma Theta Tau International. This organization recognizes nurses with Chapter Key Awards, International Awards and Regional Excellence Awards that are aligned with this honor society’s mission and vision. To join this association, graduate students must have completed one quarter of his or her nursing curriculum, achieve academic excellence and meet the expectation of academic integrity.

Although the scholarship application process takes time and effort, the rewards could offer a way to pay for your entire master’s degree, especially if you are mindful of your GPA. While not all grants and scholarships contain hefty bankrolls, your efforts may pay off. Upon graduation, you may be able to begin a new job with a higher salary and little to no student debt.

MSN - Adult Nursing MSN - Clinical Nursing MSN - Nurse Midwifery MSN - Women's Health More...	University of Cincinnati — The University of Cincinnati's online nursing programs knows no geographic bounds. Cinci offers several online master's degree programs in nursing, including MSN in clinical nursing, MSN in adult nursing, MSN in nurse midwifery, MSN in nursing administration, MSN in psychiatric health nursing, and MSN in women's health. Students of these programs are required to be BSN holders with some nursing experience.
RN to MS in Nursing MSN - Informatics MSN - Education MSN - Leadership BSN to MS in Nursing	Walden University — Walden University provides nurses with the unique opportunity to advance their careers through master's programs for registered nurses. Specialties include informatics, education, leadership and a general course to help you acquire the knowledge to educate nursing students, staff and patients-and prepare for current and future career opportunities. Walden also offers several BSN to MSN programs.
MS in Nursing MSN - Health Education MSN - Informatics MSN - Health Administration MSN - Healthcare Mgmt	University of Phoenix — The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of registered nurses with baccalaureate-degree preparation. Coursework covers advanced nursing content and process, as well as leadership skills, teaching experience and the ability to manage health care systems. Areas of specialty within their MSN program include health education, informatics, health administration, and healthcare management.
Dual Degree: MSN/MBA MSN - Nurse Education MSN - Nurse Leadership	Grand Canyon University — Earn your dual master's degree in business and nursing, along with specialties in clinical care, education, family nurse practitioner, or nursing leadership at Grand Canyon University's college of nursing and health sciences. Each course can provide you with the skills and techniques you need to become the best in your field.
RN to BSN to MSN MSN - Psychiatric Nurse MSN - Clinical Trials MSN - Adult Acute Care More...	Drexel University — The RN to BSN to MSN track offered by Drexel University is a cutting-edge program that allows students to work on their bachelor's degree while simultaneously pursuing their master's. Students enrolling in this program must be a licensed registered nurse with some prior college experience, perhaps an associate's degree. MSN programs offered: adult acute care, adult psychiatric and mental health, clinical trials research, contemporary nursing faculty, innovation and intra/entrepreneurship in advanced nursing practice, and nursing leadership in health systems management.
MSN - Nurse Education	Graceland University — The 40-credit MSN nurse educator program from Graceland University is CCNE accredited, with online courses lasting eight weeks per session. The curriculum, which includes courses in advanced health assessment, education technology, and issues in nursing education, is designed with the working RN in mind, as students are able to complete the degree from home after hours.
MS in Nursing	Liberty University — Learn how to provide expert clinical care and related health care services to individuals, families and groups of people across the lifespan in a variety of acute care and community settings through Liberty University's Master of Science in Nursing program. Liberty University incorporates core Christian values into all of their degree offerings in order to provide all students a thorough academic and spiritually enriching program of study.
MS in Nursing	Saint Xavier University — For nurses looking for a more advanced role in the workplace, consider the online MSN degree program from Saint Xavier University, which offers a Clinical Nurse Leader focus. Graduates of this program will be prepared to critically assess patient data and treatment options as well as coordinate with doctors and other nurses.
RN to MSN MSN - Informatics MSN - Case Management MSN - Leadership MSN - Infection Prevention	American Sentinel University — For registered nurses looking for further advancement in their careers, the RN to MSN degree programs offered by American Sentinel University offer the learning experience required to advance in nursing informatics, case management, organizational leadership, infection prevention, and more. Students of this program complete 21 undergraduate credits plus 36 graduate-level credits to obtain their degrees.
MS in Nursing MSN - Nurse Administration MSN - Nurse Education	Kaplan University — Earn your M.S. in Nursing with a specialty in nurse administration or nurse education with an online degree from Kaplan University. The Master of Science in Nursing is also a foundation for future doctoral studies, and these online programs makes it easy for you to keep working while you study.
MSN - Nurse Educator MSN - Nurse Educator Bridge	Capella University — The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs from Capella University Online are geared toward BSN graduates currently working as registered nurses (RNs). They offer MSN - Nurse Educator and MSN - Nurse Educator Bridge programs. For those wishing for a flexible and affordable plan to take their nursing careers to the next level, Capella is a very sound choice.
MSN - Nurse Administration MSN - Nurse Education	Norwich University — Norwich University offers master's in nursing degree programs in nurse administration and nursing education. Graduates of each of these programs will be well skilled in healthcare communication, critical thinking, and nursing leadership. Both programs consist of 36 credit hours of online coursework divided into six online seminars.
MS in Nursing	Benedictine University — Benedictine offers an MS in Nursing program that prepares students with the expert nursing knowledge and skill they will need to become specialized nurse practitioners in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinical care units, and doctors' offices.
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