The College of Nursing is able to offer a number of scholarships to students through the generosity of alumni, corporate partners, and friends. The College of Nursing awards scholarships on the basis of financial need.
Eligibility
Students must be enrolled in the College of Nursing and in good standing with the University to receive scholarship support. Students must also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Penn State’s recommended filing date of December 1 for prospective first-year students and April 15 for continuing students. Visit FAFSA to complete the application.
Notification and Disbursement
Scholarship awarding is an ongoing process and awards are made throughout the year. The majority of the awarding is completed in June before the upcoming academic year. Scholarship recipients will receive notification to their Penn State email address upon completion of the awarding process. Award amounts are divided equally between fall and spring semesters. For example, an award of $2,000 will appear in the student’s account as $1,000 for fall semester, and $1,000 for spring semester. Only students receiving a scholarship will be notified of an award.
Additional Scholarship Opportunities
College of Nursing students are invited to apply for scholarships offered by external organizations. Please note that these scholarship opportunities have specific criteria and require additional applications.
Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania
The Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania offer scholarships for students completing the following programs:
- Diploma
- Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Associate Degree (AD)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion
- Advanced Degree – Masters (to include CNS, CNM, CRNA, CRNP and the like)
- Advanced Degree – Doctoral (to include DNP & DNS)
Applications are accepted from January 2020 to March 2020.
Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania
The Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania accepts scholarship applications from January 1, 2020 to March 30, 2020. Criteria can be viewed on the NFP website.
Geraldine “Polly” Bednash Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to support outstanding nursing students in baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs. Two $5,000 scholarships are distributed to the top applicants four times each year. Applicants must have at least a 3.2 GPA in their current program or last school attended. They must be admitted or enrolled in a program at an American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) member institution affiliated with CertifiedBackground.com.
Hurst Reviews/AACN Nursing Scholarship
Hurst Review Services and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) have partnered to offer scholarships to students pursuing professional nursing degrees. Two $2,500 scholarships are awarded twice yearly.
The deadlines each year are January 15 and July 15.
Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarships
The Caroline E. Holt Nursing Scholarship, Mildred Nutting Nursing Scholarship, the District of Columbia Nursing Scholarship, and the Madeline Pickett (Halbert) Cogswell Nursing Scholarship are all available through the Daughters of the American Revolution Society. Each scholarship is a one-time award ranging from $2,000 to $2,500.
The application deadline is February 15, 2020.
Master’s and Doctoral Degree Scholarships
Nurses Educational Funds (NEF) Scholarships
The Nurses Educational Funds (NEF) scholarship program awards 22 scholarships to students enrolled full or part time in an NLNAC or CCNE accredited nursing program who have maintained a minimum GPA of 3.6 over at least 12 credits.
The application deadline is February 3, 2020 for 2020-2021.
Promise of Nursing Faculty Fellowships
The Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association (FNSNA) awards fellowships for registered nurses enrolled in graduate level, degree-granting college and universities in selected regions of the US. The fellowships may be applied toward tuition, academic fees, and books. Award amounts range from $1,000 to $7,500 per academic year.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Other Scholarship and Financial Aid Information
39 Nursing Scholarships for All Kinds of Students
Financial Literacy at Penn State
76% of all undergraduate students at Penn State receive one or more types of student aid including grants, work-study, scholarships, and federal direct loans. The Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center offers recorded presentations and hands-on worksheet exercises to help students understand their student aid and make informed financial decisions.
Funding Your Study Abroad Experience
The College of Nursing Student Engagement Fund helps students broaden their global perspectives by providing funds to help alleviate some of the financial stress associated with studying abroad. If you are interested in using funds from the Global Engagement Travel Fund to help with the cost of your flight, meals, or other travel-related expenses, please submit a request:
College of Nursing Student Engagement Funds Application
The Education Abroad Office also has information on how to apply for study abroad scholarships:
The Easy Guide to Study Abroad Scholarships
Penn State Student Engagement Network Grants
The Penn State Student Engagement Network provides funding for Penn State undergraduate students interested in engagement opportunities that focus on multicultural awareness, civic responsibility, ethical reasoning, systems thinking, and professional development: