District of Columbia Nursing Scholarships & Grants

When you talk about the fastest growing areas in the country, Washington D.C. is a place that must get a mention somewhere in there.

With more and more people moving into the capital city for different purposes, that has created a certain need in the medical field there.

Hospitals have to be able to serve their populations effectively, which means they need to hire skilled nurses and doctors. For students who want to study nursing in Washington, there are lots of different options to consider. You should not just immediately think that you can’t make it happen because of a lack of money, either.

There are plenty of financial aid options out there, including many scholarships and grants.

Merit scholarships in Washington D.C.

Some students are able to pull initial merit scholarships based upon how well they have fared in school thus far. One of the challenges that universities face is trying to attract the best candidates for their open spots. In order to do this, they will sometimes offer money based upon a student’s merit. If you have a strong educational record, then you need to apply for these scholarships directly with the schools.

This will usually require strong scores and strong grades, but there are other factors to be considered on top of those things.

The schools themselves will have their own process for handling this scholarship application process. Some D.C. schools will want students to just submit their application for the program, at which time they will be considered for any and all scholarship money. Other programs around the city have individual, separate scholarships that you must put in another application for. Doing the research and knowing the process at the program where you want to go is quite important and it can help you get the money to make it happen.

Applying early for scholarships

One thing to know about scholarships, whether you have to apply through a special process or not, is that they are considered on a rolling basis. Most places will give precedence to students who get their applications in as early as possible. Once the schools have handed out all the money that they have for their scholarships, nothing will be left for you. Be sure to also fill out your FAFSA.

This means get those applications in right away if you want to be competitive through the scholarship application process.

Special scholarships through foundations

There are many foundations out there in the medical world and lots of them give out nursing scholarships each year to students in Washington who want to pursue a solid nursing education. These foundations are especially designed to help out individuals who have a pressing need for money or those students who meet a set of qualifications.

As you would with the school of your choice, you will need to apply for these scholarships directly through the foundation that is offering them. Check on the qualifications for these scholarships, because they will often be given out only to a special type of student or someone from a certain part of D.C.

Looking to grants for your funding

For those students who do not get the scholarships that they want or those who still need more funding, you might want to consider grants. There are many ways to get these grants to get going on your education in D.C., so keeping each of them in the front of your mind is absolutely important. First, you will want to consider grants from the federal government, because they are surprisingly easy to get and they are easy to apply for.

Applying for federal grants through FASFA

If you have been around the educational funding world for any time at all, then you have heard the acronym FAFSA. This means Federal Application for Student Financial Aid and it is one of the single most important applications that most people will ever fill out. If you need funding based upon need, submitting this will give you a chance to pick up grants that the government hands out. One of these is the Federal Pell Grant, which goes to all students who qualify based upon their finances. The Pell Grant can be used to pay for tuition for an undergraduate program in nursing.

One of the nice things about applying through FASFA is that you will be considered for a host of different grants. You won’t have to just declare one thing. If you are eligible in D.C. for a grant, then it will be picked up with this application. Likewise, you will also be able to qualify for student loans by filing this application, so it is a very good way to knock out a couple of things in one swing.

Private grants throughout Washington, D.C.

One place you might want to look for private grants is with the hospitals themselves. Lots of the hospitals around the city and in the surrounding areas are in need of nurses, which means they will give out grants to some nursing students. In many cases, this grant will come along with the promise that you will work for them for a period after graduation. If you know right now that you want to stay in one part of D.C. and you are willing to sign a contract with a hospital, you can get a grant to pay for tuition and you will also be able to line up that first job before you ever finish the program.

Specific nursing organizations can help as well.

A lack of funding just is not a prohibitive factor anymore like it used to be. All over Washington, students are getting the help that they need to make a nursing education a reality. These individuals are finding specifically that grants and scholarships are readily available to those people who will just look for them. If you cannot find those, then the next best bet is to get student loans either through a government source or with a private lender. Whatever the case, this should pay off over the long haul as it is one of the best investments you can make.