Funding

Information about funding graduate school is definitely something to look at and be aware of but to arrange more specifically once you have been accepted into a program. Obviously there are military contract programs through each of the branches of service especially if you come to them already having earned a BSN. Aside from that, and scholarships which are either school specific or require outside research and application, the U.S. Government is your best bet for funding programs.

Pell grants, Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans and PLUS loans are all available to graduate students with the appropriate demonstration of financial need. The application is a one stop shopping place for almost all government administered financial aid programs. The benefit to this is that you only fill out one application. You are automatically offered any program for which you are eligible.

Most schools like to have the results from this application by february or march for academic years starting in the fall. Also remember that your school may have a school specific application that you should fill out also.

The National Health Service Corp is a program seperate from the other federal financial aid packages. There are two tracks, a Scholarship track and a Loan Repayment track.

• Scholarship is a funding program that pays up front for tuition, books, equipment, supplies and a monthly stipend. After graduation you are contracted for one year for each year that you recieved assistance with a two year minimum. The contract requires that you obtain employment in a designated underserved area. Clinics and healthcare institutions apply for this status through the NHSC.
• Loan Repayment is applied for after graduation and provides up to $25,000/year of loan repayment for the first two years and $35,000/year for each additional year of work.

To view areas that are currently considered underserved, look here I recommend leaving the projected hire date blank so you can see all opportunities. Obviously the jobs you see now may or may not qualify as NHSC sites by the time you have graduated, but it gives you an idea of how broad the kinds of areas serviced are.

Applications are accepted each year until July.

Fellowships, sponsorships, etc. are another thing that may be difficult to find but well worth it if you do find one. Check with your school and local healthcare agencies/institutions. Networking is the best way to sniff these out. Here's an example of one: Intermountain Healthcare Urban North Region is looking to hire ten Pscyh Nurse Practitioners in the next five years. They are offering a tuition/book reimbursement program for individuals that are interested in this modality. The program also includes a stipend opportunity that pays the difference between full time and part-time wage so that you can work part-time while in school. The contract for this program is a 1:1 years in school to years of full-time work post graduation.