Research the availability of nursing scholarships and grants for which you may be qualified. Begin your search as early as you can since most scholarships and grants have deadlines for application submissions and many will require essays and a copy of school transcripts.
Request information about scholarships from the schools you are interested in attending. Most schools have academic as well as major-related scholarships that are specific to their institution. Many will not consider a candidate for their institution-specific scholarship unless they have already been accepted into the program.
Choose the nursing school or schools you are interested in attending and complete the application process. This includes filling out the application, arranging for your transcripts and ACT or SAT scores to be sent to the school and, in some cases, providing letters of reference and an essay. Be aware that some schools charge an application fee.
Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which is available through the school or online. This is a federal government form that calculates how much college tuition money you are eligible to receive. Complete the FAFSA form after January 1 of the year you intend to enroll. This is best done after you or your parents have filed annual income tax forms as the information requested on the FAFSA comes directly from the income tax form. Obtain the FAFSA school identification number from the colleges you have chosen and include them on the FAFSA. That way the FAFSA results will be sent to all the schools you have listed.
Research other nursing scholarships that are not directly related to the schools are interested in attending. For example, the Veteran's Administration offers a scholarship that pays for tuition, books and a stipend in exchange for working at one of their facilities for two years, This kind of scholarship can be applied to any nursing program at any college you choose.
Contact nursing associations and groups to determine whether they are offering scholarships. Some scholarships are available from these groups for specialized training, such as operating room nurses and obstetrical nurses.
Visit your local unemployment office and determine whether your state offers tuition vouchers for nursing training. Review the requirements. If you are eligible, provide the paperwork needed to prove that you have been accepted in nursing school.
Notify the schools in which you are interested if you receive any outside scholarships as this will be added to the financial package they offer you.
Review the financial packages the schools you are interested in attending offer you. Compare the amount of college tuition you are expected to pay to what the schools cost and any grants or scholarships they are providing.
Choose the school that has the most beneficial financial package for you. Some schools will ask you to sign a letter of intent, which informs the school that it is your intention to attend there.
Notify the outside scholarship sources of the school you are planning to attend. Provide a contact name and phone number from the college's financial aid office should they need to be in touch with the school about your scholarship.