A nurse can obtain a graduate school grant from state or federal agencies, specialty nursing organizations and non-profit groups.
There are three basic types of graduate school grants: scholarships, loans and loan repayments.
Scholarships pay tuition and fees, and don't need to be repaid. If you're granted a loan for tuition and fees, you'll need to repay these dollars after you graduate. Loan repayment programs offer forgiveness for previously loaned money if you work in a specific area, such as a critical shortage facility, after graduation.
Some grants are broad in scope while others are very specific. Grants from the National Health Service Corps, for example, are open only to professionals who practice in a medically under-served area.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has an excellent online site with links that direct you to grant programs for nursing graduate students (see Resources for a link). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services division of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) lists specifics for federal grants.