Apply for scholarships. Speak with a financial aid representative or your nursing faculty adviser to learn of any scholarships that exist for nursing students who agree to work in high poverty areas while going to school or after graduating. The Nursing Scholarship Program administered by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration is an example of this as it pays tuition, fees and a monthly stipend for students that agree to work in critical-shortage facilities, which are often found in high poverty areas.
Ask about tuition reimbursement. Get training as a nursing assistant or medication aide and find a health care organization in a high poverty area that provides tuition reimbursement. Work at the organization while attending nursing school and the company will reimburse you for your tuition expenses. If you aren't currently employed or don't want to work while attending nursing school, contact health care organizations in high poverty areas to learn if they would sponsor you. Some employers will pay for you to attend nursing school if you agree to work for them for a specific number of years in their high poverty clinic or hospital once you graduate.
Take out student loans. Borrow money in the form of student loans to pay for nursing school. After graduating with your degree, work in a high poverty area as a nurse with a nonprofit hospital to qualify for the federal student loan forgiveness program. This allows 60 percent of your student loan to be forgiven if you work at least two years. Check into state programs that may exist as well for student loan forgiveness, such as the Janet Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program in the state of Maryland.