All Students: Student Resources - Financial Aid & Scholarship Information

All Students: Student Resources - Financial Aid
& Scholarship Information
Before You Start: Types of Funding

There are many types of funding available to help you pay for your nursing education. Sources of possible financial aid include:

Scholarships: Money is awarded that you don't need to pay back. Many scholarships have stipulations regarding the type and location of your post-graduate employment. Sources include private foundations and organizations, University of Washington, and School of Nursing-specific scholarships.
Grants: Often awarded to help students complete a thesis/special project or research, grant money does not need to be repaid.
TA/RA positions: Teaching or research assistantship positions that pay for your tuition, plus a monthly stipend. (Not available to undergraduate students.) Click here for guidelines on searching and applying for TA/RA positions.
Loans: Federal (Nursing, Perkins and Stafford) Student Loan Programs have varying interest rates and repayment provisions. An education loan must be repaid. There are many different types of education loans available, from interest-subsidized federally backed loans to specialized loans for specific fields of study. Loans available to students include the Perkins, Stafford and National Health Services Corps programs. Investigate your state's Department of Health, Rural Health Department, and Indian Health Services, to see what loan programs are offered.
Loan repayment: Most states coordinate with the federal government to offer programs that offer financial assistance, in the form of loan repayments, for a commitment to service (generally in an area of need). You may receive a salary in addition to loan repayment. If eligible the student borrows money, and if certain requirements are met, government funding sources provide a dollar-for-dollar match to repay qualifying educational loans.
Tuition reimbursement programs: Some employers offer programs that pay for a portion of tuition while you work a required minimum of hours. Ask the human resources office at your workplace to see if your employer offers this benefit. UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center offer six credits of paid tuition to all employees working at least half-time.
Other creative ways of receiving money include thinking about the communities to which you belong. Scholarship opportunities may be available through clubs, religious organizations, your state, national and local health service associations, or employers. Professional groups sometimes allocate a portion of membership dues for nursing student scholarships. There are scholarships for women, for multi-ethnic students, for nurses, for older students, for those pursuing a second career, and for people who want to practice in underserved areas, to name just a few examples. For more ideas, see the postings on bulletin boards outside the UW School of Nursing Academic Services, Room T310 of the UW Health Sciences building.

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