Nursing scholarships for minorities are provided for minority students who wish to pursue a career in the nursing profession. The aim of the scholarship is to promote or increase diversity in nursing and in this blog post, I have curated a list of these scholarships for you to apply and get the funding you need to pursue your dreams.
Nurses are among the most important people in the healthcare field, they offer care to patients, educate the general public about various health conditions, assist physicians, and carry out a lot of other responsibilities in hospitals, clinics, elderly care homes, and across other healthcare facilities. To become a registered nurse, you can either start with an Associate of Nursing Degree (ADN) which takes 2 years, or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree which takes about 4 years.
After completing any of the degrees, you cannot start practicing until you sit for the licensure exam, Passing this exam will earn you a nursing license and you can start practicing as a Registered Nurse (RN). From this level, you may decide to take on professional nursing education like earning a master’s degree with a focus on a particular nursing specialization to become an advanced nurse.
Becoming a nurse is no doubt a good decision and if you do study to become a nurse, it is equally a great investment because nurses are in high demand across a range of healthcare facilities. You are most likely to get a job almost immediately after you complete nursing school and begin helping people as you have always dreamt.
However, one of the major factors that cripples the dream of potential nurses is the cost of nursing school. Nursing is one of the medical disciplines and from general knowledge, we all know how expensive programs in that field can be and nursing is not spared. Therefore, this has become a huge drawback in the nursing profession and has caused a huge decline in the global number of nurses.
According to Nurse.org, the cost of a BSN ranges from $37,600 to over $150,000 depending on whether it is a private or public institution. And as for the 2-year nursing program which is the ADN, students can expect to pay from $8,000 to $50,000 depending on whether it is a private or public institution.
The high cost of nursing school shouldn’t discourage you from pursuing your passion, there are scholarships and grants that you can apply for to help reduce the cost or even cover the entire cost of nursing school for you. Information for nursing scholarships is everywhere on the internet but it can be a daunting task sieving through all of this information because it contains both expired and ongoing scholarships.
But then, I have sieved through the information and gathered a list of nursing scholarships for minorities that are offered annually, this way if you missed applying for any of the scholarships this year, you can check in again next year, so it’d be best that you bookmark this page.
Before we get into the main topic, there are several related articles on STEM scholarships for Hispanic student and scholarships for minorities in healthcare, as well as many others that we have published that will contribute to your search for scholarships and you can even apply for them in addition to the ones curated here.
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Top Nursing Scholarships for Minorities
By the numbers, individuals from minority ethnic groups are lacking in nursing professions even though more than 40% of them make up the US population and are even projected to become the majority by 2045 according to a Brookings Institution analysis of 2020 US Census Bureau data.
According to a survey by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and the Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers, there are only 19.4% of registered nurses from minority backgrounds. There is a need to increase diversity in nursing and one of the ways to do this is to increase access to nursing education for those from minority backgrounds by assisting them with the high cost of attaining a nursing degree.
With the financial burden reduced, individuals from these underrepresented backgrounds will be encouraged to pursue and earn a nursing degree. Nursing scholarships for minorities can go a long way in increasing diversity in the nursing field and there are quite a few of them which are curated here and without any further ado, let’s get into them.
The nursing scholarships for minorities are:
- Gateway to Success Minority Nursing Scholarship
- William K. Schubert Minority Nursing Scholarship
- American Indian Medical Scholarship Program
- Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program
- The Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship
- NBNA Scholarship Program
- NAHN Scholarship Programs
- National Medical Fellowships Scholarships and Awards
- Buckfire & Buckfire Medical Diversity Scholarship Program
1. Gateway to Success Minority Nursing Scholarship
Gateway to Success Minority Nursing Scholarship is funded by Clarkson College, a college with one of the best nursing programs in the region. The Gateway scholarship supports the cost of nursing at Clarkson College for a select number of racial minority students each year. To be eligible, you must have a high school GPA of 2.5 on a scale of 4.0, meet the eligibility requirements for employment at Nebraska Medicine, and must complete the summer internship program at Nebraska Medicine.
The scholarship value is $14,000 per student for an academic year and is awarded for 4 years provided you maintain a 2.5 GPA for scholarship renewal. Applying for this scholarship also means that you intend to pursue a BSN degree at Clarkson College.
2. William K. Schubert Minority Nursing Scholarship
The William K. Schubert Minority Nursing Scholarship is offered by the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to increase the diversity of RNs are the hospital. If you are looking to become a pediatric nurse and you come from one of the racial-ethnic minority groups, you can qualify for this scholarship to assist with your tuition. Male nurses can also apply for the scholarship.
To be eligible, you must have enrolled or accepted into a prelicensure RN bachelor or master’s degree program at an accredited nursing school on a full-time or part-time basis. Applicants must also have and maintain a minimum of 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 scale. The scholarship award is $2,750 per year, the funds are sent directly to recipients’ schools to be used for tuition and fees only.
3. American Indian Medical Scholarship Program
The above-named scholarship program was launched in 1928 by the NSCDA to mitigate the cost of nursing education through financial support for American Indian students who want to pursue careers in nursing. Recipients of this scholarship are obligated to return to work among their people to help improve health care.
The scholarship will award $1,500 each semester to a student as long as the student remains in good academic standing. The funding is directed only for tuition and specific academic expenses.
4. Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program
Native Hawaiians are underrepresented in the nursing field and this scholarship program is designed to bring more Native Hawaiians into nursing practice as well as in other medical disciplines. To apply, you must prove your Hawaiian ancestry, pursue a nursing profession, and be enrolled in a full-time accredited nursing program.
The scholarship program pays for your tuition, provides you with a monthly stipend, and covers other related school expenses. The scholarship program also requires that recipients of the scholarship must serve for one year in a medically underserved area within the state of Hawaii immediately after graduation/licensure for every year of funding they receive.
5. The Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship
The Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship is one of the healthcare scholarships for minorities, you also qualify to apply if you are a Hispanic student pursuing a nursing program.
The National Hispanic Health Foundation launched the Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship as a way of providing financial assistance to Hispanics in medical programs and promoting diversity in the healthcare field. Recipients are selected based on excellent academic records, leadership abilities, and commitment to serving Hispanics.
The scholarship offers $5,000 annually for up to 4 years to the recipient as well as individual scholarship awards of $2,000 each. Aside from the financial awards, recipients also receive professional mentorship to help them with career growth.
6. NBNA Scholarship Program
The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) launched an annual scholarship program to provide financial assistance to Black nurses at all levels (LPN to Doctorate). You must be a member of NBNA and be currently enrolled in a nursing program to be eligible. You must also be in good academic standing and have at least one full year of school remaining to qualify for the award.
Application materials include a resume or CV, an official transcript from an accredited nursing school, a 2-page personal statement or essay, two letters of recommendation, and a clear professional headshot. The scholarship value ranges from $1,000 to $15,000.
7. NAHN Scholarship Programs
Every year, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) offers scholarships to increase the number of Hispanic/Latino nurses. There are different scholarship programs offered every year each with its specific criteria and application requirements. The number and types of scholarships offered each year are dependent upon the amount of money in the scholarship fund.
Recipients are selected based on various factors such as financial need, academic performance, supporting documentation, and course of study. You must be a member of NAHN to qualify for any of the scholarships. Application materials may include transcripts, recommendation letters, resumes or CVs, and essays.
8. National Medical Fellowships Scholarships and Awards
Minority students who want to pursue nursing can also take advantage of the NMF scholarships to finance their nursing education.
The National Medical Fellowships offers various scholarships to promote diversity within the medical field including nursing. Therefore, the scholarships are targeted to those from minority ethnic groups enrolled in any healthcare program such as nursing at an accredited institution in the U.S. Then you can be eligible to apply for the National Medical Fellowships Scholarships and Awards.
You must demonstrate leadership abilities and be committed to serving medically underserved communities to be eligible. Other requirements for the scholarship include a student aid report, an official letter of financial award offer, a current professional school transcript, and other personal documents. Application deadlines and procedures can be found in the link below.
9. Buckfire & Buckfire Medical Diversity Scholarship Program
Buckfire Law provides law school scholarships for minorities and still provides scholarships for minorities in healthcare. As a minority student seeking for extra funding for nursing school, you are welcome to apply for the Buckfire & Buckfire Medical Diversity Scholarship Program.
The Buckfire & Buckfire Medical Diversity Scholarship Program is an annual scholarship program established in 2014 by the Buckfire Law Firm as part of its initiative to recognize medical school students who do outstanding work to promote ethnic diversity in their community. Applicants for this award can either be from a minority ethnic group or any individual who demonstrates a defined commitment to issues of diversity within their community.
Applicants must be US citizens and currently be enrolled in an accredited medical school within the US with an excellent academic record which should be reflected in their GPA. In addition to the eligibility criteria, applicants must submit an official medical school transcript, essay, and complete scholarship application form.
Conclusion
Scholarships for minorities are getting more and more popular these days, especially in fields like medicine and law. This presents an opportunity for individuals from ethnic minority groups who wish to further their education to college, by applying for these scholarships, they can easily foot their college bills without running into so much student debt.
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