17 Best Catholic Nursing Scholarships

It’s no longer News that there is a very high demand for nurses, in fact, recent studies from the National Library of Medicine show that the United States needs 11 million additional skilled nurses to fill the gaps and avoid further shortages in skilled healthcare labor. The same research shows that more registered nurse jobs will be available through 2022 than any other profession in the United States. 

However good and promising this may sound, it doesn’t stop the fact that becoming a nurse is becoming more and more expensive, tuition fee is always rising annually and there’s no sign of slowing down. Fortunately, there are several Catholic nursing scholarships that can help reduce or even totally waive the cost of pursuing a nursing career.

It’s worth noting that these scholarships come in different forms and depending on your academic prowess, leadership skill, location, and specific program, the amount you’ll receive varies. And that also applies to some other Catholic scholarships for graduates, or African Americans, even international students have different Catholic scholarships with varying financial resources.

Let’s take a look at how you can maximize these nursing scholarships.

Catholic nursing scholarships

Catholic Nursing Scholarships

1. The Catholic University of America – The Conway School of Nursing Scholarships

  • Award: Up to full scholarship

One of the interesting things about enrolling in the Conway School of Nursing is that more than 90% of undergraduates receive merit-based academic scholarships and/or need-based grants. Another interesting thing is that some students even receive full scholarships which will cover the entire tuition fees, and also go further to cover accommodation and books.

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2. Australian Catholic University – Nursing Honours Scholarship

  • Award: $10,000

This is among the Catholic nursing scholarships awarded to students who intend to study an honors program at ACU after completing their bachelor’s degree either at ACU or at another institute. The scholarship will be paid in installments of $5,000 per semester.

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3. University of Mary – CHI Nursing Scholarship

  • Award: $18,000

The University of Mary is partnering with Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) to provide $10 million worth of scholarships to nursing students at Mary entering their senior year. Eligible candidates will study University of Mary during their senior year without paying for tuition.

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4. Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma – College Scholarships

This foundation awards college scholarships to qualified Catholic high school seniors from within the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Scholarships are awarded from several endowed funds, including the Helen R. Hall Nursing Scholarship which is exclusively for Nursing students.

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5. Florence E. Moses Nursing Scholarship

  • Award: Minimum of $1,000

This is one of the faith-based nursing scholarships that was established in memory of the life of Florence Eileen Moses, who experienced several difficult times, including repeated acts of God, but still used her nursing career along with her husband to help lots of people. The scholarship is awarded to students already enrolled in the Mount Carmel College of Nursing.

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6. Aquinas College – Nursing Scholarships

  • Award: Ranges from $10,000 – $14,000 (freshmen)

Aquinas College provides different scholarships to nursing students, one of my favorites is their Merit-based scholarships awarded to freshmen students. Also, if you completed your education at a Catholic school (either K-12 or 9-12) you’ll still be eligible for an additional $500 Scholarship.

Transfer nursing students also have special scholarships for them.

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7. Avila University – School of Nursing Scholarships

  • Award: Varies

School of Nursing at Avila University provides different nursing scholarships, note that each scholarship has its own criteria and deadline. Some of them include;

  • Tradition of Excellence
  • Nursing Academic Honors
  • Excellence in Leadership Award
  • Excellence in Clinical Practice Award

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8. Lewis University – Financial Aid for Nursing Students

Lewis University is claimed to be the most affordable Catholic university in Chicago and one of the most affordable private colleges in all of Illinois. On top of this, they still generously provide an average of $18,000 worth of scholarships & grants to freshmen, including those enrolling for nursing.

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9. Cabrini University – Nursing Scholarships

  • Award: $5,000 to $36,865

Cabrini University provides two kinds of Catholic nursing scholarships the first one is Maguire Nursing Scholars, where eligible students will receive up to $5,000 each year for four years—$20,000 total. The second one is Independence Blue Cross Foundation Healthcare Scholars, which is also partnering with the school to provide scholarships to only one nursing student and can cover up to the cost of tuition and other educational fees.

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10. Madonna University Scholarships

  • Award: Varies

Thanks to several organizations and donors partnering with Madonna University, they are able to provide various scholarships, including those for nursing students, some of them include;

  • Privaloff Family Undergraduate Nursing Education Endowed Scholarship 
  • Jessica Marie Mitsch Endowed Scholarship (Nursing)
  • Pauline Kulwicki/Madonna Nursing Alumni Endowed Scholarship
  • Beverly Hydo Endowed Scholarship (Nursing)

And many others

11. MSMU – Masters of Science in Nursing Scholarships

  • Award: Varies

Mount Saint Mary’s University provides different merit-based scholarships to Nursing students intending to further their education at the school. The merit of the student and the type of scholarship will determine the amount that will be awarded.

Some of their scholarships include;

  • Kaiser Permanente’s Institute of Nursing Excellence: awarded to Nurses employed by the Kaiser Foundation Hospital qualify to receive $20,000 in IONE funds; a 15% tuition discount and an annual stipend.
  • Tuition discount for employees of Catholic-owned hospitals 
  • Archdioceses Tuition Reduction program

And many others

12. Council of Catholic Nurses, Diocese of Joliet, Illinois

  • Award: $500

This Catholic nursing scholarship is awarded to students enrolled in the senior year of a Nursing program who are registered members of a Catholic parish in the Joliet Diocese.

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13. Regis College – The Compassionate Leadership Scholarship

  • Award: $5,000

This is among the Catholic Health care scholarships for students studying in the Young School of Nursing. The scholarship will be awarded on an annual basis to one student.

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14. Seton Hall University Undergraduate Nursing Scholarships

  • Award: Varies

Seton Hall provides several Undergraduate Catholic nursing scholarships which include;

  • Catherine P. Hanley (’66) Endowed Nursing Scholarship
  • Edward & Stella Van Houton Scholarship
  • McGrath Endowed Scholarship Fund
  • Robert & Mary Alno Sweeney Endowed Scholarship
  • Switzer Foundation Scholarships

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15. F.A. Davis Scholarships

  • Award: $1,000

The F.A. Davis Scholarship is awarded annually to support those aspiring to work in healthcare including nurses. To be eligible, candidates must be a student in good standing with an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 and must be a student in the U.S. or Canada (Must be a citizen, legal resident, or holder of a valid student visa).

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16. UMass Boston – Scholarships: Beacons of Promise

If a student is considered a Beacon of Promise at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, they have demonstrated the ability to undertake their educational work with focus and strength. For that reason, the faculty provides some valuable scholarships to help them pursue their career with less worry over their financial expenses, here are some of these scholarships;

  • Dr. Anne Kibrick, Graduate Nursing Scholarship
  • Dr. Sylvia Gendrop Scholarship
  • Elizabeth Rogers Endowed Scholarship
  • Florence Squires Scholarship

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17. Newman University – Nursing Scholarships for Undergraduate

  • Award: Range between $600 to $12,000

One of the interesting things about Newman University is that even though it’s grounded in Catholic values and traditions, it still respects all faith traditions. They also provide different scholarships that have each unique eligibility and award, they include;

  • Gouldner Scholarships
  • David Felts Scholarship
  • Riley-kelly Scholarship
  • heinz Nursing Scholarship
  • Kylie Renee Hare Annual Pre-nursing Scholarship

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Conclusion

In summary, you can see there are several Catholic nursing scholarships that can help you pursue your dream of becoming a nurse under the Catholic faith. You can also see some of them go beyond providing financial resources, but also provides mentorship, and free conferences.

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