Accelerated nursing programs are faster to complete and more expensive compared to traditional nursing programs. However, you can mitigate the cost by applying for scholarships for accelerated nursing programs. Yes, such scholarships exist but you may be unable to identify them thus the reason for this blog post is so that you don’t go through the stress of searching for them.
A traditional nursing program takes between 2-4 years to complete depending on the qualification you want to get. For some individuals, this is a long time to spend pursuing a nursing degree so they opt for an accelerated nursing program instead. This nursing pathway takes a shorter time and there is no difference in the skill gained from an accelerated nursing program from a traditional nursing program.
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What is an Accelerated Nursing Program?
To clear the air before we move on, an accelerated nursing program is a nursing degree pathway or option that helps students earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BNS) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees faster than the traditional program and still graduate with the necessary skills and credentials to succeed in the career.
How Long is an Accelerated Nursing Program?
An accelerated nursing program takes a very short time to complete, generally between 11 and 24 months to earn a BSN.
How Much is an Accelerated Nursing Program?
The cost of an accelerated nursing program varies from school to school. Some schools charge per credit unit while others charge per semester or per year. Accelerated BSN at Loyola University Chicago is $15,230 per semester, the total program cost for accelerated nursing for a year at UPenn is $120,152, and CSU Northbridge charges per unit at $800.
Contact your host institution to know how much they charge for an accelerated nursing program and the duration.
Moving on, an accelerated nursing pathway quickly prepares you for the nursing field, and in that short time, equips you with the necessary skills to succeed in your career. As exciting as this may seem, it has its downsides which are rigorous workload, high cost of tuition, highly competitive as institutions that offer the program accept very few applicants, and not many institutions offer an accelerated nursing program.
While nothing much can be done about most of these disadvantages associated with accelerated nursing programs there is one that you can tackle on your own and that is the tuition part. Yes, accelerated nursing programs are costly compared to traditional nursing pathways but you can do something about it to reduce the cost for you and I am talking about applying for scholarships.
As a prospective or current college student enrolled in any academic program, it is important that you seek scholarships and grants that you qualify for and apply for them so that you do not graduate with so much student debt. Scholarships and grants are free money directed towards a student’s education and they do not have to be repaid. Applying for them goes a long to mitigate the cost of your college education cutting down the amount of your student debt.
Now, since accelerated nursing programs are expensive I have curated a list of scholarships for accelerated nursing programs that you can apply for to cover all or part of your tuition. Yes, such scholarships and grants exist but you may not be able to identify them that is why this blog post is created, not just to help you identify them, but to take the stress off of you looking for them and then applying for them.
In addition to the scholarships for accelerated nursing programs curated here, I’d recommend that you seek other scholarships such as scholarships for tall students or scholarships for students with glasses, and others whose criteria you fit into and apply for them, apply for as many as you meet their requirements. You can also apply for other nursing scholarships and grants which you are eligible for and apply for them whether as a newly enrolled student or as a current student.
By the time you begin to receive the award from these scholarships and direct them towards your tuition in accelerated nursing, you will see that full or part of your tuition is covered and you will be graduating with little to no student debt.
Scholarships for Accelerated Nursing Programs
If you are in an accelerated nursing program or about to enroll in one, the scholarships here are curated just for you to apply and get funding to cover all or part of your program.
The scholarships for accelerated nursing programs are:
- FNSNA Scholarship
- The Joseph Brandlin Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Nursing Scholarships
- Colorado Nurses Foundation Accelerated Nursing Scholarship
- IDPH Nursing Education Scholarship Program
- Canadian Nurses Foundation Scholarship Program
- The Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship
- The Cleveland Council of Black Nurses (CCBN) Nursing Scholarship Program
- Gateway to Success Minority Nursing Scholarship
- A Nurse I Am Scholarship
- Good Samaritan Foundation’s Scholarship
- American Indian Medical Scholarship Program
- Manitoba Nurses Union Scholarships & Education Funds
1. FNSNA Scholarship
The Foundation of the National Student Nurses Association, Inc. (FNSNA) awards annual scholarships as part of its mission to promote the nursing profession. It is open to all undergraduates currently enrolled in a state-approved nursing program leading to an associate degree, baccalaureate, diploma, direct-entry master’s degree, RN to BSN/MSN completion, LPN/LVN to RN, or accelerated programs.
Students in an accelerated BSN program are eligible to apply for the FNSNA scholarship and get funding to support their education. This is one of the best accelerated nursing scholarships offering awards up to $10,000 per year.
2. The Joseph Brandlin Memorial Scholarship Fund
If you are a resident of California enrolled in an accelerated nursing program at one of the accredited nursing schools in the state, then you should apply for the Joseph Brandlin Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is offered every year through QueensCare, a charity dedicated to providing free and low-cost healthcare to low-income residents of Los Angeles County.
Whether you are enrolled in an accelerated MSN or BSN program, you can apply for the fund provided you are in good academic standing and demonstrate financial need. Undergraduate applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 while graduates are expected to have a minimum of 3.25 GPA at the time of application. The scholarship value is $10,000 per student and it is provided with the aim of increasing the number of healthcare professionals working in underserved communities.
3. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Nursing Scholarships
Individuals who are citizens of the US and enrolled in an accredited nursing program across accredited colleges or universities in the US are eligible for a number of scholarship funding awarded by the DAR. The scholarships are awarded without any regard to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, or disability rather it is awarded based in academic excellence, financial need, commitment to your program, and other restrictions on specific scholarships because there are different scholarships.
The different scholarships are; the Caroline E. Holt Nursing Scholarship which offers $2,500 to three students based on financial need, and the DAR-Lena Ferguson Scholarship which offers $5,000 annually to two students who graduate from a District of Columbia Public School. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher to be considered for this award and the Madeline Pickett Cogswell Nursing Scholarship which offers $2,500 to two students annually who are members of DAR.
Students enrolled in accelerated nursing programs also qualify to submit an application for DAR’s scholarships for nursing.
4. Colorado Nurses Foundation Accelerated Nursing Scholarship
As part of its mission to advance nursing in Colorado, the CNF provides scholarships to residents of Colorado accepted in an accredited nursing program offered in the state. Students in traditional and accelerated BSN programs as well as those in associate and graduate nursing programs are eligible to apply provided that they meet the requirements.
As part of the scholarship criteria, applicants in the BSN program must have a minimum of 3.25 GPA while graduates must have a minimum of 3.5 GPA. Recommendation from one faculty member and employer/supervisor, transcripts, copy of letter of acceptance into the 12-month accelerated BSN program, and financial need statement are also part of the requirements to apply for the scholarship.
5. IDPH Nursing Education Scholarship Program
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Nursing Education Scholarship Program is one of the government nursing scholarships and as long as you are a resident of Illinois enrolled or accepted in any nursing program whether traditional or accelerated, undergraduate or graduate you can apply for the scholarship.
The aim of the scholarship program is to increase the number of nurses available for employment in Illinois by providing scholarships to overcome the financial burden of education. This is similar to nursing scholarships for minorities that are offered with the aim of increasing minority ethnic groups in the nursing profession.
To be eligible for the IDPH Nursing Education Scholarship Program, you must be a resident of Illinois and a lawful citizen of the US, demonstrate financial need through the Student Aid Report, be enrolled or accepted into an accredited nursing program in Illinois, accelerated nursing program includes, and agree to the nurse employment obligation. Your Illinois driver’s license or state-issued ID card, recent official transcript, and a copy of your enrollment into the nursing school will be required as part of the scholarship application.
6. Canadian Nurses Foundation Scholarship Program
The Canadian Nurses Foundation is one of the biggest providers of nursing scholarships in Canada. The foundation provides nursing scholarships annually to nursing students enrolled across undergraduate and graduate programs. Recipients are selected based on merit and the award amount can range from $750 to over $10,000.
In addition, you must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada and enrolled in a nursing program in Canada to be eligible. The scholarship is aimed at advancing nursing practice and knowledge in Canada by supporting the best and brightest nursing students. There are accelerated nursing programs in Canada offered by the University of New Brunswick, McMaster University, Queen’s University, Lethbridge College, and many others.
You can apply for the accelerated nursing programs at any of these universities and also apply for the CNF scholarship.
7. The Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship
If you are from the Hispanic community and wish to pursue an accelerated nursing program in the US, the scholarship offered by the Hispanic Health Professional Student can be of great help in settling your tuition. Applicants are selected based on excellent academic records, leadership abilities, and commitment to serving Hispanics.
It is one of the best nursing scholarships for Hispanics in the US as it awards $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.
8. The Cleveland Council of Black Nurses (CCBN) Nursing Scholarship Program
CCBN offers annual scholarships to Black students currently enrolled or recently accepted in traditional and accelerated nursing programs at undergraduate or graduate level and is in good academic standing.
Requirements for the application include two letters of recommendation, an essay, an official transcript from nursing school or high school, and a letter from your Dean of Nursing stating the student is in good standing in the nursing program and requires an additional academic term to complete the nursing program.
9. Gateway to Success Minority Nursing Scholarship
If you are from one of the ethnic minority groups in the US enrolled in an accelerated nursing program, the Gateway to Success Minority Nursing Scholarship is yours to apply for. The scholarship is funded by Clarkson College, a college with one of the best-accelerated nursing programs in the region. The 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 an accelerated BSN degree at Clarkson College.
10. A Nurse I Am Scholarship
A Nurse I Am Scholarship is an annual scholarship funded by Cherokee Uniforms and provided to prospective nursing students from around the world to help them get a nursing education in the US. To be eligible, you must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate traditional or accelerated nursing program in the US. Recipients will receive $3,000, for scrubs, shoes, medical instruments, and other accessories.
11. Good Samaritan Foundation’s Scholarship
There is a current critical shortage of nurses in Texas and the goal of the Good Samaritan Foundation is to alleviate this shortage the foundation does this by offering financial support to students in nursing programs. There are several colleges in Texas offering accelerated nursing programs, apply for them, and when you are accepted apply for the Good Samaritan Foundation’s Scholarship.
This support is manifested through the annual provision of scholarships that the foundation offers to nursing students in Texas to lessen the financial burden of their clinical nursing programs. The scholarship is concentrated on nursing students from low-income families in Texas. This scholarship is also one of the best nursing scholarships in Texas.
12. American Indian Medical Scholarship Program
If you are an American-Indian enrolled or accepted in an accelerated nursing program in the US, you should consider applying for the above-named scholarship to support your nursing journey. You may also apply if you are enrolled in a traditional nursing track whether at undergraduate or graduate level, you just have to be an American-Indian and in a nursing program.
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.
13. Manitoba Nurses Union Scholarships & Education Funds
Residents of Manitoba, Canada enrolled in a nursing program whether accelerated or traditional track at an accredited nursing school in Manitoba can apply for the Manitoba Nurses Union Scholarships & Education Funds. The scholarship is offered annually and is between $1,000 to $1,500 which is applied towards tuition fees.
There are many colleges in Canada offering accelerated nursing programs, you can apply for admission into those colleges and when accepted apply for this scholarship.
Conclusion
This wraps up the list of scholarships for accelerated nursing programs, there is no limit to how many of these scholarships you can apply for provided you satisfy their requirements. These are very competitive scholarships, so you may want to take your time and build an outstanding scholarship application. Finally, apply early.
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