As the demand for healthcare services grows due to the aging population and emphasis on preventive care, nurses are as needed as ever. The US Bureau of Labour Statistics projected that nurse practitioners will have a 38% employment growth over the next decade, with about 29,000 openings each year. The salary is great as well – about $126,000 per year.

However, nursing school can be quite expensive. In this article, we'll explain how the Nurse Corps Scholarship program can help you.

What is the Nurse Corps scholarship program?

The Nurse Corps Scholarship program is offered by the Bureau of Health Workforce within the Health Resources and Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services. It provides funding for nursing students in exchange for a minimum of 2 years of full-time work at a healthcare facility with a critical shortage of nurses.

The program covers:

• full tuition and required fees
• books, clinical supplies/instruments, and uniforms
• a monthly stipend of $1,599

Note: The entire scholarship is taxable.

Who is eligible?

If you want to apply for the Nurse Corps Scholarship program, you must fit the following criteria:

• Be a US citizen, a national, or a lawful permanent resident
• Be accepted or enrolled in a nursing degree program at an accredited school of nursing in the US
• Begin classes no later than September 30
• No federal judgment liens
• No existing service commitment
• No overdue on a federal debt

You must also demonstrate financial need, which can be a deciding factor in some cases.

How to apply

Step 1: Log in or create an account on the Nurse Corps Scholarship section of the BHW Customer Service Portal. You'll need your email and Social Security number for that.

Step 2: Submit necessary information and documents including:

• General and background information about you
• Academic transcripts
• 2 professional letters of recommendation: 1 academic and 1 non-academic
• Proof of status as a US citizen or national
• Verification of acceptance or enrollment in an accredited nursing degree
• FAFSA Submission Summary
• Current tuition and fee schedule
• Resume or CV
• Response to an essay question

You can find some tips in our Guide on How To Write Your Personal Statement for Medical School.

Applications are usually open for about 2 months, from March to May. Make sure to check the exact dates and requirements on the BHW website.

Step 3: Wait for the result on the BWH Customer Service Portal by the end of September.

The winner will be determined based on their academic performance, essay, letters of recommendation, and financial need (provided by the FAFSA Submission Summary).

💡 Tip: Before applying, browse the Health Workforce Connector to see which types of nursing opportunities are available in eligible Critical Shortage Facilities.

What comes after graduation?

The scholarship contract requires you to complete a 2-year full-time service obligation, or more, if you want to receive support for more than 2 years.

*Full-time clinical practice is at least 32 hours per week.

Once you graduate, you have 9 months to get a permanent nursing license, accept an offer from an approved critical shortage facility, and start working. You must work under the degree that you got but you can choose the workplace yourself as long as it's approved.

Postgraduate residency or training

You can also request the service to be postponed if you want to complete a postgraduate residency or training. The residency has to be in line with your degree as well. In that case, your timeline will look differently:

• you'll have to get a license and start the program within 6 months after graduation
• after completing the training, you'll have 3 months to start working

Breach of contract

You'll be obligated to repay all Nurse Corps Scholarship payments within 3 years if you:

• don't complete the mandatory service
• can't maintain the required academic level
• are dismissed from the program
• don't start or complete the service in time

The total amount you'll need to reimburse includes taxes and the maximum legal prevailing rate.

Conclusion

The Nurse Corps Scholarship program is an excellent opportunity to make your education more affordable. The program covers full tuition, necessary supplies, and even a monthly stipend in exchange for a few years of full-time work.

For many students, working 2 years at a critical shortage facility is much better than repaying their student loans for years. And with nurse practitioners having the fastest employment growth, now's the best time to apply!

Read more:

• Why Study to be a Nurse?
• 4 Reasons to Study Nursing Instead of Medicine
• 7 Nursing Specialties to Consider
• 4 Ways To Make Medical School Less Expensive