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Center for Nursing and Health Careers
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available to students who need financial help to start or continue their education. In most cases, students applying for federal, state and college funds must meet eligibility requirements and demonstrate financial need. Special programs often have their own eligibility requirements. Loans must be repaid (student loans are repaid after graduation or when a student either stops attending school or drops below part-time status). Grants and scholarships do not need to be repaid.
Sources of Aid | Practical Tips | Resource Links | Professional Benefits
Sources of Aid
There are four major sources of financial aid:
Federal programs
- Financial aid is provided by the federal government.
State programs
- Financial aid is provided by the state.
Institutional programs
- Most colleges and schools of nursing and allied health have scholarships and grants as well as loans and work programs.
- Ask about these funds at the schools you are interested in attending.
Special programs
- Financial aid is sponsored by community agencies, professional organizations, foundations, corporations, religious organizations, unions, clubs and civic and cultural organizations.
- Many New Jersey hospitals offer tuition reimbursement and tuition forgiveness programs to their employees who attend school while working, provided the student/employee maintains a minimum grade point average. In some cases, hospitals will repay student loans in exchange for a work commitment from the potential employee after graduation.
- NEW!
NIH Undergraduate Scholarship
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering scholarships to students of disadvantaged backgrounds. The program offers $20,000 in scholarship money each year, and can be renewed annually for up to 4 years. For more information, log on to http://www.training.nih.gov/student/index.asp.
- Tylenol scholarships are available for 160 students pursuing healthcare related degrees. For more information visit the Tylenol Web site.
- The Elaine Gelman Nurse Practitioner Scholarship grants an annual award of $500 to a nurse practitioner student who demonstrates clinical competency, academic achievement and political activism. For more information contact Patricia McNicholl at 845-562-4289 or pmquill@aol.com.
- The Oncology Nursing Society offers grants, scholarships and awards. For more information and to download applications, visit www.onsfoundation.org or call 866-257-4ONS.
- Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Rockville, MD, 2002. Accessed: May 7, 2002.
The Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP) offers registered nurses substantial assistance to repay educational loans in exchange for service in eligible facilities located in areas experiencing a shortage of nurses. Deadline for application: March 31, 2003
Anyone applying for federal, state or college aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form is available at all New Jersey high schools or colleges, or you can apply over the Internet at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is available in January and should be completed and filed as early as possible. The application must be completed every year. Check individual school descriptions or catalogs for any school-specific preferred dates or deadlines.
Practical Tips
- Gather all necessary financial records, including current and previous tax returns, before you begin filling out the financial aid forms.
- Double check that the application is complete and that all information is accurate.
- Use the same name on all financial aid forms.
- Keep copies of each completed form for your records.
- Monitor all mail related to financial aid and respond immediately to requests for more information.
- If you think you have special circumstances that are not covered on the financial aid application, contact the college financial aid office directly.
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