Nurse Corps Scholarship Program: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements and Opportunities

The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), offers a unique opportunity for aspiring nursing students to finance their education while addressing critical healthcare needs in underserved communities. This program not only provides financial assistance but also contributes to alleviating the nursing shortage in the United States.

The Importance of the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program

Many Americans lack access to essential healthcare services, including checkups, preventive screenings, and vaccines, due to a shortage of healthcare professionals in their communities. The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program plays a vital role in bridging this gap by supporting nursing students and incentivizing them to work in areas where their skills are most needed. There continues to be a need for nurses throughout the United States. The HRSA Nurse Corps Scholarship Program can pay for tuition and fees and provide a monthly stipend.

What the Scholarship Offers

The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program provides significant financial support to selected students, covering various educational expenses. If you receive an award, you’ll get a monthly stipend, and you'll get your tuition, eligible fees and reasonable costs (includes books, clinical supplies/instruments, and uniforms) paid for. Specifically, the scholarship covers:

Tuition: The full cost of tuition at an accredited nursing school.
Eligible Fees: Mandatory fees required by the school.
Reasonable Costs: This includes expenses for books, clinical supplies/instruments, and uniforms.
Monthly Stipend: A monthly allowance to help with living expenses during the academic year.

It's important to note that the entire scholarship award is taxable, and the Nurse Corps reports all awarded funds to the IRS. The Nurse Corps cannot provide tax advice. We recommend you consult a tax professional if you need assistance or have tax-related questions.

Eligibility Requirements

Nursing students must meet specific eligibility requirements to apply for the HRSA Nurse Corps Scholarship Program. To be eligible for the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program, applicants must:

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Be a U.S. citizen (born or naturalized), a national, or a lawful permanent resident.
Be accepted or enrolled in a nursing degree program at a United States accredited school of nursing. Degree types include but are not limited to: Associate degree, Bachelor of Science, nurse practitioners, registered nurse, etc.
Begin classes no later than September 30.
Not have any federal judgment liens.
Not have an existing service commitment to another entity.
Not be overdue on a federal debt.

How to Apply

The application process for the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program is rigorous. Applications are rigorous, and nurses must be willing to work full-time in a critical shortage area for two years to pay back the financial aid. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to apply:

Read the Application Program Guidance: Before starting the application, thoroughly review the Application and Program Guidance document, which provides detailed information about the program requirements and application procedures. Read the most recent 2024 Nurse Corps Scholarship Program Application and Program Guidance (PDF - 486 KB). Review prior year Nurse Corps Scholarship Program Application and Program Guidance.
Create an Account or Log In: Access the Nurse Corps Scholarship section of My BHW to create an account or log in if you already have one.
Complete the Application: Fill out all required fields in the application form.
Submit Required Documents: Ensure you have all the necessary documents ready for submission, including:

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- National verification of acceptance or enrollment form in an accredited nursing program.
- Current tuition and fee schedule.
- Completed essay question.
- Resume or curriculum vitae.
- Academic transcript.
- If students have an outstanding service obligation to another program, additional documentation may be required.
Submit the Application: Review your application carefully before submitting it through the My BHW portal.

Applications recently closed for 2023, with no dates announced yet for 2024 application deadlines. But now is an ideal time to determine whether you might be a good fit for the program. When there is an open application cycle: Read the Application Program Guidance (PDF - 486 KB). Log in or create an account on the Nurse Corps Scholarship section of My BHW to apply.

Service Commitment

A key component of the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program is the service commitment. In exchange for the scholarship, recipients must agree to work full-time (or part-time equivalent) for at least two years after they finish school in a critical shortage facility. You must serve at an eligible health care facility and in the discipline-registered nurse (RN) or nurse practitioner (NP)-for which we awarded you funds.

What is a Critical Shortage Facility?

A critical shortage facility is a public or private health care facility located in, designated as, or serving a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). A HPSA is an area lacking enough primary care or mental health professionals. Graduates can apply for positions they choose in critical shortage facilities. HRSA is a federal agency that helps provide quality healthcare to the highest-need communities and people, from patients in rural areas to those in need of a transplant. The Nurse Corps scholarship program helps students attend free nursing school to address the nursing shortage in high-need areas or populations. Graduates work in an HRSA-designated area of high need, including Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), Maternity Care Target Areas (MCTA), or Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P). Review the Application and Program Guidance (PDF - 486 KB) for a complete list of eligible facilities.

Fulfilling the Service Obligation

All participants in our Nurse Corps Scholarship Program must follow our requirements. This allows you to remain a Nurse Corps member. During the service period, scholarship recipients must adhere to specific requirements, including:

Serving at an eligible health care facility.
Working in the discipline (registered nurse or nurse practitioner) for which the scholarship was awarded.

The Application and Program Guidance document contains details on the requirements for the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program. Review the document for the year you joined the program. You can also watch these recorded webinars on Zoom to learn more about requirements. Watch the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program Graduates' Successful Transition to Service Webinar. Watch the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program New Participant Webinar.

Contractual Obligations and Termination

The scholarship award comes with a contractual agreement that outlines the responsibilities of both the recipient and the Nurse Corps.

Contract Period

Your contract includes the academic year(s) you received a scholarship. You can’t defer funding. You must use your award in consecutive academic terms. Any funding you receive after the end of the academic year is another contract year.

Ending the Contract

In certain circumstances, it may be possible to end the contract, but specific conditions apply. Yes, but you must do so on or before June 1 of the relevant school year. To end the contract, the recipient must:

Submit a written request to terminate the contract for that academic year.
Repay all amounts paid to (or on behalf of) you for that academic year, including all amounts paid for pretax tuition, stipends, and other reasonable costs.

If you end my contract, you don’t have to serve for that school year. However, you must serve for any years you received scholarship funds. If I don’t meet the requirements to end my contract, your contract remains in effect. You must serve two years since we already supplied you scholarship funds.

Continuation Awards

Recipients may be eligible for additional scholarship support through a Nurse Corps Scholarship Program Continuation award. Am I eligible for additional scholarship support? You may be eligible for a Nurse Corps Scholarship Program Continuation award. It must be for the same nursing degree as your original contract.

Requesting a Continuation Award

To request additional scholarship support for any subsequent academic years:

Submit a signed contract for that academic year.
Submit a report verifying that you are still in an acceptable level of academic standing.

You don’t need to reapply for scholarship support.

Determining Continuation Award Recipients

It depends on the funds available. However, you must:

Remain eligible to participate in the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program. For example, you must maintain acceptable academic standing and not repeat coursework. Note: We conduct a credit check as part of the eligibility process.
Comply with our policies and procedures for requesting continued support.
Have complied previously with program policies and requirements.

Note: You must be able to support yourself financially until you receive the new scholarship funding.

Responsibilities While in School

While enrolled in the nursing program, scholarship recipients must fulfill certain obligations to remain in good standing with the Nurse Corps. While you’re in school, you must:

Complete your nursing program.
Verify your enrollment status each term (for example, semester or quarter) through My BHW.
Have a school official certify your enrollment status.
Submit a transcript for each term. You must upload your transcript after the add/drop date, and it must show the courses and credit hours.
Upload a transcript to My BHW at the end of each semester.

Benefits of the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program

The Nurse Corps Scholarship program allows many nurse students to enter a professional career by reducing financial barriers while helping to alleviate the nursing shortage. The program may be a good option for students who want to become nurses but have limited financial options. It may also be a good fit for nurses who prefer working off their loan obligation in 2-3 years at a critical shortage rather than spending nearly a decade paying back school loans. This historically underutilized program more than doubled participation during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing from 227 accepted students in 2019 to 567 in 2022. Eligible nursing students can apply to the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program. If accepted, we pay your tuition, fees, and other educational costs, along with a monthly stipend.

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