Nursing Scholarships
A scholarship can be awarded directly from the government or a college or university to a student with exceptional talent to attract them towards a certain course. In the nursing field you may find specialized scholarships for men or male nurses because in general this is a career for women. There are also varied scholarship programs for other minority groups such as hispanic and african americans. Like grants a scholarship does not have to be repaid so in effect they are free money awards.
State Scholarships
Many states in the US have their own schemes that you may or may not have heard about and each state has different rules in what is available and how they make the financial aid available. Many are for students persuing specialized fields where there aren't many people applying for programs or it may be simply because you are a citizen in the state that you may receive a small amount of money. To find out what your state is offering check your local website for more information.
Federal Nursing Scholarships
There is a wide range of help from the government and the health resources and services adminstration (HRSA) administers the national nursing scholarship program (NSP) which is one of the most comprehensive programs in the US. in return for the award you need to agree to prove a minimum of 2 years full time service once you are qualified at an approved health establishment with a severe nursing shortage. Preference is given to those on lower incomes who have a zero expected family contribution that's calculated when you apply for this scholarship and is similar to the pell grant application.
Along the same lines as the nursing scholarship program is the national health service corps scholarship (NHSC) dedicated to those students looking at studying towards a masters degree in nursing. This can provide up to $1,269 per month towards your tuition fees and other expenses in return for a year's service in a health establishment that has a shortage of qualified nurses for each year you receive the scholarship.
Male Nursing Scholarships
There are specific awards for men studying in the nursing profession although the awards are not as high as mentioned above they provide some assistance and financial aid to help towards your costs as a student. Some of the programs include the Johnson and Johnson scheme that has a payment of $1,000 and the American Assembly for Men in Nursing that also provides a similar level of assistance.
Other Scholarships Available
There are other smaller programs available if you have the time to search around online to see what's out there and some other private scholarship programs that provide huge awards but to very few people. If you need some financial assistance then apply for these programs and see what happens. Sometimes you need to be resident in a certain state and mostly you may need to work in the local environment for a year or so once you have graduated in your chosen nursing field.