How to Attend Nursing School for Free

Financial Aid Tips for Nursing Students

Like most health care professionals, the demand for new nurses is very high and expected to skyrocket over the next couple of decades. While this may be bad news for hospitals trying to hire nurses, it's great for individuals who are considering or attending nursing school. Learn how to use this to your advantage by getting nursing school paid for by grants, current or future employers, and other sources of financial aid.

Paying for Nursing School with Grants and Typical Financial Aid

One of the first steps you should take when you're accepted to a nursing school (if not before) is the same as all college students seeking financial aid for college in the United States: fill out the FAFSA. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it will tell you how much money the government will expect you and your family to contribute to the cost of your education. The numbers from this form will be used to determine how much, if any, financial aid you will be offered in the form of grants and loans from federal and state governments. This is just a starting point in getting nursing school paid for, so don't panic yet if you can't cover the remaining expenses.

Again, because nurses are in such high demand, there are a variety of additional sources of financial aid grants and scholarships that you can apply for to attend nursing school for free. These grants may come from the government, private health care agencies, service organizations, individuals, or your college. Make an appointment with a financial aid adviser at your school, and they should be able to point you toward many opportunities. However, financial aid advisers don't know everything and yours may not be an expert on nursing school, so it's also a good idea to search on your own. One of these opportunities is the Nurse Reinvestment Act, which grants loan repayment to nurses who agree to work in shortage areas. The Bureau of Health Professions website is a good place to start looking for additional financial aid options: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/.

Getting an Employer to Pay for Nursing School