Brandi Funk is a board-certified family nurse practitioner and a healthcare industry expert with 20 years of experience working in hospital, private practice, retail clinic, and research settings. She is a faculty member at Azusa Pacific University, school of nursing and owner of BodyBalance Holistic Health Solutions. Her mission and passion is to help others achieve optimum health through lifestyle medicine and lower health care costs in America. She is the award winning author of “Cut Your Health Care Costs Now!” an American's guide to finding affordable healthcare. Brandi can be found at 
So you’ve made the decision to go back to nursing school and become a nurse practitioner. You’ve researched and found the right NP school and put your colleagues, friends and family on notice that you’re life is about change. Now, there’s only one question. How will you pay for your NP education? NP school can cost over $30,000 on average. I’m betting, you can use all the help you can get. Here are 6 scholarships for nurse practitioner students worth looking into.
Military Scholarships
This is a great way to receive financial aid for college to cover the cost of nurse practitioner school. The Air Force, Navy, and Army offer federal nursing scholarships for nursing students who are interested in serving in the US military. For more information about military scholarships for nurses, visit:
Air Force Scholarships for Nurses
University of Phoenix Paying it Forward Online Student Scholarship Program
Through Paying it Forward, graduates of the University of Phoenix can nominate one of the Universities current online students, a nomination which could earn them a completely full ride. The scholarship was established for the thirtieth anniversary of the University of Phoenix, which means that 30 students can take advantage of this great opportunity. You must be nominated to qualify. Visit Paying it Forward for details.
GetEducated.com Excellence in Online Education Scholarship Program
To qualify for this $1,000 award, you must be enrolled in a U.S. based online program and write a 500-word essay about what a college degree means to you. These awards are available at the end of the fall semester, so visit the GetEducated.com website around October to find out more. Go to GetEducated.com for complete details.
AANP Foundation NP Student Scholarship & Grant Program
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Foundation works hard to address the nursing shortage by working closely with corporations, philanthropic organizations, individuals and others to secure and help direct financial resources where they are most needed. Each year between $2,000 and $10,000 in scholarships and grants is awarded to NP students. AANP membership is required for eligibility.Visit the AANP for more information.
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship
The NHSC scholarship is a competitive program that pays tuition, fees and a living stipend to students enrolled in accredited nurse practitioner schools. Awards are given to applicants most committed to serving underserved communities. For each school year or partial school year of support received, students agree to work full-time in primary health care for one year in an assigned NHSC-approved site in the HPSA of greatest need. Visit NHCS Scholarship Program for more information.
Tylenol Future Care Scholarship 2012-2013
This national scholarship program offers $1,000 – $10,000 scholarships worldwide, with 40 scholarships reserved for college students in the US and Canada. The 2012 Tylenol Scholarship application process starts March 12 2012. To access the Tylenol scholarship application online, visit the current scholarship page for the Tylenol Scholarship Application.
