Nurse Practitioner Scholarships

Nurse practitioner scholarships can pay for part or all of NP school, and the money comes from more places than many students check: federal programs, national and specialty nursing associations, state NP associations, your own school and your employer. Applications take some time, and every award you receive is money you won’t have to borrow. We checked every program below on its own website in October 2026. Deadlines and rules change every year, so confirm the current dates on each program’s page before you apply.

TL;DR

• The NHSC and Nurse Corps scholarships pay tuition, fees and a monthly stipend. In return, you work at least two years in an area with a shortage of clinicians after you graduate.
• AANP, NEF and other nursing associations offer NP scholarships to their members. NEF is accepting applications until February 1, 2027.
• Some federal scholarship and traineeship funds go to schools, which choose the students who receive them, so ask your financial aid office.
• Your employer can pay up to $5,250 of your education costs tax-free in 2026 through an educational assistance program.
• Several 2026 deadlines were in March and April. Start your applications in the fall.

Which nurse practitioner scholarships come with a service commitment?

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC), Nurse Corps and Indian Health Service (IHS) scholarships pay for NP school in exchange for at least two years of work after you graduate. Each award is a contract, so read the service terms closely before you sign.

National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program

The NHSC Scholarship Program funds nurse practitioner students in six primary care tracks: adult, family, geriatrics, primary care pediatrics, psychiatric mental health and women’s health. It pays your tuition and eligible fees for up to four school years, along with an annual payment for other reasonable educational costs and a monthly stipend. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals who are enrolled, or accepted, as full-time students.

• Service: two to four years, full time, at an NHSC-approved site in a Health Professional Shortage Area. The more school years of support you receive, the longer you serve.
• If you don’t complete your service: the government can recover up to three times the scholarship award plus interest, reduced for the months you served. The amount is due within one year.
• Taxes: the NHSC says only the stipend is taxable.
• Timing: the 2026 application closed April 16, 2026, and HRSA notifies applicants by September 30.

Nurse Corps Scholarship Program

The Nurse Corps Scholarship is open to students in nursing degree programs, including graduate NP programs. It pays your tuition, required fees and reasonable costs such as books, clinical supplies and uniforms, plus a monthly stipend. U.S. citizens, nationals and lawful permanent residents can apply. The program gives funding preference to applicants with the greatest financial need, based on the Student Aid Index from the FAFSA.

• Service: at least two years full time at a Critical Shortage Facility, a health care facility in or serving a Health Professional Shortage Area. If you receive support for more than two years, you’ll serve longer.
• If you breach the contract: you’ll repay everything the program paid to you or your school, plus interest, within three years.
• Taxes: the entire award is taxable.
• Timing: the 2026 application closed April 9, 2026.

Indian Health Service Health Professions Scholarship

The IHS Health Professions Scholarship is for members of federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages, and it funds nurse practitioner students at both the master’s and doctoral levels. In return, you serve at least two years in an approved position at an approved Indian health site, with one year of service for each year of support beyond that. The next application opens December 15, 2026.

Checked October 2026. Confirm current dates and terms on each program’s page before you apply.

Which nursing associations offer NP scholarships?

National nursing associations fund scholarships for their own members, so joining is usually your first step. These programs accept NP students:

• American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). AANP scholarships are open to members who are licensed RNs in an accredited NP master’s or DNP program, with at least one semester completed. In 2026, AANP offered awards of $2,500 to $5,000, paid to your school for tuition. That cycle closed March 18, 2026, and was open to students finishing their program between August 2026 and July 2027.
• Nurses Educational Funds (NEF). NEF’s application is open now, from October 1, 2026 to February 1, 2027. You’ll need an RN license, membership in a national professional nursing association and a GPA of at least 3.6. Master’s applicants must have completed at least 12 graded credits, and post-graduate certificate students aren’t eligible. NEF pays its scholars directly rather than through their school.
• ANA Minority Fellowship Program. This master’s fellowship gives financial support and mentorship to RNs enrolled full time in psychiatric mental health or substance misuse programs. Fellows must be members of the American Nurses Association and commit to two years of mental health or substance misuse service in communities with limited access to care.
• National Black Nurses Association (NBNA). NBNA awards scholarships to members at every level from LPN to doctorate, including master’s students, who have at least one full year of school remaining. Applications ask for a personal statement of up to 500 words and two letters of recommendation.
• National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN). NAHN awards scholarships each year to members in accredited nursing programs, graduate programs included. Its 2026 applications have closed.

Check the professional association for your specialty too. Whichever of the NP specialties you’re training in, ask that specialty’s national organization and local chapters about student awards, and read what each one pays for. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association’s Memorial Scholarship, for example, funds attendance at its annual conference rather than tuition.

Checked October 2026. Confirm current dates and terms on each program’s page before you apply.

Does your state NP association offer scholarships?

It may. State NP associations and local chapters of national groups can offer awards to student members, and NBNA notes that its chapters also provide scholarships. Ask your state’s NP association whether it funds students, and ask your faculty which local awards past students in your program have received.

What scholarships can you reach through your own school?

Ask your financial aid office about federal funds your school holds. HRSA gives some nurse practitioner scholarships and traineeships to schools rather than students, and each school chooses who receives them.

• Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS). HRSA’s SDS program funds schools, including graduate nursing programs, to award scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Two kinds of background qualify: economically vulnerable, based on the income on your FAFSA, and educationally or geographically vulnerable, such as being the first in your family to attend college. Apply through your school rather than HRSA.
• Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) traineeships. Schools with ANEW grants support RNs training to become primary care or psychiatric mental health NPs, full or part time. HRSA says there’s no payback requirement for trainees, even those who don’t finish the program or aren’t employed after graduation.
• Your school’s own awards. Ask about scholarships for NP students, emergency funds and travel grants for distant clinical sites, and whether any of them can pay clinical costs as well as tuition.

File the FAFSA every year, even if you don’t expect a federal grant. The 2027-28 FAFSA is available now. Some states and schools use it to decide who receives their scholarships, and the Nurse Corps program uses it to measure financial need.

Can your employer help pay for NP school?

Yes, if your employer offers tuition assistance. Under section 127 of the tax code, the first $5,250 your employer’s educational assistance program pays toward your education in 2026 isn’t taxable income. The IRS confirms the payments can cover graduate-level courses.

Ask HR what your employer offers, and get the terms in writing. These questions help:

• Does the benefit cover tuition only, or fees, books and other program costs too?
• Will I need to keep working here for a set time, and what happens if I leave early?
• Are there grade, credit-load or work-hour requirements?
• Can I work a flexible schedule on my clinical days?

A flexible schedule matters because NP programs require many clinical hours. The 2022 national standards for NP education set a minimum of 750 direct patient care hours, and ANCC and AANPCB certification require at least 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours. Our guide to nurse practitioner clinical hours requirements explains both. Those hours are unpaid, as our article Do You Get Paid for Clinicals? explains, so plan your work schedule and your budget around them early.

How do you win nurse practitioner scholarships?

Start early, apply to several programs and shape every application around that program’s own criteria.

1. Build a deadline calendar. List every program you qualify for with its opening date, deadline and required documents.
2. Check eligibility line by line. Many nurse practitioner scholarships ask for association membership, an RN license, a minimum number of completed credits or a minimum GPA. When a program requires membership, join before you apply.
3. Answer the question each essay asks. NEF rates essays on your long-term goals, evidence that you can reach them and the clarity of your writing. The NHSC uses its essay to judge your interest in primary care and your commitment to underserved communities. Name the patients you want to care for and where you plan to work.
4. Ask for references early. NEF requires three: academic, employment and professional. The Nurse Corps asks for an academic letter and a non-academic letter from someone who knows your professional or community work, especially with underserved communities. Send each recommender the deadline, your resume and the program’s criteria.
5. Show a short budget when a program asks about need. List tuition, fees and clinical costs, then show how you’ll cover the rest.
6. Apply for smaller awards too. A smaller award can still cover the difference between what you’ve saved and what you owe.
7. Keep copies of everything. Save each application, award letter and receipt for tax time and any financial aid appeal.

Can a scholarship pay for your clinical costs?

It depends on the program. AANP pays its scholarships to your school for tuition only, and NEF pays its scholars directly. The NHSC and Nurse Corps pay a monthly stipend as well as your tuition and fees. Money paid to you, such as a stipend or an NEF award, can help with travel and other clinical costs, though the IRS taxes scholarship money you spend on travel.

List every cost tied to your rotations so you know how much you need:

• Travel, gas, parking and tolls
• Immunizations, titers and physicals
• Background checks and drug screens
• Scrubs, shoes and supplies
• Less income if you cut back your work hours
• A placement fee, if you use a preceptor placement service

Then set aside a clinical fund, such as a separate savings account, and add a small amount each week. When a clinical bill arrives, you’ll have money ready for it.

Nurse practitioner scholarships: common questions

Can you receive scholarships for NP school?

Yes. Nurse practitioner scholarships come from federal programs, nursing associations, schools and employers. Many programs require association membership, an RN license or a set number of completed credits, so read each program’s eligibility list before you apply.

Do NP scholarships cover DNP programs?

Yes. AANP’s scholarship accepts BSN-to-DNP and post-master’s DNP students, NEF accepts DNP applicants, and the IHS Health Professions Scholarship funds nurse practitioner students at the doctoral level. NONPF, the national organization of NP faculty, reaffirmed in 2023 its commitment to moving all entry-level NP education to the DNP degree.

Are nurse practitioner scholarships taxable?

Sometimes. The IRS treats a scholarship as tax-free when you’re a degree candidate and use it for tuition, required fees, and the books, supplies and equipment your courses require. Money you spend on room and board or travel is taxable. Program rules differ too: the entire Nurse Corps award is taxable, while the NHSC says only its stipend is. A tax professional can tell you how the rules apply to you.

Can part-time NP students receive scholarships?

Yes, from some programs. NEF accepts full- and part-time students, and ANEW traineeships can support NP students either way. The NHSC and the ANA Minority Fellowship Program require full-time enrollment.

When should you apply for scholarships?

Start in the fall. NEF’s application opened October 1, 2026, the 2027-28 FAFSA is available now, and in 2026 the AANP, Nurse Corps and NHSC deadlines fell in March and April.

Ready for clinicals? Find your preceptor next

If your program asks you to find your own preceptor, our guide on how to find NP preceptors on your own covers where to look. Clinical Match Me can also help you find a nurse practitioner preceptor. Sign up for free, submit your placement requests and receive offers from preceptors who match your profile. Then compare offers and choose the best preceptor for your schedule and learning goals.

Most preceptors on Clinical Match Me charge a flat rate of $1,995 for rotations up to 140 hours, or $2,195 for rotations up to 250 hours. That price includes our fee and the preceptor’s honorarium (their compensation for teaching you), and you can choose a payment plan. Read how our NP preceptor cost works for the details.

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