Nurse Corps Scholarship Program
Offered by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) · Free to apply
The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program pays full tuition and required fees for a nursing degree, adds a monthly stipend (set at $1,642 for the 2026-27 year), and covers other reasonable costs such as books and clinical supplies. Critically for high school families, eligibility is for students accepted OR enrolled, which means a senior holding an acceptance letter to a BSN program can apply. Most scholarship listings wrongly file this as college-students-only. The trade is real and must be understood before applying: recipients owe a minimum two years of full-time service at a Critical Shortage Facility, and failing to serve converts the award into a repayment obligation.
How hard is the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program to win?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.
- Odds
- not published by the provider
- Paperwork
- ~15 hrs to file
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
- Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
- Fewer rivalsRecommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip
- Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
- Fewer rivalsRestricted to specific intended majors
- More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants
How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.
Who can apply for the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Open to high school seniors and current college students
- Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card)
- Planning to study Health & Medicine
- Carries a minimum two-year full-time service obligation at a Critical Shortage Facility. Not completing the service converts the scholarship into a repayment obligation with penalties.
- Must begin classes by September 30 of the application year.
- You must be accepted or enrolled in an accredited nursing program. An acceptance letter is enough, so high school seniors can apply.
What the application takes
- Essay required.
- 2 letters of recommendation. Ask teachers or counselors early; good letters take time.
- Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.
Deadline and application cycle
The current deadline is April 9, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around April 9 each year. Applications open early March. Confirm the exact closing date on the HRSA site when the cycle opens in March. The window is roughly five weeks.
- Applications open
- early March 2027
- Applications close
- April 9, 2027
Does your student actually qualify?
See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
Common questions about the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program
How much is the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program worth?
The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program awards full tuition and fees plus a $1,642/month stipend and is renewable in later years.
When is the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program deadline?
The current deadline is April 9, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around April 9 each year. Applications open early March. Confirm the exact closing date on the HRSA site when the cycle opens in March. The window is roughly five weeks.
When do Nurse Corps Scholarship Program applications open?
Applications open early March, and close April 9, 2027. Confirm the exact closing date on the HRSA site when the cycle opens in March. The window is roughly five weeks.
Who is eligible for the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program?
Key requirements: Open to high school seniors and current college students; Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card); Planning to study Health & Medicine.
Does the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program require an essay?
Yes. The application requires an essay, 2 recommendations, and a transcript. Expect to spend about 15 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award. What is known: an essay is required, which filters out casual applicants and recommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip. Plan on about 15 hrs of work.
Is the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program free to apply?
Yes. The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
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Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.