If you are a student looking for financial aid and are interesting in pursuing a career in nursing you may find that you are in luck through nursing bursaries. As a career in heavy demand, bursaries for nursing are available in many sizes for a diverse set of people seeking degrees in the field. While what is available will largely depend on where you are located around the world where bursaries are available, you can rest easy knowing that in all likelihood there is something you will be able to make use of.
As with many bursary programs, bursaries in nursing are commonly related to financial need, and some will require service post-graduation, but these facts should not be surprising to anybody who has been looking for financial aid. Canada offers a plethora of programs through individual universities and localities. These programs will be available depending on what province you are from and general academic progress. The United Kingdom offers a limited set of nursing bursaries through the National Health Service as well as through their individual regions.
While the NHS nursing bursary will be available nationally, additional funding options will be available depending on where in the country you are attending school. South Africa offers a limited set of bursaries for nursing though awardees of both public and private offerings will normally find their entire education being funded. The one important thing to know about nursing bursaries in South Africa is that they often require graduating students to work for the government or business providing that financial aid after graduation.
Canada is a great place to go to school as they offer an incredible amount of bursary programs depending on where you live and what school you are attending. These programs range in funds from as low as $500 to as high as $2,000. A quick internet search regarding nursing bursaries available in Canada finds over 700 programs totaling more than 400 thousand dollars overall.
Nursing bursaries for undergraduate and graduate students exist, with the former typically netting a greater award. As tends to be the case in Canada, applications for bursaries in nursing are typically going to occur at the same time students are applying for other student bursaries, and a single form from your local bursary office will automatically enroll you for consideration in any program you are eligible for. The earlier you apply the more programs you will be available for, making January 22, 2011 the earliest you should start submitting.
The United Kingdom’s system, though in many ways lacking the ease of Canada’s single application design, still has a number of bursary programs available for students. Apart from the nationally offered NHS nursing bursary, England also has several regionally offered programs such as the Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary (NMSB) offered in Scotland. This program offers 5,845 pounds to students under 26 years old and 6,580 pounds for those over 26 along with other varying amounts dependant on your marital/family status. Conveniently, when you apply for a nursing or midwifery course in Scotland, you will automatically be sent the forms necessary to apply for the scholarship, which you should fill out before the start of your term in September.
Nurses are important in the healthcare industry, and you should know that there are numerous methods of helping you achieve your career goals through nursing bursary programs. Regardless of where students are going to school, financial aid for future nurses is certainly available, and you should start your search at your local bursary office your university. If you have the passion and can show a financial need, you will almost certainly be eligible for many of the nursing bursary programs offered and you should apply for any that you can make the cut for. Just be sure to maintain your commitment to the field as you progress through school less you find yourself suddenly cut off from funding due to failing grades.
South African Bursaries for South Africa Students