The University of Iowa and the College of Nursing have an excellent record of helping students finance their education through scholarships, grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance.

The College of Nursing is fortunate to have many donors who are willing to provide financial assistance to our students. The college currently has more than 90 scholarships available to help you support your nursing education. These scholarship opportunities provide support for tuition, books, student fees and professional development activities. 

The process for the applying for these scholarships is as follows: The College of Nursing accepts applications during a three-week window in each of the fall and spring semesters. Only students who are currently enrolled in the college are eligible to apply and will receive an email each semester communicating the application deadline for that semester. Scholarship funds are distributed the semester after students receive an award notice. Additionally, to receive the funds, students must be enrolled and in good academic standing in the semester in which the funding is received. (*Note: All students who are awarded a scholarship will be notified via their uiowa email. Due to the competitive application process, not all students who apply for a scholarship through this process will receive support. If you do not receive an email notification of an award, you did not receive an award for the upcoming semester.)

The scholarship application is located on the Iowa Scholarship Portal.

*Note -- You need to only submit one General Application and one College of Nursing scholarship application for all nursing scholarships. Based on your applications, the system will automatically match you to be considered for individual scholarship opportunities in which you are eligible. Be sure prior to completing your application that it is updated to the current date for it to be properly processed. In addition, be sure the information in your essay reflects current experiences and ideas.

To access the College of Nursing scholarship application, you will need to sign in with your HawkID and password and complete the General Application. This is where you will indicate that you are currently enrolled in the College of Nursing. Once your General Application is complete and submitted, you will automatically be directed to the College of Nursing Scholarship Application where you will answer additional questions and complete your essays. Upon completion of your College of Nursing Scholarship Application, double check to be sure your Release of Information signature block is updated to the current date. Then click submit/update and your application process will be complete. The College of Nursing scholarship application will only be available to you on the portal during the open application periods.

You may also be directed to the Recommended Opportunities page to view/apply to other scholarship opportunities outside of the College of Nursing for which you may qualify.  

Most of our scholarships have specific criteria that include:

  • Demonstrated financial need (FAFSA required)
  • Pursuit of a specific nursing specialization
  • Academic merit
  • Demonstrated professional promise

In addition, various scholarships specify other relevant factors, including demonstrated community service or preferences for residents of certain Iowa counties.

To learn about external scholarship opportunities through the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, visit aacnnursing.org/students/scholarships-financial-aid