Best Male Nursing Scholarships
Male nursing scholarships create opportunities for men in a female-dominated profession and also help to diversify nursing in the US. Almost everyone these days must go into at least some debt to attend college. Trade schools like RN nursing programs can ease these pressures, as they are a lot less expensive than four-year programs, but they still cost a small fortune. If you take into account the demographics of people who often attend community college nursing schools, they include the thrifty student and the low-income student.
Scholarships and grants help ease financial stress. And, unlike loans, students do not have to repay scholarships. As more people become nurses, niche groups are finding barriers to success more than just financial. Men, for example, have found themselves alone in classrooms and clinicals, not fitting in and needing mentorship from someone who speaks their language. In the nursing field, the percentage of male nurses is steadily rising. According to the BLS, about 10 percent of all nurses are men. That is a relatively large leap from what it was in 2007 at 6 percent and a welcome increase in the gender diversity of the nursing field. There are not many scholarships explicitly suited to men. However, the following are ten that help male nurses financially achieve a nursing education and support a more diverse field of healing professionals.
1. AAMN Johnson and Johnson scholarship
The American Assembly for Men in Nursing (AAMN) works to inspire and provide resources for men in nursing since 1971. Founded by Steve Miller, it was initially called the National Male Nurses Association and began in Chicago, Il. The organization’s objective is to encourage young men to become nurses by strengthening each other and humanizing health care in America. The AAMN assists up to 20 nursing students annually. The scholarship provides social support to students who are committed to their academic studies and to the community they live. A scholarship committee will review all applications and determine the best candidate for the award by specific criteria.
The applicant must maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher and must be an AAMN member. The recipient must be male and have finished at least one full academic semester, approaching their sophomore year. The applicant must submit an essay addressing why they chose the nursing field. The recipient will provide a fifteen-minute presentation at the national conference. Two letters of recommendation from academic professionals, college transcripts, and a resume are also required to qualify for the Johnson and Johnson Scholarship. Veterans also qualify for this scholarship. The one-time award is allocated over a total of four semesters. Past recipients of the award are not eligible to reapply.
Amount: $1000 for undergraduates, $1500 for graduate students
Deadline: November 16
More: Johnson and Johnson Scholarship from the American Assembly for Men in Nursing.
2. National Association of Hispanic Nurses
The National Association of Hispanic Nurses has been the voice of Hispanic communities throughout the nation since the 1970s. It is a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities to Hispanic and Latino communities, that aim to enhance their educational, professional, and leadership skills as highly qualified nurses. NAHN members are known to advocate, educate, and improve the Hispanic and Latino populations where they live and work by providing scholarships for Hispanic nursing students.
The NAHN organization gives out approximately $40,000 worth of funds to students that meet the requirements each year. Applicants must be NAHN members, and it is mandatory for the applicant to attend the annual national conference. The student needs to be enrolled as an LVN/LPN, Associate, Bachelor’s, or Master’s in Nursing degree program as well. There are three scholarships mentioned on the NAHN website. The Hector Gonzalez Past Presidents Scholarship strongly encourages men to apply. An applicant cannot apply for the same scholarship for two years consecutively, however, is eligible to apply for other awards within the association.
Amount: $4000 approximately, but varies year by year.
Deadline: April 15
More: National Association of Hispanic Nurses
3. The Great Nurse Men in Nursing Scholarship Award
The organization called TheGreatNurse.com sponsors the Men in Nursing Scholarship Award. The organization works to provide nursing quizzes, videos, and visual aids to nursing students needing a little extra help on coursework or exams. Private tutoring is also available to inquiring nurses. It also has a few different scholarships and awards available to prospective male nursing students. However, an applicant can only apply for one of the scholarships at a time. The Great Nurse organization has one award specifically for male nurses.
The Men in Nursing Scholarship Award was created to support men in the nursing profession. Over the past several decades, the percentage of male nurses in the workforce has risen. The grant allows men to show off their leadership style and professional skills. To be eligible, the recipient must identify as a male and be enrolled in a nursing degree program at an Associate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s level. The nursing student will need to provide a 10-minute presentation on the following topics: how men are represented in nursing, the barriers they face and plans to overcome these obstacles in the future. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is also required.
Amount: $250.
Deadline: October 31
More: Men in Nursing Scholarship Award
4. Tylenol Future Care Scholarship
For the past twenty-three years, the Tylenol future care scholarship has been awarding students who have pursued a career in the healthcare field. This award is a one-time offer, so it is not renewable. Past winners of the Tylenol Future Care Scholarship are not eligible. This past year, forty students earned the award that achieving academic excellence in courses, developing strong leadership skills, and establishing community involvement. The requirements for the scholarship include that applicant must:
- be a US citizen
- have completed at least one academic year of undergraduate studies
- maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- be enrolled in a nursing program at an accredited college or university
- have at least one or more years of academic studies left before graduation
If the applicant is a graduate student, they must provide college transcripts as proof of enrollment to a graduate program in health education, medical school, public health, nursing, or pharmacy degree program. While this scholarship is not sex-specific, male nurses are strongly encouraged to apply The scholarship award process depends on several components academic performance, leadership skills, and how they interact within the community.
Amount: $5,000-$10,000
Deadline: June 30
More: Tylenol Future Care Scholarship
5. Gates Millennium Scholars Program
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation developed the Gates Millennium scholarship program. Over 1000 students receive this award each year. The award is listed among the top ten scholarships for men; however, it is not gender-specific. Young men who possess strong academic knowledge in mathematics, public health, and sciences are encouraged to apply. The foundation does require prospective applicants to be minorities.
The GMS covers books, tuition, fees, and living expenses for the winner of the scholarship. However, this can put strict rules on how much income a student can make outside their financial aid. The GMS is known to be incredibly generous, but with many requirements. Students must be a person of color, have a GPA of 3.3 or higher, and be a US Citizen. They must have excellent leadership qualities and have applied to Pell Grants before application as well. The applicant needs to demonstrate leadership skills and be academically proficient in their studies. The GMS is offered to high school seniors who have enrolled in a two-year or four-year nursing degree program.
Amount: Varies.
Deadline: September 15
More: known to be incredibly generous
6. Asian American and Pacific Islander Nurses Association
The AAPINA scholarship is sponsored by The Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc. It is a nonprofit organization formed in 2001. The organization’s goals are to provide high-quality care, show compassion to its members, and promote professionalism in the nursing field. The AAPINA scholarship does not mention gender-specific requirements on the website. But is known as one of the top male nursing scholarships available to Asian descent minorities in the nation.
Eligibility requirements include that the applicant be enrolled in a graduate nursing program at a Master’s or Doctorate level, have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, be an active member of AAPINA for two years as an Officer, Board Member, and/or Committee Member, and provide two letters of recommendation explaining their performance, leadership, and commitment to the community. The letters can be from either a former teacher or employer. The awardees must be present to receive the scholarship during the awards night at the PNAA National Convention.
Amount offered: $1000/semester or $2000 for each academic year.
Deadline: January 6
More: The Philippine Nurses Association of America
7. Nurse Corps Scholarship Program
Formed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Nurse Corps Scholarship is designed to bring health care to underserved areas and communities throughout the nation. Many communities suffer because of the lack of nurses to assist all their needs. Through the Nurse Corps scholarship, it allows students to fulfill their dreams of reaching out to people with the highest demand for help. Both men and women can apply for the scholarship, however, because of the shortage of nurses in general, men are urged to commit to the cause and help make a difference in their communities.
The program requirements are that the student is a US citizen, enrolled or accepted for enrollment to an accredited nursing degree program, free of any federal judgment liens or existing service commitments, and is not late on the federal debt. If chosen, the organization will reward the applicant with financial support by paying tuition, fees, and academic supplies, and provide a monthly stipend for living expenses. Once accepted, the applicant is required to participate in a two-year service commitment at an eligible healthcare facility with a critical shortage of nurses.
Amount: $1,363 per month
Deadline: September 30
More: Nurse Corps Scholarship
8. NurseTim Scholarships
The NurseTim Scholarship is sponsored by the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) organization. The NAHN association mainly offers many scholarships to Hispanic male nursing students. But it does provide financial assistance to minority women as well. The award is depended on the availability of funding at the time of enrollment. It provides a scholarship to those nursing students that intend to teach, either as an educator for grade school students or a professional in the workforce after graduation. NurseTim is an organization that offers face-to-face workshops, hands-on training, and webinars to nursing students with a desire to become educators in the nursing field. The NurseTim organization’s vision is to “empower educators and learners for success in life and leadership.”
To be eligible for NurseTim Scholarships, each applicant must be enrolled in a graduate school, specializing in nursing education. Minority and male nursing students are encouraged to apply. Open enrollment for awards and nursing scholarships starts in early Spring. The primary purpose of the NurseTim Scholarship is to help minority men succeed in the nursing field as educators and learners.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: April 15
More: NurseTim Scholarship
9. Army Nurse Corps Association Scholarships
The Army Nurse Corps Association scholarship is a nonprofit organization that offers scholarship funding to prospective students working toward an RN degree or nurse anesthesiologist degree at an accredited college or university. The student must be already working towards their Bachelor’s or Master’s in Nursing degree at the same time. The scholarship’s purpose is to support nursing education through scholarship funding to nursing students who are citizens of the United States.
Requirements to apply include that applicants must be US citizens, have a relative who is serving in the US Army in any capacity, and be enrolled in a nursing program. The applicant does not have to be in the Army, but many awardees are part of the Army National Guard or Army Reserves. The majority of applicants or candidates that apply for the ANCA do have family within the Military. The ANCA does not have an official relationship with the Army Corps or Reserve Officer training corps itself. About 17 ANCA nursing scholarships are awarded each year.
Amount: $3,000
Deadline: March 31, 2019 (tentative)
More: The scholarship
10. American Association for Men in Nursing
The American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN) offers a variety of scholarships to help support men in nursing education. And the AAMN Foundation awards several scholarships each year to registered nurses and advanced practice nurses who are members of the AAMN and are currently enrolled in a baccalaureate, graduate, or doctoral nursing program. Scholarships for male nursing students range from $500 to $3,000 and are awarded based on academic achievement, community involvement, and leadership.
Amount: $500 to $3000
Deadline: N/A
More: American Association for Men in Nursing
Other Male Nursing Scholarship Resources
The below organizations may have additional scholarship opportunities to help male students pay for nursing school.
- National Student Nurses Association (NSNA)
- National Black Nurses Association (NBNA)
- Emergency Nurses Association ENA Foundation (ENA)
- National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations (NCEMNA)
- American Assembly for Men in Nursing AAMN scholarships (AAMN)
What Kinds of Male Nurse Stereotypes Create Stigma for Men in the Nursing World?
Men in nursing are a relatively new thing. For centuries, women were seen as the people in society who care for others. Almost as if there is a biological inability for men to be nurturing or to be intuitive around people’s needs, nursing fell squarely in the category of women’s work. The result of this has been a slow and steady crawl from these backward ways of thinking, and many men have been at the forefront of this struggle, wearing medical scrubs and a stethoscope. Some of the ways that male nurses face discrimination come from sources that are not obvious. An example of this occurs when attempting to build rapport with patients, which is crucial to the process of nursing.
Many nurses who are men report being mistaken for the patient’s doctor, only to be disappointed when he reveals himself to be the nurse. The patients in these moments make it seem that the nurse has lost credibility with them. Some patients do not want male nurses, for no other reason than that they expect a woman. They fear that male nurses will not be compassionate or have the same level of empathy. People often ask male nurses if they wanted to be doctors but could not handle it. They assume that these nurses are gay, or conversely, became a nurse to see women naked. As American society becomes more diverse, and sadly becomes sicker, a broad range of kinds of people is needed to become nurses. Luckily, so many men and women are heeding the call, and the nursing profession is growing faster than most.
What are Ways Men Access Support in Female-Dominated Professions?
Men are steadily increasing their role in nursing. From 2010 to 2011, The National League for Nursing conducted an annual survey of nursing schools. They found that for that academic year, 15% of associate degree nursing students were men. Since then, there have only been more men taking the Florence Nightingale Pledge. In 2018, roughly 10% of nurses are men.
Luckily for men who find themselves outside the company of those who can relate most to them, nursing offers and encourages mentorship at all levels of the work. Men who are nurses are invited to both seek the mentorship of other men, as well as to allow the fears of following the leadership of women to melt away. In a profession dominated by women for so many generations, there is no reason to miss an opportunity to become a great nurse out of fear of following one.
While they’re not real life (obviously), nursing blogs and nursing podcasts, and the communities that grow up around them, can also be a valuable resource for support.
What are the Benefits of Being a Male Nurse?
There are stigmas about nurses who are not the stereotype. They impact nurses who are people of color and men. However, many essential benefits that men bring to nursing. Sometimes the conversations between nurses and patients simply about the fact that the patient did not expect the nurse to be a guy can be an icebreaker. Conversations with scared people about why he decided to become a nurse can ease patient anxiety, and take the focus off of the procedure. Nurses join to help people. Men and women are not only capable of this, and many people believe it is what we are all here to do.
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