Funding a PhD in Education/Nursing

[nursebrandie28, BSN, RN]

Hey,

Are there any available scholarships for attending a PhD in nursing or education?? Any ideas other than student loans ro financial aide?

thanks,

Brandie:confused:

[llg, PhD, RN]

Yes there are scholarships ... as well as research assistantships and teaching assistantships that help pay for doctoral education. However, most are managed by the particular school -- and they won't replace the salary you won't be earning when you take off work to go to school. The "cash pay" you receive as a graduate assistant is no where near what you could earn as a professional nurse. The advantage to those positions is that they often include free tuition, are designed to be compatible with the needs of a grad student, and provide valuable academic work experience that might further your career in the long run.

Also, some states offer special scholarships for faculty preparation -- and you would need to sign a contract to teach at a nursing school within the state for a certain number of years after graduation.

But a lot of people end up taking out some loans if they go to school full time. Unless you go to school part time while you earn professional-level pay and benefits (e.g. tuition reimbursement, health insurance, etc.) -- it's pretty common for people to fund it at least in part through loans.