2012-2013 HRSA Nursing Scholarship Application

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The application process hasn't even started yet but I didn't even find out about last year's scholarship until a couple days before the deadline. I did get my application in on time but was not fortunate enough to be a recipient. I intend to apply again for the upcoming scholarship. Any tips from those that were accepted? My EFC is 0, I'm in an undergraduate program, and my GPA is 3.4.

I live in Indiana and I just spoke with a rep from HRSA and he assured me that all of the awards have not been given out yet. Many applicants who have not yet received the award are still "Under Review". Most likely if appliants have not received an email by August 31st then they probably won't receive it, however the final deadline is September 30th.

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Sounds good! They told me the same thing! If you don't hear by aug 31st then you probably won't receive it but we're still in the running until the deadline!

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I also spoke to Autumn at BCRS and asked if she could be brutally honest with me regarding the scholarship notifications because of the different advice that has been offered. She candidly stated that they are still reviewing applications due to the sheer number that was submitted and only a portion of the initial emails have gone out. Per Autumn, their system would crash if they attempted to process all the awards at one time. She said that some people haven't even had their credit ran yet. They are doing them in groups (spurts as she called it). Which makes total sense, since the first stipend doesn't get disbursed until Nov. (if I have read correctly). She also went onto say that no one will know 'for sure' that they've received the scholarship until 9/1, when they start sending out the official letters...I'm sure this is contingent on receipt of the correct paperwork etc. To be honest, this was the first person that I felt was shooting me straight. I usually get the generic "continue to monitor until the deadline...that's all we can say". Remember they have up until the end of Sept to notify you.

Again..keep your head up guys and don't get discouraged. If we get it...we get it; if we don't...we don't. I frankly, am tired of being stressed about it...life is too short. :cool: We will all eventually be awesome nurses with a solid career. I had to start thinking like this because of the stress that has come along with this scholarship. It's life altering, YES...but not life stopping. We must keep our head in the game. We all have gotten this far for a reason. :)

For those of you that are worried that you will have to w/d from school b/c of this scholarship... Does your financial aid office at school offer any support? Personally, I go to a private university and my tuition is upwards of $25k/year. With my Stafford loans (offered to everyone) and Pell grant...the majority of my school is taken care of. They also offer "opportunity grants" for students that are stuck in a predicament and facing w/d because of financial reasons. I've luckily been offered that, which has helped a lot. It's not much...but something. I of course, still have work to pay bills, but it is what it is. Just a thought for those of you facing that tough decision. Hang in there. ;)

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@edrury0927,

That was inspirational, and your absolutely correct when you say that we are stressing out with the worries about this scholarship! I have been driving myself insane and that's not cool considering the first semester of my senior year is beginning and a week and I need all the capacities of my brain to be focused on my clinical work so that I can become a great nurse! All we can do is wait, hope,and pray! This won't be the end of the world if we don't receive it... Maybe there is something else in store! Whatever the case may be we have to stay focused on the right path and we will be rewarded substantially in the long run! LOVE AND PEACE TO ALL! and congrats to those who are finalist!

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I couldnt agree more. I think I may even get away from the forum so I stop checking to see if anyone else has heard anything, classes started back today for me and as you both said I need to focus on school not the scholarship. Everyone that applied needed this but the ones selected were selected for a reason. So I am going to quit checking the portal and allnurses and go back to what is MOST important..concentrating on maintaining a 4.0 and learning whats needed to become a great nurse. If we are meant to recieve it we will, for all I know I could have to move to timbuktoo if I were to be awarded it haha! Thanks edrury and jnelson I needed that kick in the a*S :) I hope your semesters start off well!

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Exactly...No sense in it. I start next week as well...OB and peds rotations. Getting very excited to be done... LESS THAN A YEAR! Wa---hoooooo! :D Good luck to you...keep me posted on how school is going.

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How do you guys login to check the progress of your application? I can't find it on thier website. Where is it located? Thanks

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Hello everyone. I want to chime in on this and tell you about my experience. I received the scholarship and I'm currently in default. For those of you fretting over getting it, let me tell you, you might be better off without it. When you graduate you will have a much smaller pool of working options if you do get this scholarship. You need to consider this a LOAN. Where I live, there are very few work options that satisfy the terms. The options available are open for a VERY good reason. Say you want a certain specialty, chances are you might not have it as an option. You are bound to the terms and the sites available. Pay now or pay later. The market is already tough for new nurses. Adding an additional factor narrows your options even further. You will not have any freedom to come and go and it's pretty brutal out there. On the flip side, the people who work with the NSP are very nice people, but that's not going to get you a job. My advice and what I wish I had done?

A)Stick with financial aid and a strict budget

B)work as a tech/cna at a hospital that has a great reputation on a unit you wish to work on

C)Make friends on the unit you want to be on and seize any opportunity to learn in "real time" (not nursing school time)

D)Experience the reality of telemetry before you commit to it as a RN (most jobs for newbies are on this floor)

Don't sell out your professional freedom for 1200/mo and tuition. Some will get lucky and land their favorite immediately but more will be trudging a long road doing something they don't want to do, only to have to retrain in the specialty they love once they satisfy the scholarship. I know I sound negative. I also know I was disillusioned in nursing school. I thought nursing was wide open and it is no longer that way. Remeber, there is never a free lunch. Good luck to you all and think about this very carefully.

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That was deep and it really gives me something to think about. I have looked at the list of approved clinical sites for R.N. work to satisfy the scholarship and they are very limited!

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I do understand that for some based on where they live the number of approved sites might be limited, but that is something that responsible people with common sense should look into. If you are not prepared to work at a hospital or clinic that is not your ideal choice, then you should not apply for the scholarship. The scholarship is to help those who are willing to help others. That is the point of working in an underserved community. If you only applied to get some money and a free education, then you should have not applied or accept the scholarship. It just gets to me when people complain about things that they have control over. Intelligence and common sense are unfortunately not all that common. Many people enter into contracts without doing any research or reading the fine print. A service commitment is a major part of the scholarship that is known from the beginning, so if you know that upfront, there is no reason to complain about the lack of approved sites. Also if you read the fine print you will find out that you can work at sites that are not on the approved list if you get approval from HRSA. That means for everyone who has limited sites in their area, you can apply at city hospitals, clinics in underserved areas and if you get hired most likely HRSA will approve that move. I also know someone who had the scholarship and did just that and is now working at her hospital of choice, because she made a call and got approved. In the end this scholarship is about help for us now and in turn we help those who need us after we graduate. If you are not about that then you should just walk away now.

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I do understand that for some based on where they live the number of approved sites might be limited, but that is something that responsible people with common sense should look into. If you are not prepared to work at a hospital or clinic that is not your ideal choice, then you should not apply for the scholarship. The scholarship is to help those who are willing to help others. That is the point of working in an underserved community. If you only applied to get some money and a free education, then you should have not applied or accept the scholarship. It just gets to me when people complain about things that they have control over. Intelligence and common sense are unfortunately not all that common. Many people enter into contracts without doing any research or reading the fine print. A service commitment is a major part of the scholarship that is known from the beginning, so if you know that upfront, there is no reason to complain about the lack of approved sites. Also if you read the fine print you will find out that you can work at sites that are not on the approved list if you get approval from HRSA. That means for everyone who has limited sites in their area, you can apply at city hospitals, clinics in underserved areas and if you get hired most likely HRSA will approve that move. I also know someone who had the scholarship and did just that and is now working at her hospital of choice, because she made a call and got approved. In the end this scholarship is about help for us now and in turn we help those who need us after we graduate. If you are not about that then you should just walk away now.

You seem to sound very strong of your opinions, but everyone has them so there's no need to get upset and suggest that people lack common sense just because they don't have the same beliefs and values as you do! This is a discussion board and everyone is not going to completely agree on everything but you should calm down its not that serious

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