SoN scholarships & fellowships
In addition to the opportunities listed below, additional scholarships are made possible through gifts by the School’s alumni and friends.
- Scholarships for new students
- Scholarships & fellowships for current students
- Traineeships
- Nursing Loans from SoN
Scholarships for new students
PhD applicants are considered for scholarships at the time admissions decisions are made. No additional action is needed. Some PhD admissions offers will include scholarship support. The number and amount of awards vary annually. However, the School cannot support all new PhD students so not everyone will be offered funding.
All other incoming students should submit an application for SoN scholarships in the spring.*
*A special open-application period will be offered in October for students newly admitted from the waitlist. More information will be available on October 1. Only students admitted to SoN degree programs during the summer will be eligible to apply during this special application period.
Scholarships & fellowships for current students
School of Nursing scholarships
All SoN students are encouraged to apply for scholarships from the School. Applications are accepted every Spring for funding in the following academic year. Applicants will be considered for all available scholarships; separate applications are not needed.
Hester McLaws Nursing Dissertation Scholarship
The Hester McLaws Nursing Dissertation Scholarship provides funding up to $3,500 for dissertation-related expenses. This is available to any PhD student who has passed their General Exam. Applications may be submitted at any time.
Student conference travel awards
Students who will present at a regional or national conference may apply for funds to help offset the expense of attendance. Awards are up to $350 per student. Eligible expenses include conference registration, transportation, and lodging. Students may apply for travel awards at any time; applications are evaluated monthly.
Emergency financial aid
Students who experience unexpected financial hardship may be eligible for “emergency” financial aid from UW and/or SoN.
School of Nursing Research Center scholarships
UW School of Nursing-affiliated research centers offer scholarships in addition to those presented here:
Traineeships
Departmental funding
Limited departmental funding may be available for graduate nursing students. To apply, submit an approved proposal or project/thesis plan to your department chair.
Aging and Informatics Training Program
The UW School of Nursing has a new T32 training program in Aging and Informatics funded by the NIH National Institute of Nursing Research. This interdisciplinary research training program prepares future researchers with expertise in the use of informatics to support aging.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, both at the pre-doctoral level (PhD nursing students) and post-doctoral level (with a PhD in nursing or related field). For more information, contact Dr. Hilaire Thompson (hilairet@uw.edu).
NIOSH student funding
PhD nursing students may be eligible for funded traineeships from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) through the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety for 16 quarters.
To be eligible, students must:
- be enrolled full time (10 credits or more)
- take all of the required worker health and safety courses, and
- complete their PhD dissertation related to worker health and/or safety issues
Depending on availability, the traineeships may cover tuition costs and some stipend. For more information, contact Jenny Tsai (jennyt@uw.edu).
Premera Rural Nursing Health Initiative (RNHI)
The mission of the Premera Rural Nursing Health Initiative is to:
- Enhance clinical placements for current advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNP) students, and
- Develop an innovative ARNP post-graduate fellowship program to ensure a robust pipeline and network of primary care ARNPs to improve health outcomes and access in rural Washington communities
Current DNP students interested in rural primary care practice, improving health outcomes for rural communities, and working with diverse, underserved populations are invited to apply for a one-quarter Premera-funded rural clinical rotation.
Recent DNP graduates seeking employment opportunities to serve in rural communities are invited to apply for a 12-month fellowship program designed to increase professional competency and confidence in the clinical setting.
Nursing Loans
The UW School of Nursing is able to offer two different loans directly to enrolled students: the Nurse Faculty Loan Program and Torrance Loan. Additional details about both are below. Questions about other student loans (including Stafford, PLUS, and federal nursing loans) should be directed to the UW Office of Student Financial Aid.
Nurse Faculty Loan Program
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) funds to nursing schools to help graduate students who plan to become nursing faculty upon graduation. The loan can be used for tuition, fees, books, and other educational supplies, but not living expenses.
It is not necessary for students to contact HRSA. Loan applications are submitted directly to the School. UW disburses the funds after approval. There is no application deadline.
Funding varies based upon each student’s educational expenses up to $35,000 per year, as determined by the UW Office of Student Financial Aid. Up to 85% of the total loan amount is canceled if the borrower maintains eligible employment (as a full-time faculty member, part-time faculty who is also a preceptor, or full-time ARNP with an adjunct or affiliate faculty position) for the first four years after graduation. Borrowers will then have six years to repay the remaining 15% of the principal balance, plus interest (with a 3% interest rate). The interest rate will revert to the prevailing market rate (6.8% in 2020) if the borrower does not complete the degree or does not meet the four-year faculty employment requirement.
Applicants must be a Master’s, DNP, or PhD student in good standing, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and plan to teach in a faculty role upon graduation. Completion of the FAFSA is required to verify citizenship/residency.
Students who would like to borrow an NFLP loan should complete the following steps:
- Send a message with the subject line “Request for NFLP application” to sonscholarships@uw.edu. Include your legal name, student number and UW email address in the body of the message. A loan application and instructions will then be returned to you after the UW Office of Student Financial Aid determines the eligible loan amount, which may take up to one week.
- Complete the application and return it to sonscholarships@uw.edu. After a final review, the application will then be sent to UW Student Fiscal Services for processing.
- Sign the promissory note. While UW continues remote operations, promissory notes will be digitally signed through DocuSign.
- After a mandatory three-day waiting period once the promissory note is signed, the funds will be disbursed to your student account.
Students at all three campuses are eligible to borrow NFLP loans. Bothell and Tacoma students should contact their student services office for more information.
Torrance Loans
Starting with the 2022-23 academic year, the Torrance Loan Program is temporarily paused due to funding availability. No new loans are being issued at this time. The School of Nursing will send an announcement to students when it is able to re-open this load program.
SoN offers Torrance Loans directly to nursing students. Torrance Loans are $2,000 each and can be requested every quarter. The loans have a 10-year repayment period at 3% interest.
Students who would like to borrow a Torrance Loan should complete the following steps:
- Send a message with the subject line “Request for Torrance Loan application” to sonscholarships@uw.edu. Include your legal name, student number, and UW email address in the body of the message. A loan application and instructions will then be returned to you after the UW Office of Student Financial Aid determines the eligible loan amount, which may take up to one week.
- Complete the application and return to sonscholarships@uw.edu. After a final review, the application will then be sent to UW Student Fiscal Services for processing.
- Sign the promissory note. While UW continues remote operations, promissory notes will be digitally signed through DocuSign.
- After a mandatory three-day waiting period once the promissory note is signed, the funds will be disbursed to your student account.
Only students on the Seattle campus are eligible for Torrance Loans. All SoN Seattle undergraduate and graduate students may apply.