There are, believe it or not, a number of LPN scholarship opportunities out there for students hoping to qualify as LPN nurses at some point in the future. A lot of people who would like to become LPNs never achieve their goals because they feel that financially speaking they are unable to do so.
This need no longer be the case. Nursing is an industry that is under served and that needs quite a number of new nurses if it is to stay afloat. Hence there are many nursing scholarships available for prospective nurses. Below is some advice on finding scholarships, as well as some tips about avoiding scholarships scams.
Tips for finding and qualifying for LPN scholarships
There are a number of important tips that you should keep in mind if you are searching for financial aid options to help you complete your LPN studies and qualify as a nurse. An LPN scholarship is probably the best way to get through your studies, but remember that there are also other financial aid options available, such as grants and loan forgiveness schemes. Here are some tips about finding out what options are open to you:
The first thing that you should do when looking for LPN scholarships is to complete a FAFSA form. Information about FAFSA can be found on their website. This form will then be used as the basis for the US Department of Education to decide whether or not you are eligible for financial aid in the form of scholarships and other methods. Make sure that you fill out the FAFSA form honestly in order to ensure the best results possible form your application for financial aid.
The sources of financial aid for nurses are changing all the time. The requirements change and new scholarships makes themselves known all the time. It is therefore important that you keep up to date with these changes and that you make sure that you are constantly aware of what your options, old and new, are. One great place to look for information regarding LPN scholarships is at The American Association of Colleges of Nursing, a website that provides excellent information regarding topics like this. Basically what we are saying here is that you should stay informed of your options.
Remember that many scholarships are based on things like what you know already and how active you are in terms of participating in your community. It is easy for you to expand your LPN scholarship eligibility by taking a more active part in the community or by taking part in some courses that may look good on your application for a scholarship. There are a number of ways such as these in which you can expand your eligibility. As you want to stand the best chance possible in order to reach your educational goals, this is an excellent way to do it.
For nearly all scholarships you will be required to write an essay in order to apply. If you want to stand a good chance of getting your scholarship then you need to write the bet essay possible. There are a number of tips that you can use to help you achieve this. For one thing you need to assume that there are many other applicants applying for the same scholarship as you are which means that the person who reads the essay is just going to skim through it. So what you need to do first is to write a very strong introduction that will convince the reader to continue reading. You want to catch their attention right from the word go. Look carefully at the essay question and make sure that the answer you give is insightful and thoughtful.
This means that you can’t rush through it as it requires a lot of thought if you want to submit a successful essay. You need to stand out from the crowd. Don’t write generic phrases. Keep the essay personal and try to be as individualistic as possible. Make sure that you are reflecting yourself and your attributes in a unique and meaningful way when you write the essay of application for the LPN scholarships that you are interested in. You also need to pay attention to the grammar and spelling you use. Good spelling and grammar reflect on your attention to detail, a very important aspect of being an LPN. It is important however that you also use a natural style of writing. Your essay should definitely be formal, but it should not seem forced. It is important that you ensure that you leave enough time for editing your essay. Get someone else to read it for you. Make sure they understand it and that they don’t find any errors.
There are a number of practical nursing opportunities that are available out there. There are a few work and learn programs whereby you get practical experience, although not ultimately a qualification. However these programs can be helpful in helping you get a scholarship as they are indications of the degree to which you are devoted to the concept of becoming an LPN nurse. If you are able to get into one of these practical LPN training opportunities then you will be in a very good position when applying for LPN scholarships.
Tips for avoiding scholarships scams
There are, unfortunately, a number of people out there who are willing to take advantage of you as you search for your ideal LPN scholarship. These people are the ones running scholarship scams to try and trap you with false promises. While looking through the various LPN scholarships offered, you should be very careful about avoiding these scams. There are a number of useful tips that you may want to use when looking for an LPN scholarship that will help you to identify whether or not the scholarship is a scam. These tips are listed below.
Scams are obviously aimed at tricking you out of money. Therefore the first tip that we have for you is to be very suspicious of scholarship opportunities that require you to pay anything up front. There are a number of legitimate scholarships that require you to pay something in the region of $5 for mailing costs and so on, but if you are required to pay anything more than this, be suspicious. You could try doing a web search about the scholarship to see if anyone else has been tricked out of money by that scholarship opportunity.
If you are simply looking for information about scholarships, remember that this information is always available for free. If a scholarship opportunity required you to pay for information, ignore it as it s probably a scam. If you are required to meet with a representative at some hotel or hall then it may also be a scam. Often these types of scam involve getting you to a place and than trying o convince you to buy something. Information is available for free and you will never have to pay with it or meet with a representative to find out more about a scholarship.
The next tip is actually a rule that you should apply to all of your business dealings in life. Never give your banking details or credit card information to anybody. A legitimate LPN scholarship will never ask you to do this, so if you come across a scholarship ‘opportunity’ that needs you to give these details, treat it with suspicion immediately as the chances are fairly high that you are going to be scammed out of your money. This information should be kept private at all times and you should never provide it to anybody.
If the promise seems too good to be true, it probably is. If a scholarship program promises you financial aid, then it is probably a scam. There are a number of phrases you should look out for along these lines. If any of the following phrases come up at any point, then you need to be highly suspicious: ‘”The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back”, “You can’t get this information anywhere else”, “I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship”, “We’ll do all the work”, “The scholarship will cost some money”, and “You’ve been selected by a ‘national foundation’ to receive a scholarship” or “You’re a finalist” in a contest you never entered.’
Getting a scholarship for your LPN qualification is not necessarily and easy thing to do, but neither is it an impossible thing to achieve. The above tips should help you to get started. Remember that there are a lot of options out there and that it is important that you consider all of them in order to ensure that you are well informed. Some scholarships will suit you better than others, so this is why you need to know about them all before making your final decision about which ones to apply for.
