Brave of Heart Nursing Scholarship
Brave of Heart Nursing Scholarship seeks to identify and award America’s future leaders in nursing.
Brave of Heart Nursing Scholarship
About the Scholarship
This scholarship was established by Brave of Heart Fund, founded by the Foundations of Cigna and New York Life and administered by E4E Relief, to assist students pursuing associate or Bachelor of Science degrees in nursing and who clearly demonstrate intent to positively impact healthcare outcomes for the communities they will serve.
Please note, this is the final year the Brave of Heart Nursing Scholarship will be offered. Funding will not be available in future years.
The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.
Eligibility
Applicants to the Brave of Heart Nursing Scholarship must:
- Be a current college undergraduate who will earn their Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) by September 2027.
- Plan to enroll in full-time or part-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college or university for the 2026-27 academic year (Fall and/or Spring semesters).
- Have a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).
- Be in good standing according to school policy.
- Demonstrate financial need.
Awards
If selected as a recipient, the student will receive an award ranging from $2,500 to $10,000. Students enrolled part-time will receive half of the award amount.
Award Value:
- Recipients enrolled in a full-time Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program will receive a $10,000 annual award, $5,000 per semester.
- Recipients enrolled in a full-time Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program will receive a $5,000 annual award, $2,500 per semester.
Awards are one-time only.
Awards are for undergraduate study only.
Notification
All applicants will be notified in late July.
Notifications are sent via email. When setting up your account, avoid using a school or work email. Instead, use an active, personal email address that you will continue to have access to.
Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address as safe senders in your email contact list.
Payment of Scholarships
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of the Brave of Heart Fund.
Payment is made in Late August.
Selection of Recipients
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Two essays* that will reflect the following:
- Perseverance and grit
- Demonstrated intent to positively impact health outcomes for the community you serve
- Academic record
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
- Work experience
- An optional statement of unusual personal or family circumstances
*Essay Topics
- Essay 1: Few paths in life are a straight line; education is no exception. Tell us about a life event or hardship that made your path to nursing school more challenging. Please describe what happened and how it impacted your life or studies. We are interested in hearing about the specific actions you took to keep moving forward and what you learned from this experience that will help you in the future.
- Essay 2: Looking 10–15 years into your future, what are your greatest aspirations for your nursing career? Please describe the community or group of people you feel most called to serve and the specific health challenges they face. How do you hope to use your unique skills to improve health outcomes in this community?
Financial need, as calculated by Scholarship America, must be demonstrated for the student to receive an award.
Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of the Brave of Heart Fund or E4E Relief play a part in the selection.
Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
Requirements
As part of your application, you must upload the following:
- A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
- Student name
- School name
- Grades
- Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.
- Copy of the first two pages of the most recently filed IRS Form 1040 used for the Financial Information section of the application. Please black out all social security numbers and bank account information.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
