EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR VA NURSES
Nursing Scholarships and Grants

The National Nursing Education Initiative (NNEI)

The National Nursing Education Initiative (NNEI) is a program that provides nursing scholarships and grants to support associate degree and diploma registered nurses in obtaining their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The VA qualification standard for nursing requires a BSN degree to advance beyond Nurse level I. This program providing nursing scholarships and grants to students working toward their BSN also provides nursing scholarships at the graduate level helping students obtain a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

About the Scholarship Program

The NNEI and the Employee Incentive Scholarship Program (EISP) provide up to $10,000 in nursing scholarships and grants per year to RNs enrolled full-time in BSN or MSN programs. Up to $5,000 in nursing scholarships and grants per year is available to part-time students. Eligible RNs must be enrolled or accepted in a BSN or MSN program, and employed for at least two years at a VAMC. Recipients of the nursing scholarships must serve a period of obligated full-time service. Each VAMC has appointed an NNEI Program Coordinator and funding decisions are made at each facility.