NLN Foundation for Nursing Education Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by National League for Nursing

Introductory overview
The NLN Foundation for Nursing Education is proud to be the first member organization to offer scholarships dedicated exclusively to nurse educators. Each year the Foundation awards scholarships of up to $8,000 to support the NLN’s work in developing a strong, diverse nursing workforce to improve health nationally and globally.

Important dates
- Application window: Monday, February 23, 2026 through Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
- Notification: Applicants will be informed of decisions by the end of July 2026.
- Recognition: Scholarship recipients will be honored at the NLN Summit in Fall 2026 in Washington, DC.

Who this scholarship is for (Eligibility)
- Nurses enrolled in accredited master’s or doctoral programs who are pursuing advanced degrees with the intention of becoming full-time nurse educators.
- Applicants must have completed at least one full year of their program by June 2026.
- Applicants’ projects or programs must be realistically completable by the award period (examples of feasibility include IRB approval for research, a defended dissertation proposal, an approved DNP/capstone project, or approval of a QI/change initiative).
- The NLN Foundation seeks to increase representation of experienced and ethnically diverse nurses in educator roles.
- Applicants must hold NLN membership either individually or via their employer school’s NLN membership.

Resources to review before preparing your application
- NLN Nursing Education Scholarship Review Rubric
- Scholarship Application Prep Webinar - Recording 2025
- NLN Scholarship FAQ

Application components and instructions
Every submission must contain the items below. Refer to the NLN Nursing Education Scholarship Review Rubric when preparing materials. Applications that are incomplete will be disqualified.

1) Introduction — Explain why you need this scholarship and clearly state the purpose of the requested support.
2) Program of Study — Describe the nature of your project or program (e.g., dissertation, capstone, scholarly/pilot project, quality improvement or change initiative).
3) Timeline and Completion Plan — Provide a detailed outline, a timeline, and your expected graduation date. If you have already defended a dissertation proposal or had a DNP/capstone approved, include the defense/approval date. If applicable, note IRB approval.
4) Alignment with NLN — Explain how your work advances the NLN’s mission and core values.
5) Career Objectives — Describe your goals as a nurse educator and how this degree will prepare you for full-time educator roles.
6) Letters of Recommendation — Two letters addressed to the NLN Foundation are required.
7) Budget Narrative — Present a clear budget with each line item explained and justified.
8) Biosketch — Include a completed biosketch form (the form is available on SM Apply).

Formatting note
There is no single mandated application template, but applicants should follow the order of the checklist above and use clear headings corresponding to each required section.

If you have questions about preparing your proposal, consult the listed resources and the rubric before submission.