Graduate scholarship (GRD) Applicants
Exciting news! More Washington DNP or MSN students may now be eligible for the Graduate Scholarship.
What Changed:
GRD applicants no longer need to have an income at or below 125% of the Median Family Income (MFI) for their household size. If your income is above 125% of MFI there will be additional financial questions on the application about past reliance on income-based assistance program, student debt and current financial situation.
The Graduate Scholarship (GRD) supports historically underrepresented Washington students pursuing advanced health care degrees to become nurse practitioners. The GRD scholarship aims to increase the number of health care providers in Washington’s medically underserved areas. To be eligible, Scholars must be already enrolled in an approved practitioner-based MSN or DNP program and pursuing a specialty as an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP-Primary care), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), or Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP-Primary care), at one of Washington’s six eligible nursing schools.
Awarded students will receive a total award of up to $25,000 over up to 3 years. Funding will be divided evenly over the Scholar’s remaining DNP or MSN program terms. Awards begin disbursement to schools in the fall term following selection and are not to exceed $6,250 per term. These scholarship funds are flexible and can be used to cover tuition, fees and other costs of attendance such as housing, transportation, food and more.
Stipends
We ask scholars to complete at least half of their clinical credit hours in a Washington State Medically Underserved Area (MUA) or Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). In addition to the $25,000 scholarship, we provide stipends to help facilitate this process.
GRD Scholars are eligible to receive a $500 per term travel stipend when training at a remote Washington State MUA or HPSA.
GRD Scholar practicum sites located in a MUA or HPSA area are eligible for a stipend of $3,600 per 120 clinical hours. Learn about Preceptor Site Stipends available to eligible sites hosting GRD Scholars.
The information below describes the application timeline, eligibility requirements and application requirements.
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GRD Scholarship Info Session
Application Timeline: Key Milestones & Dates
WSOS accepts applications for the Graduate scholarship one time each academic year. The table below shows the timelines for the 2023 scholarship window.
| Application milestone | 2023 Dates |
|---|---|
| Application opens | March 27, 2023 |
| Application deadline | May 15, 2023 |
| FAFSA/WASFA submitted | May 15, 2023 |
| Recommendation form submitted | May 18, 2023 |
| Selection notification | June 2023 |
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants for the scholarship must meet all of the following criteria:
- RESIDENCY
- To be eligible for WSOS, a student must be a Washington resident. Students who are Washington residents pay resident (in-state) tuition and fees at all public colleges and universities (when applicable), and in most cases, a Washington resident is someone who lives in the state for one year immediately prior to starting their college or program.
- However, there are other ways to be considered a resident. Applicants with questions should consult their financial aid offices and review the definition of a Washington resident that is outlined in RCW 28B.15.012(2) (a) through (e) and outlined in the WSOS residency summary.
- Please read the WSOS residency summary to determine if you are a Washington resident.
- FINANCIAL NEED
- File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) for the relevant academic year by the application deadline.
- Apply for Federal Education Tax Credits, if eligible.
- ENROLLMENT PLAN
- Currently pursuing a specialty in Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP-Primary care), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) or Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP–Primary care) in a DNP or MSN program that prepares you for clinical practice at one of the following eligible universities:
- Gonzaga University
- Pacific Lutheran University
- Seattle Pacific University
- Seattle University
- UW Seattle
- Washington State University (WSU Spokane, WSU Tri-Cities, WSU Vancouver)
- Applicants must have completed at least 1 semester or 2 quarters in their DNP or MSN program
- Plan to have completed no more than 60 clinical practicum hours by the end of Summer term 2023
- Be enrolled full-time as defined by your DNP program or part-time as defined by your MSN program
- Be in good academic standing as defined by your DNP or MSN program
- Plan to complete at least one-half of the program’s required clinical hours in a Washington state Medically Underserved Area (MUA) or Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) as designated by HRSA, and as assigned or approved by their program’s Clinical Placement Coordinator for the quarter or semester
- Commit to sharing practicum placement information with WSOS
- Currently pursuing a specialty in Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP-Primary care), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) or Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP–Primary care) in a DNP or MSN program that prepares you for clinical practice at one of the following eligible universities:
- POST-DEGREE PLAN
Application Process
Interested applicants must complete the entire application process to be considered. Applicants must:
- Complete all application sections via the Scholarship Application Portal by the application deadline. Required materials to submit during the application process include:
- Resume or CV
- Two required essay questions
- A recent unofficial transcript from your DNP or MSN degree program
- Have submitted the FAFSA or WASFA for the relevant academic year by the deadline on the application timeline.
- Have one recommendation form submitted from a professional or academic reference who can speak to your commitment to working in a Washington state Medically Underserved Area (MUA) or Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).
Application Tips!
Applicants may start the application, save progress and return to complete it later up until the application deadline. The application will take about 30 minutes to complete if you have your essays prepared and your unofficial transcript plus resume ready to upload.
Essay Question Guide: Review some guiding tips on how to prepare for this section of the application.
Recommendation Form Guide: Information sheet that you can send to references about the GRD Scholarship and what to include in the Recommendation Form.
Washington Medically Underserved Areas (MUA) and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA)
Medically Underserved Areas and Health Professional Shortage Areas are located across the state of Washington. See below for maps provided by the Washington state Department of Health.
Selection & Notification
The Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for deciding which factors determine Scholar selection. The criteria upon which selection is based varies year to year but generally include a combination of students’ commitment to practice in Washington state, intended program of study and financial need.
Applicants will be notified about the selection decision by the date listed on the table above.
Selection notification emails are sent to the email address applicants provide on the application; we strongly encourage all applicants to carefully enter their email and to add graduate@waopportunityscholarship.org to their list of trusted senders.
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