Nursing Scholarships for Single Mothers: Who Pays and When

A single mother who wants to become a nurse has two application windows open right now. Soroptimist's Live Your Dream Award closes November 15, 2026, and the Foundation of the National Student Nurses' Association takes applications until January 11, 2027. The largest federal award, Nurse Corps, pays tuition plus a monthly check; its 2026 round ran in March and April, and 2027 dates are not out yet.

This guide sorts nursing scholarships for single mothers by the level of nursing you are aiming for, from a nurse aide course to a bachelor's degree. Every amount and deadline below was read on the funder's own page or rulebook on October 31, 2026. Where a cycle has closed, the next date is given if the funder has published one.

Deadlines and dollar figures, as of October 31, 2026

• Soroptimist Live Your Dream: closes November 15, 2026, $1,000 to $16,000
• FNSNA undergraduate awards: closes January 11, 2027, up to $10,000
• Nurse Corps Scholarship: tuition, fees and $1,642 a month in 2026-27; the 2026 round closed April 9
• Pell Grant: up to $7,395 for 2026-27, and the 2027-28 FAFSA is open

Match the money to the kind of nurse you want to be

Most nursing scholarships for single mothers pay for one level of nursing and not the others. Nurse Corps skips LPN programs. Illinois pays LPN students a smaller maximum than BSN students. A federal rule makes aide training free for anyone a nursing home has hired, or offered a job, before class starts, but that rule stops at the aide level. So the first decision for a single mom is the credential, and the money list follows from it.

Credential	Typical time	Tuition benchmark	Who can pay
Nurse aide (CNA)	75 clock hours is the federal minimum	$0 if a nursing home has hired you or offered you a job before training starts	Nursing homes; some hospital tech programs
LPN or LVN	About 1 year	Varies by school; ask for the program's cost of attendance	Illinois NES, Soroptimist, Patsy Mink, BAYADA
Associate degree (ADN)	Billed as 2 years; BLS says ADN programs typically take 4 years to complete	$4,150 a year, average in-district tuition and fees at a public two-year college	Nurse Corps, FNSNA, California ADNSP, Pell
Bachelor's (BSN)	Typically 4 years	$11,950 a year, average in-state tuition and fees at a public four-year	Nurse Corps, FNSNA, Illinois NES up to $18,856, Pell

The tuition figures are College Board's 2025-26 sticker averages for full-time students, before any aid (College Board, Trends in College Pricing highlights). Two-year prices alone run from $1,440 a year in California to $8,900 in Vermont.

Time matters as much as tuition for a mom paying rent. On paper an ADN is a two-year degree, yet the Bureau of Labor Statistics says ADN and ASN programs, like BSN programs, typically take 4 years to complete, while hospital diploma programs take 2 to 3 (BLS, Registered Nurses). BLS does not break that time down, so ask any ADN program how long its prerequisites and waitlist run before you count on a two-year finish.

The pay gap explains why so many nursing scholarships for single mothers target RN programs. Registered nurses earned a median $97,550 in May 2025, and BLS projects about 180,800 openings a year through 2035. LPNs earned a median $64,400 after a program that usually takes about a year (BLS, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses). Nursing assistants earned a median $42,260 (BLS, Nursing Assistants and Orderlies).

Nurse Corps: full tuition and a monthly stipend, in exchange for two years

Of all the nursing scholarships for single mothers in this guide, the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program, run by HRSA in the federal health department, pays the most. It pays tuition, eligible fees and a yearly sum for books, clinical supplies and uniforms, plus a monthly stipend (HRSA, Apply to the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program). Applications for the 2026 round are closed.

The 2026-27 rulebook sets the stipend at $1,642 a month for full-time students. The 2026 round opened with guidance dated March 10, closed April 9, 2026, and promised every applicant an answer by September 30, 2026 (Nurse Corps Scholarship Program, School Year 2026-2027 Application and Program Guidance). HRSA has not posted 2027 dates yet, so a spring window is the pattern to plan around, not a promise.

Three rules in that guidance favor a single mom. Funding preference goes to applicants with the greatest financial need, measured by the Student Aid Index on the FAFSA. Up to 25% of funding is set aside for associate degree students, so a community college RN program is not a long shot. And the essay and cost-of-attendance upload were dropped from the application.

The catch is the commitment. You must study full-time, and after graduation you owe at least two years of full-time work (or a part-time equivalent) at a Critical Shortage Facility, a site in a health professional shortage area. Three years of funding means three years of service, and four means four. Moving to part-time classes stops tuition and stipend payments.

• The whole award is taxable. HRSA withholds federal income tax and FICA, which equals 7.65% of tuition and fees, so the tuition payment arrives smaller than the bill.
• Breaking the contract is costly. You repay everything received, including tax withheld, plus interest, within three years.
• Other grants can fill the gap. HRSA says a Pell Grant or state grant can cover the tuition left after its payment.
• LPN programs do not qualify. Eligible programs are diploma, associate and bachelor's nursing degrees, plus graduate study.

For a single mom of two, the stipend is the part that changes the math. Twelve months at $1,642 is $19,704 a year before withholding, money that can cover rent while clinical shifts eat into work hours. It also pairs with state help for daycare; the guide to child care assistance for single mothers explains how to apply.

Already borrowed? Nurse Corps Loan Repayment

A mom who already took loans for nursing school has a second federal option once she is licensed. The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program pays 60% of unpaid nursing education debt over two years of full-time work at a Critical Shortage Facility or as nursing faculty. A third year can add 25% more, for 85% in all (HRSA, Apply to the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program).

It is open to licensed RNs, advanced practice nurses and nurse faculty, and HRSA gives funding preference to applicants with the most financial need. The 2026 round is closed. Payments count as taxable income, so set some aside for April.

Two private awards still taking applications this winter

Soroptimist International of the Americas built its Live Your Dream Award for women who provide the primary financial support for their families, which fits most single mothers. It accepts women in vocational training or an undergraduate program, including LPN and RN students, and the 2026 window runs August 1 to November 15 (Soroptimist, Apply for the Live Your Dream Award).

Judging starts with a local club. Club winners average about $1,000, each club's top pick moves on for a $3,000 or $5,000 region award, and region winners compete for international awards of $10,000, for a possible total of $16,000. Soroptimist says recipients can spend the cash on books, child care, tuition and transportation (Soroptimist, Live Your Dream Awards).

The Foundation of the National Student Nurses' Association (FNSNA) runs a nursing-only program. The 2027-28 application opened September 8, 2026 and closes January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, with awards of up to $10,000 and more than $500,000 given each year (FNSNA, 2027 Undergraduate Scholarship Application).

FNSNA accepts ADN, BSN, diploma, LPN-to-RN and accelerated BSN students, plus students finishing prerequisites for a nursing program. You need at least six credits a term and a graduation date after July 1, 2027. Judges weigh grades, financial need and involvement in student nursing groups or health-related community work, and you upload a faculty form and a financial aid form.

Awards written for single parents that pay for nursing school

Some nursing scholarships for single mothers care about your family more than your major. The wider list of scholarships for single moms covers general awards; the two below matter most for a nursing path.

The Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation gives five Education Support Awards of up to $5,000 to low-income mothers with minor children (Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation, Education Support Awards). For 2026-27, a family of three had to earn under $27,320 a year, and the student had to enroll full time in a vocational or degree program above her prior level. LPN certificates qualify. That cycle closed August 1, 2026; 2027-28 details are due in May 2027.

In Arkansas, the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund pays eligible single parents up to $1,600 each semester toward school and the costs around it (Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund). The Arkansas single parent scholarship guide walks through the income line, county funds and term-by-term paperwork.

State nursing money: California and Illinois

State-run nursing awards differ more than their names suggest. These two examples show the range. Search your state's higher education agency or health workforce office for the local version, and read the service terms before you sign.

California. The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) runs the Associate Degree Nursing Scholarship Program. It pays up to $8,000 for one year to a student in an RN associate program carrying at least six semester units (HCAI, ADNSP 2026-27 Grant Guide). In return she gives one year of direct patient care, at least 32 hours a week, at a qualifying California site.

The budget is the warning sign. The same guide lists about $50,000 statewide for the program, enough for roughly six full awards. The 2026 window ran September 1 to October 2, and HCAI says the next cycle starts in September 2027 (HCAI, Associate Degree Nursing Scholarship Program). Apply, but do not build a budget around it.

Illinois. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) runs the Nursing Education Scholarship. For 2026-27 the maximum is $9,238 for practical nursing certificates and community college ADNs, and $18,856 for a BSN or an ADN at a four-year or private two-year school (ISAC, Nursing Education Scholarship). Full-time students also get a living allowance.

New Illinois awards go first to the lowest Student Aid Index, which helps a single mom on one income. About 10% of new awards are reserved for practical nursing students. The application usually runs March 1 to April 30. After graduation you must work as a nurse in Illinois for as long as the scholarship paid, or repay it with 7% interest a year.

Service-based awards rarely stack. Nurse Corps treats an existing service obligation as disqualifying unless the other funder confirms no conflict and Nurse Corps service comes first, and HCAI bars applicants who already owe service elsewhere. Pick the one with terms you can actually keep.

Paid training: nursing homes, hospitals and home care agencies

For a single mom who cannot stop working, the employer route is often the way in. Under a federal rule, a nurse aide who is employed by a nursing home, or has a job offer from one, on the day her training starts may not be charged for any portion of the program, including textbooks and other required course materials (42 CFR 483.152, Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program).

The same rule sets the course at no less than 75 clock hours, with at least 16 hours of supervised practical training. If you pay for the course yourself and a nursing home hires you within 12 months, the state must reimburse your costs on a pro rata basis for the period you are employed as an aide. Keep every receipt.

Hospitals run similar programs. UVA Health's Earn While You Learn program in Charlottesville hires trainees into an eight-week patient care technician course, pays $16.00 an hour full time with benefits from day one, and covers training and certification exam fees. Applications for its February 2027 cohorts open November 5, 2026 (UVA HR, Earn While You Learn). It asks for a one-year commitment, and employees with a year of service can apply to its RN and LPN-to-RN tracks.

Home care agencies do it too. BAYADA's Advance Through Nursing program offers caregivers with 90 days on the job a scholarship of up to $5,000 toward a first LPN or RN credential, plus up to $10,000 of student loan repayment (BAYADA, Advance Through Nursing Program Fact Sheet). You keep working at least 20 hours a month in school, then owe two years at 30 hours a week.

A CNA paycheck is a starting point, not the finish. Other short credentials are compared in quick certifications that pay well. For schedules that fit school pickup, read the guide to jobs for single moms.

Pell, FSEOG and Workforce Pell under every award

Federal grants sit underneath nursing scholarships for single mothers, and most private awards ask for a FAFSA anyway. The Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 for the 2026-27 award year, scaled to cost, enrollment status and need (Federal Student Aid, Federal Pell Grants). The 2027-28 FAFSA is already available, which matters for anyone starting a program next fall (Federal Student Aid, FAFSA).

Some schools also award the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, $100 to $4,000 a year, to students with exceptional need until the school's share runs out (Federal Student Aid, FSEOG). File early: once a school has awarded all its FSEOG money, no more awards are made that year. The Pell Grant guide for single mothers walks through the FAFSA steps.

Workforce Pell is new, created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Department of Education began taking school applications on July 1, 2026 and approved the first program on August 4, 2026. A program must run at least 8 but fewer than 15 weeks and 150 to 599 clock hours (US Department of Education, Workforce Pell FAQs, October 2026). A 75-hour aide course is too short; ask if a longer one at your college is approved.

A funding plan for a single mom starting an RN program in fall 2027

Take a single mom of two who earns little and plans to start a community college ADN in August 2027. She files the 2027-28 FAFSA this fall, since Pell, FSEOG, FNSNA and Nurse Corps all lean on it. Before November 15 she submits the Soroptimist application, and before January 11 she applies to FNSNA if she is already taking prerequisites.

• Spring 2027: watch HRSA for the Nurse Corps opening and apply as an ADN student, the group HRSA set aside up to a quarter of 2026 funding for.
• Spring 2027, by state: apply to the state nursing award, such as Illinois NES between March 1 and April 30.
• May 2027: check the Patsy Mink page for the 2027-28 cycle if her income is under the line.
• Summer 2027: line up child care help and a work schedule around clinicals.

Nursing scholarships for single mothers rarely arrive all at once. If Nurse Corps comes through, she declines any other award that carries a work obligation and lets Pell and private scholarships cover what the tuition payment leaves. If it does not, a state award, Soroptimist and FNSNA money plus Pell can still cover a $4,150 community college bill. The grants for single moms overview lists help with rent and food during school.

Questions single moms ask about paying for nursing school

Can I keep Nurse Corps if I drop to part-time because of my kids?

No. Nurse Corps requires full-time enrollment, and a switch to less than full-time stops both tuition and stipend payments. HRSA may make an exception for summer terms or a final term. If your child care is shaky, sort it out before the term starts, or consider awards like FNSNA that accept six credits.

Can any of these scholarships pay for my prerequisite classes?

Some do. FNSNA lets students who are finishing prerequisites for a nursing program apply, as long as they take at least six credits a term. Illinois NES does not pay for prerequisite coursework at all, only classes inside the nursing curriculum. Ask each funder in writing before you enroll in a prerequisite-only term.

What happens if I fail a nursing course?

Nurse Corps does not pay for repeated coursework, though the stipend can continue if you stay full-time. At BAYADA, dropping or failing a course puts your loan repayment terms under review. In Illinois, leaving the program means repaying the scholarship with 7% yearly interest. Talk to your funder before you withdraw.

Do I have to report a nursing scholarship as income?

For Nurse Corps, yes: every part of the award is taxable, and HRSA withholds federal income tax and FICA, and state and local tax may apply on top. HCAI tells California awardees to ask a tax advisor. Keep award letters and receipts for whoever prepares your return.

Does a defaulted student loan stop me from getting Nurse Corps?

It can. HRSA rules out applicants who have defaulted on federal debts such as student loans, and on non-federal debts such as court-ordered child support or state taxes, unless the debt was later satisfied. It also checks credit reports. Getting a defaulted loan back in good standing before spring is worth the effort.

Sources

• Health Resources and Services Administration. Apply to the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program. bhw.hrsa.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Health Resources and Services Administration. Nurse Corps Scholarship Program, School Year 2026-2027 Application and Program Guidance (March 10, 2026). bhw.hrsa.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Health Resources and Services Administration. Apply to the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program. bhw.hrsa.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Foundation of the National Student Nurses' Association. 2027 Undergraduate Scholarship Application. fnsna.org (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Soroptimist International of the Americas. Apply for the Live Your Dream Award. soroptimist.org (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Soroptimist International of the Americas. Live Your Dream Awards. soroptimist.org (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation. Education Support Awards, 2026-27 criteria. patsyminkfoundation.org (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. Home page. aspsf.org (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• California Department of Health Care Access and Information. Associate Degree Nursing Scholarship Program, FY 2026-27 Grant Guide. hcai.ca.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• California Department of Health Care Access and Information. Associate Degree Nursing Scholarship Program (ADNSP). hcai.ca.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Nursing Education Scholarship (NES), 2026-27. isac.org (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 42 CFR 483.152, nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs. ecfr.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• University of Virginia Human Resources. Earn While You Learn. hr.virginia.edu (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• BAYADA Home Health Care. Advance Through Nursing Program Fact Sheet (rev. January 19, 2026). jobs.bayada.com (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Federal Student Aid, US Department of Education. Federal Pell Grants, 2026-27 award year. studentaid.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Federal Student Aid, US Department of Education. FAFSA form, 2027-28. studentaid.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Federal Student Aid, US Department of Education. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. studentaid.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• US Department of Education. Frequently Asked Questions, Workforce Pell (October 2026). fsapartners.ed.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses (May 2025 wages). bls.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (May 2025 wages). bls.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nursing Assistants and Orderlies (May 2025 wages). bls.gov (retrieved October 31, 2026)
• College Board. Trends in College Pricing 2025, highlights. research.collegeboard.org (retrieved October 31, 2026)