It takes time and research to find and apply for financial aid but there is a wealth of sources including federal/state governments, the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, nonprofits and private organizations. Here is some guidance to help you find the scholarships and grants to fund your higher education goals.

Paying for your Nursing Education

Begin by going to the Mesa Community College’s Financial Aid website as well as stopping by in person to speak with a financial aid specialist in the Enrollment Center. Attend campus workshops to help find where to apply and how best to fill out forms and present required materials.

It can take many, many months for applications to be processed so starting to search six month to a year before you begin classes is ideal. There is no fee to enroll at MCC; tuition is paid only for registering for classes, so enroll as soon as possible.

Education Funding Resources Especially for Nurses

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing is a listing of student scholarships
• Arizona Nurses Foundation provides funding to further nursing careers in the state
• Arizona Nursing Scholarships lists state-specific as well as other funding for nurses
• College Resource Network is a scholarship search engine
• College Scholarships for nurses lists government grants and other resources
• F.A. Davis nursing scholarship
• Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) has a variety of grants as well as scholarships and loans to fund nursing students who will work in rural and inner city areas where there are often not enough health care professionals to meet basic needs.
• State Nursing Scholarships offer a variety of funding listed under Arizona

More Ways to Pay for College

Federal Funds

FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the key to connecting with federal grants, scholarships and low-interest loans. As soon as possible, you should complete the online application. You will need documentation, which is listed on MCC’s Financial Aid website, along with other important information.

MCC's school code number is 001077. You will need this number for your FAFSA application

Maricopa Community Colleges Scholarships

• Students attending a Maricopa Community College, such as MCC, are eligible for scholarships from The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation. You do not have to prove citizenship to be eligible for the majority of these scholarships. There is one application to fill out and you are automatically considered for a multitude of assistance and notified if you qualify.
• The Presidents’ Honors Scholarships are for recent Maricopa high school graduates students who may apply for a scholarship to attend MCC that cover in-county tuition up to 15 credit hours and some registration fees for up to four consecutive semesters, if they have a 3.0 GPA plus required placement test scores.

• Mesa Community College Funds include scholarships established by generous faculty, alumni and community members. The Student Involvement Scholarship , Mack & Bessie Burke Student Book Scholarship and Dora B. Dewey RN Graduate Prize are a few of more than a dozen scholarships for MCC students only.

• MCC has been recognized as a 2016 Military Friendly School. The Veterans Center helps those who have served our country find assistance, especially receiving their military college benefits that can include tuition, books and funds for dependents. There are additional resources to pay for college like the Veteran Appreciation Scholarship at MCC and Veterans United Foundation.

• Gain skills while you earn money for college with an MCC Work Study job. You apply for this funding when you fill out your FAFSA. If you don’t qualify, you can still find jobs at the college and in the businesses surrounding campus at the Maricopa Career Network.

Apply Online

Community Organizations

Money for higher education is available from groups such as the AZ Community Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam and The Scholarship Guide for Single Parents .