Canadian Nurses Foundation · National
CNSA Parent Nursing Award
About this award
Get up to $3,000 for your baccalaureate nursing studies if you are also a parent — apply between December and late January.
You can receive up to $3,000 for your studies. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are balancing the demands of a nursing degree while raising children. Applications open each December for the following academic year and typically close in late January. No specific time zone is posted publicly — before you start the application, check the Canadian Nurses Foundation (CNF — the organization that supports nursing education) program page or call their office to confirm when applications open and close this year. You will hear back via the methods listed on their portal. The CNF awards committee chooses winners based on merit. They award over 135 scholarships per year across all tiers, but selection criteria aren't published — ask the Canadian Nurses Foundation how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask the Canadian Nurses Foundation during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. Renewal conditions aren't listed — if you're counting on this for multiple years, confirm with the Canadian Nurses Foundation whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.
Can you get it?
- Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident — citizenship requirement
- Undergraduate — study level
- Studying Nursing — field of study
How to apply
Review eligibility and gather your documents~1 hour
Read the official award page end-to-end. Confirm you meet every requirement before you start.
Submit by No deadline~1 hour
Double-check every field, save a copy, and submit at least 24 hours early.
More details
The biggest mistake is simply stating you have children.
Winners instead describe the specific challenges and triumphs of parenting while studying nursing, showing the committee their resilience and time-management skills.
Many applicants forget to show how they manage their caregiving duties.
Provide a reference or a brief statement from a support person who can vouch for your ability to handle both school and parenthood.
Since a single online application covers every CNF scholarship you qualify for, do not try to create multiple accounts.
Focus on one high-quality set of answers that highlights your unique identity as a student-parent.