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Scholarships

Scholarship & Bursary Program

The Canadian Nurses Foundation provides scholarships and bursaries for nursing students across Canada at the Baccalaureate, Masters and Ph.D. levels. Scholarships are awarded based on merit and bursaries are awarded on need.

Proud to offer more than 135 awards in support of nursing education.

Have you read through the application process below? Are you ready to apply for your scholarship?

Application now CLOSED. opening January 2026

The Application Process

Are you an outstanding nursing student currently studying in Canada? Do you need money to help pay for books, tuition, and the occasional coffee? If you answered YES, then you have come to the right place!

CNF offers a variety of scholarships with specific criteria to ONE IN FIVE applicants across Canada every year!

Step 1

Can I apply?

Eligibility:
  1. Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
  2. Must be enrolled in nursing program in Canada. RN, IEN, NP, LPN, RPN
3. Must meet these program and timeline requirements.
Step 2

How does it work?

Here are a few tools to help you through your application process:

    1. Frequently Asked Questions
    2. Guide to application process
    3. How the Review Process works
Step 3

What do I need?

Please login to the application and familiarize yourself with the required documents. Once you start the application you don’t have to complete everything all at once!

Available Scholarships

  • Baccalaureate – up to $3,000
  • Masters and Nurse Practitioner – up to $5,000
  • Doctoral – up to $10,000
  • Practical Nursing – up to $3,000
  • Internationally Educated Nursing Award – up to $3,000
  • CNSA Member Awards (24 x $1,000)

Dates

  • Applications Open:                     January 1
  • Applications Close:                     Mid-March
  • Merit Review:                              April
  • Recipient Notification Sent:     June
  • Student Signed Agreements:   Due July
  • Cheques mailed out:                  September and December

Apply for a CNF Scholarship

The Canadian Nurses Foundation offers over $400,000 annually in scholarships to advance nursing practice and knowledge in Canada. Supporting Canada’s best and brightest nursing students will ultimately lead to better patient outcomes and a stronger Canadian health care system. As Canada’s only national nursing foundation, we proudly accept applications from students across the country, in all regions of Canada.

Application Now CLOSED
If you are having any technical difficulties with the application process, please reach out to Survey Monkey directly by submitting a support request. This can be done by pressing the ‘i’ at the top right of the survey monkey page. If you require further assistance, please contact Leo Flood at lflood@cnf-fiic.ca

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Program Eligibility Timelines

Baccalaureate
Must have completed a minimum of 4 courses (minimum 3 in faculty courses), this does not include courses currently in progress. Must have a minimum of 2 semesters left to complete after applying (current semester does not apply to semesters remaining).

Accelerated Option/Advanced Standing Degree Program
Must have completed a minimum of 3 courses. Must be currently enrolled and actively studying in the program in which you are applying funding for. If you are applying in your final semester, you are not eligible if you have received a CNF award for the previous year.

Note: Accelerated Option/Advanced Standing Degree Programs begin at varying times throughout the year so completion of semesters will vary.

Practical Nurses
Must have completed at least 1 semester and have at least 1 semester remaining as of applying to be eligible.

*Applicants must have completed a minimum of 3 courses (9 credits) before application deadline to be eligible to apply.

IEN Bridging Program
Must be currently enrolled and actively studying in the program in which you are applying funding for. If you are applying in your final semester, you are not eligible if you have received a CNF award for the previous year.

Masters Degree
Must have completed a minimum of 2 courses. Must be currently enrolled and actively studying in the program in which you are applying funding for. If you are applying in your final semester, you are not eligible if you have received a CNF award for the previous year.

Note: Masters Programs begin at varying times throughout the year so completion of semesters will vary.

PhD
Must have completed a minimum of 2 courses. Must have a minimum of 2 semesters left to complete after applying (current semester does not apply to semesters remaining).

Contact Us

The Canadian Nurses Foundation welcomes all inquiries.

Address Canadian Nurses Foundation
135 Michael Cowpland Drive
Suite 105, Kanata, ON K2M 2E9 Canada
Telephone: 613-680-0879
Toll Free: 1-844-204-0124
Email: info@cnf-fiic.ca
Media: cmcgarvey@cnf-fiic.ca

Giving Tuesday has become a global movement for giving and marks the beginning of the giving season for your favourite causes. Thank you for joining Canadian Nurses Foundation today as we celebrate our 10th annual campaign. Double your gift today!

We know that helping nurses and nursing students is a team effort. More qualified nurses, more nurse-led research, more nurses and nursing students supported with mentoring and proactive mental health programs and training – that’s the outcome of your support. This leads to a stronger, more robust healthcare system for Canada.

Your support today, on Giving Tuesday, empowers us to set ambitious goals, strengthen our resources, and show that our collective generosity fuels the next generation of nurses. Let’s make this year’s Giving Tuesday our most impactful yet, proving that our collective kindness can create lasting change.

Click here to double your donation today thanks to Meazure Learning and The OTUS Group – our matching partners for Giving Tuesday.