VA Nursing Scholarships
Use Your National Nursing Education Initiative (NNEI) Benefit With JU’s Online RN to BSN Program
The National Nursing Education Initiative (NNEI) provides up to $31,080 to support qualified registered nurses who hold associate’s degrees and diplomas in the completion of a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Use your nursing scholarship to pay for tuition, books and materials with Jacksonville University’s online RN to BSN program.
Eligible RNs must be enrolled or accepted into an accredited BSN program, such as JU’s RN to BSN program, and employed for at least one year with VHA. The NNEI applies to full-time and part-time VHA registered nurses. A student may enroll in the BSN program as a full-time or part-time student. Nursing scholarship recipients must also serve a period of obligated full-time service to VHA.
NNEI Goals
The NNEI will help to ensure that Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) nurses are educationally prepared to provide the highest quality of healthcare to veterans across the full range of current clinical practice roles. The VA qualification standard for nursing requires a BSN degree to advance beyond Nurse Level I. Additionally, the NNEI will better prepare nurses for their new and evolving roles as the VHA continues its transformation from a hospital-based system to one that focuses on primary care management in outpatient, home and community settings.
NNEI History
On Dec. 18, 1998, the NNEI was approved by the Under Secretary for Health, allowing both full- and part-time registered VHA nurses to receive educational assistance in achieving a baccalaureate degree in nursing. As part of this program, the VHA pledged $50 million to support educational assistance in the form of nursing scholarships and grants for the VA’s registered nurses.
To gather more information on NNEI:
- Contact a Jacksonville University program representative toll free at 855-300-1472.
- Contact an approved NNEI program coordinator. Each VAMC has appointed an NNEI program coordinator, and funding decisions are made at each facility.
- Visit www.vacareers.com
- Download VHA Handbook 1020.2 for information on VA nursing scholarships and the NNEI application process.
