Loan Programs, Scholarships, and Discounts

Several types of financial aid are available to graduate students. The resources range from federal loans and state grants, to fellowships and scholarships. For details about the financial aid programs available, please contact the Student Services Center at (626) 815-4570.

Academic Agreements

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) students and graduates can advance their nursing education with the help of a partial tuition scholarship for Azusa Pacific’s accelerated RN to BSN program.

APU’s School of Nursing offers this preferential pricing to ADN graduates from community colleges that have entered into an academic agreement with APU for that purpose.

Through these academic agreements, ADN graduates of qualifying schools who enroll in the RN to BSN program receive a 10% partial tuition scholarship. View the list of eligible colleges below, and include the name of your school when you apply to the RN to BSN program.

Current Eligible Community Colleges

Don’t see your school on the list? Have your school officials contact Ethel MacGregor, academic partnership specialist, at emacgregor@apu.edu for details on setting up an academic agreement. This discount cannot be combined with other institutional aid.

Academic Practice Partner Discount

For employees of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Methodist Hospital of Southern California, Rady Children's Hospital, Redlands Community Hospital, and Riverside University Health System, Azusa Pacific pays 10 percent of tuition for the RN to BSN program or 15 percent for the MSN in Healthcare Administration and Leadership, MSN in Nursing Education, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), or Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) programs (limited to three doctoral DNP or PhD students) for the duration of the agreement with the employer.

Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, be continuously enrolled in fall and spring terms at least half-time, and must submit an MOU Discount Form along with verification of employment. This discount cannot be combined with other institutional aid. Contact Student Services Center for complete eligibility details.

Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL) Discount Partial Tuition Scholarship

For members of the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL), Azusa Pacific pays the following amounts for the duration of the agreement with the association:

• Partial tuition scholarships of 10% for eligible ACNL members who meet criteria for admission and enrollment to the Accelerated RN to BSN program at APU;
• Partial tuition scholarships of 15% for eligible ACNL members who meet criteria for admission and enrollment to the MSN in Nursing Education, MSN in Healthcare Administration and Leadership, MSN in Pediatric or Adult/Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist, or its Post-Master's Certificate Clinical Nurse Specialist tracks at APU, and;
• Partial tuition scholarships of 15% for eligible ACNL members who meet criteria for admission and enrollment to the Doctor of Nursing Practice or Nursing PhD program at the APU School of Nursing.

Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, be continuously enrolled in fall and spring terms at least half-time, and must submit an MOU Discount Form along with verification of membership. This discount cannot be combined with other institutional aid. Contact Student Services Center for complete eligibility details.

Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program

The Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) Program prepares primary-care, advanced-practice registered nursing students through academic and clinical training for practice with a focus on rural and underserved populations. The ANEW program offers a longitudinal primary-care clinical training experience with rural and/or underserved populations for selected advanced-practice family nurse practitioners (FNPs). Students must apply to and be accepted for the ANEW program. Students accepted into this program also qualify for traineeship funds to help cover expenses during their longitudinal clinical training experience.

Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program

The Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program develops and expands the behavioral health workforce serving populations across the lifespan, including in rural and medically underserved areas. This program places special emphasis on establishing or expanding internships or field placement programs in behavioral health that include interdisciplinary training for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) students and provide quality behavioral health services to communities in need. PMHNP students are eligible for the stipend during their last two semesters of clinical rotation in the program.

Esther Foundation Nursing Scholarship

The Esther Foundation Nursing Scholarship goes to four incoming-freshman nursing students at APU who are learning to integrate their faith into their work providing care, knowledge, and emotional support to patients and their loved ones. The Sellers family generously established this renewable scholarship.

Kaiser Permanente Southern California Institute of Nursing Excellence (IONE)

The Institute of Nursing Excellence (IONE) promotes nursing education, including enabling nursing staff and leadership to obtain advanced degrees and the expansion of the nursing workforce in Southern California. The program is available to Kaiser Permanente employees who work full-time at a Kaiser Foundation Hospital and are seeking a degree in one of the following programs: RN to BSN, MSN in Nursing Education, MSN in Healthcare Administration and Leadership, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Doctor of Nursing Practice, or Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing.

• Kaiser Permanente Institute of Nursing Excellence Fact Sheet (PDF)

Kaiser Scholarship Program for Employees of Public Hospitals

The Kaiser Scholarship Program for Employees of Public Hospitals was established for eligible RN to BSN through the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Institute of Nursing Excellence Program. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide enhanced education and training to professional caregivers employed by public health hospitals, enabling the hospitals to provide the best available medical care to members of the communities they serve.

Outside Scholarships for Nursing

• Department Specific Outside Scholarships
• GIVA Outstanding Nursing Student Scholarship
• APU-Administered Nursing Resources

Nurse Faculty Loan Program

The purpose of the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) is to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty. The NFLP funds granted to APU have created a student loan fund from which APU can make loans to degree-seeking master’s, PhD, and DNP students. Upon graduation and the fulfillment of the work requirement, up to 85% of the loan, plus interest, will be canceled by APU. The work requirement is as follows: (1) completion of up to four years of full-time employment at a single institution or (2) four years of part-time (adjunct) employment at two different institutions as a faculty member in an accredited school of nursing.

Nursing Student Loan (NSL) Program

The Nursing Student Loan (NSL) program is for eligible students in the Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral Programs with established financial need. The Nursing Student Loan program is funded through the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. It is a low-interest federal loan program for nursing students with financial need. The interest rate is 5% and begins to accrue nine months after graduation, or when the student ceases to be enrolled as a half time student with a 10-year payback period.

Program-Specific Aid

While most APU nursing students fund their graduate education via federal loans, grant money may be available. Please contact the School of Nursing for more information at (626) 815-5386.

Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship

The Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship is a prestigious and competitive fellowship for master’s and doctoral students interested in health policy and related disciplines. The purpose of the Randall Lewis Fellowship program is to ensure the development of health professionals who possess the necessary skills to influence positive change in public policy, systems, and the built environment in our local communities. Interested students should contact Dr. Teresa Dodd-Butera at tbutera@apu.edu for further information.

School of Nursing Alumni Tuition Discounts

APU’s School of Nursing offers an alumni tuition discount for APU alumni starting in the following graduate programs:

• MSN in Healthcare Administration and Leadership
• MSN in Nursing Education
• PhD in Nursing
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Students must be in good academic standing and maintain satisfactory academic progress with a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0. Students must be enrolled at least half-time. If qualifications are met, the discount may be renewed each term. APU will pay $500 per term (up to $2,000 over the course of the program). This discount cannot be combined with other institutional aid. Contact Student Services Center for complete eligibility details.

Note: Award and eligibility are applicable for the 2022-23 academic year and apply to students admitted beginning fall 2020. The discount is subject to change.

Note: This information is current for the 2024-25 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information.