Nursing education in New York is rated quite highly all across the US. This can be gauged from the fact that nurses in the Big Apple, whether registered nurses or licensed practical or licensed vocational nurses, have average annual incomes that are significantly higher than the respective national mean wages. The credit goes to the nursing schools in New York, which are among some of the best ones in the nation.
Nursing Schools in New York State
Most of the nursing schools in New York are located in the Metropolitan Region. Whether they are institutes awarding associate, baccalaureate, master or Ph.D. degrees, the respective schools are concentrated in New York City and are spread across the various boroughs, namely The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Manhattan, as well as the surrounding towns. However, a good number of schools are also situated in other regions and cities, such as the Central Region, especially Syracuse and Utica, Genesee Valley, most notably in Rochester, Long Island, Hudson, as well as in the Western and Northeast regions.
Over the years, the number of successful students passing out from New York schools has been on the rise. In the last five years, the pass rate for students that sat for the National Council Licensure Examination meant for certifying registered nurses has increased substantially. This has been witnessed across typically all academic levels. For instance, the pass percentage for baccalaureate degree programs in 2008 was approximately 79% and by 2012, this figure had risen to 87.5%. Even with regards to associate degree programs, the net gain in the number of successful candidates - though being relatively smaller - had gone up by two percentage points.
Scholarships, loans and Grants
The opportunities for getting financial assistance in nursing schools in NY are plentiful. Other than the institutes, colleges and universities, the sources of funding entail private foundations and other organizations at the local as well as the State and the Federal levels. Some of the funding programs as well as their sources are listed below.
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The Edna A. Lauterbach Scholarship Fund is offered by the New York State Association of Health Care Providers to both registered nurses and licensed practical nurses.
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Federal Student Aid can be accessed by eligible US citizens by filling out the relevant form for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
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The Senator Patricia K. Magee Scholarship is available for graduate students, courtesy of the New York State Nursing Faculty Scholarship Program.
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The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Program.
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The Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program enables five students each time around to pursue their doctoral studies up to a period of four years.
Job Outlook
After graduating from a nursing school in New York, students have been able to enter into a varied number of rewarding professions. An encouraging sign for aspiring nurses in New York is that registered nurses took home an average annual income of $74,000, whereas licensed practical nurses along with licensed vocational ones netted $44,000 on average each year in 2012. These were higher than the national average figures of $67,000 and $42,000 respectively.