🎓 Graduate Nursing Funding: The Best Opportunities for International Students
Graduate-level nursing funding (MSN and DNP) for international students is significantly more available than undergraduate funding. While fully-funded scholarships are still rare, top international universities often offer highly competitive, automatic merit-based awards and guaranteed research or teaching assistantships that can cover the full cost of tuition and provide a living stipend.
The best opportunities for substantial funding are found in the US, Canadian, and Australian research-intensive universities.
1. 🇺🇸 Johns Hopkins University (JHU) – USA
JHU’s School of Nursing (JHSON) commits a substantial amount of internal funding to graduate students. All accepted students are automatically considered for merit-based awards, with DNP students receiving the highest average awards.
Program Level
Scholarship/Funding Type
Funding Status (2025-26)
Key Award Value
DNP (Advanced Practice)
Merit-Based DNP Grants
Substantial. All admitted DNP-AP students receive a scholarship award.
Up to $60,000 for the entire program (awarded at admission).
DNP (Post-Master’s)
Merit-Based DNP Grants
Substantial. All admitted DNP-PM students receive a scholarship award.
Up to $30,000 for the entire program (awarded at admission).
MSN (Entry into Nursing)
Merit & Need-Based Awards
Partial to Substantial. No application required; all admitted students considered.
Ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 for the entire program. **90% of students receive aid.**\\\\\External Funding\\\Excellence Scholars / NFLP (Faculty)\\Fully Funded Potential. The NFLP offers up to $35,500/year plus partial loan forgiveness for those committing to faculty roles.\\Excellence Scholars award is $45,000 for DNP-AP tracks.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. 🇨🇦 University of Toronto (U of T) – Canada</h2> <p>U of T's Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing is a global leader, and its doctoral programs offer robust guaranteed funding that includes international students. [Image of the University of Toronto campus] </p> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><td>Program Level</td><td>Scholarship/Funding Type</td><td>Funding Status (2025-26)</td><td>Key Award Value</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Doctoral (PhD)</strong></td><td>Base Funding Package (Assistantships)</td><td>**Fully Funded Guaranteed.** Provided to eligible international PhD students for the first four years.</td><td>**CA$40,000\*\* per year (inclusive of tuition and living allowance/stipend).\\\\\MSN (All Tracks)\\\University-wide Scholarships\\Partial. International students are eligible for various merit awards like the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) (if eligible) and departmental funding.\\Awards vary; competitive application needed for external awards.\\\\\ \
3. 🇦🇺 University of Sydney – Australia\ \The University of Sydney is highly invested in international research candidates, which translates into substantial funding for research-based advanced degrees. [Image of the University of Sydney crest] \ \
\
\\\Program Level\\Scholarship/Funding Type\\Funding Status (2025-26)\\Key Award Value\\\\\\\PhD / Research Master’s\\\University of Sydney International Stipend Scholarship (USydIS)\\**Fully Funded (Highly Competitive).** Provides full tuition fee offset and a living stipend.\\\*\*AU$41,753** per year (tax-free stipend) + full tuition coverage.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>PhD (External Funding)</strong></td><td>Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend</td><td>Fully Funded (Government Grant).</td><td>AU$35,950 per year (tax-free stipend) + full tuition coverage.\\\\MSN (Coursework)\\Sydney International Student Award (SISA)\\Partial. Merit-based scholarships are available for international students applying for master’s coursework.\\Tuition fee reduction (e.g., up to AU$10,000).
Sage’s Final Strategy for Graduate Funding
For MSN and DNP programs, your funding strategy should focus on merit and research potential.
Do Not Wait for a Separate Scholarship Application: At top US institutions like JHU, you are automatically considered for the most significant awards when you submit a strong admission application. The stronger your GPA, research experience, and leadership profile, the more funding you will receive.
Target Doctoral Programs: If your goal is the DNP or a PhD, apply to institutions like U of T or the University of Sydney, which use research funding and assistantships to create a guaranteed base funding package that effectively covers tuition and a living stipend for qualified international students.
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