Applicant Requirements

Meet eligibility requirements for the Certification Exam for School Nurses and intend to take the exam in the upcoming year

Please note that applicants should be prepared to take the exam during the 2025 Summer or Fall Testing Windows for the scholarships.

Come from a historically marginalized background or serve historically marginalized school populations.

Applicants are required to reach out to their NBCSN State Liaison. When you contact your liaison, you can ask if resources are available through your state's School Nurse Association, to help you prepare for the exam. Your liaison can also provide guidance on study habits or test-taking skills to see if there is additional support (i.e., study groups) that their state may offer. If an applicant resides/works in a state that does not have an NBCSN Liaison, they can contact the NBCSN office via liaison@nbcsn.org. You will need to provide a copy of the email you sent to your state liaison in the application. A response from your state liaison is not required to apply.

Write a brief personal statement.

Required Information and Documentation

• Submit registered nurse (RN) license number and corresponding state.
  • Proof of license as a registered nurse (RN) in one of the United States will be required during the exam application process.
• Attestation of a bachelor’s degree or higher in nursing OR a master’s degree in education with a concentration in school nursing or school health services from an NBCSN-approved, accredited institution.​​
  • Academic transcripts of the degree will be required during the exam application process.
• Attestation that you meet the clinical practice requirement of a minimum of 1,000 hours worked within the three years prior to taking the test. 1000 hours is roughly equivalent to a full-time school nurse working at least 6 hours/day for a school year of 180 days.
  • A note on letterhead from your supervisor or district official confirming the practice requirement will be required during the exam application process.
• Indication of testing window preference (Spring, Summer, or Fall).
  • Please note that for the 2025 scholarships, applicants will only be able to take the exam during the Summer or Fall Testing Windows.
• Documentation of correspondence with NBCSN State Liaison. (ex., a copy of the email you sent to your liaison. A response from your liaison is NOT required.)
• A brief description, 50 words or less, of historically marginalized background or experience serving historically marginalized school populations.
• Write a personal statement, 300 words or less, to describe why you are pursuing national certification, how your background or experience serving historically marginalized school populations informs your perspective/practice, and how you plan to contribute to the diversity of school nursing and/or school health.

A sample of the application can be found here. Only applications submitted via the online form will be accepted for consideration.

Scholarship Criteria

Applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Notification and Award Process

2025 Summer and Fall Exam Scholarships

Application Due Date: Friday, February 14th, 2025

Notification: Wednesday, March 19th, 2025

Scholarship awardees will register for either the Summer or Fall Testing Window.

2026 Exam and Future Scholarships

Applications Open: August 15th

Application Due Date: October 1st

Notification: November 15th

Scholarship awardees will register for the Spring, Summer, or Fall Testing Window.