The full funding stack at Capella University.
Most schools tell you about federal loans and call it a day. The actual funding stack at any given school has six layers, and each one stacks on top of the next. The numbers below are aggregated from public sources: federal aid limits, state department of health loan repayment programs, the school’s financial aid pages, the IRS Section 127 employer reimbursement maximum, the HRSA Health Center directory, and the major nursing scholarship sponsors. We omit anything we cannot verify.
Federal student aid
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Federal Direct Unsubsidized LoanAnnual cap for graduate students. File the FAFSA and accept the full amount before considering private loans.Up to $20,500/yr
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Grad PLUS LoanAvailable until July 1, 2026 under OBBBA. After that date, new Grad PLUS borrowers are not accepted; existing borrowers can finish current programs.Up to remaining cost of attendance
MN (HQ) state programs
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Use student's home state programsCapella students apply to their home state's loan repayment programVaries
Institutional aid from Capella University
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Capella institutional grants and scholarshipsCapella offers a slate of named scholarships and tuition discounts; verify current cycle with admissions.
Tuition reimbursement employers near Capella University
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Up to $5,250/yr
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Up to $5,250/yr
NHSC-eligible employers near Capella University
- Use HRSA Health Center Program directory for student's local FQHCsFQHC · NHSC-eligible
Working at an NHSC-approved site can repay $50,000 to $80,000 of federal student loans over 2-3 years post-graduation.
External scholarships
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Nurse Corps Scholarship Program (HRSA)All NP students, 2-yr CSF serviceFull tuition + monthly stipend
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NHSC Scholarship ProgramPrimary care NPs willing to serve in HPSATuition + stipend
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Indian Health Service ScholarshipAI/AN students or IHS service intentFull tuition + stipend
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AANP Foundation ScholarshipAANP members, all specialties$2,500 to $10,000
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Sigma Theta Tau International ScholarshipSigma members$1,000 to $10,000
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NAPNAP Foundation ScholarshipPNP track students$2,500 to $5,000
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APNA Janssen ScholarPMHNP students$10,000 to $15,000
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Tylenol Future Care ScholarshipOpen to all NPs$5,000 to $10,000
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Johnson & Johnson Notes for Nursing ScholarshipMSN/DNP enrolled$5,000
Rotation partners at Capella University.
Student-arranged rotations (Capella does not assign).
If your school assigns rotations, you avoid $5,000 to $30,000 in placement marketplace fees. See our 5 Pathways to a Clinical Rotation guide for the full landscape.
The math at Capella University.
If a student stacks the maximum from every layer above, the total funding available for the program is approximately $105,000. Total cost of attendance over the program runs about $117,000. The remaining gap most students will need to fund privately is:
Capella is owned by Strategic Education, Inc. FlexPath competency-based path can compress total cost for self-paced students who finish faster than the credit-hour benchmark.
See your funding gap in 60 seconds.
Plug in your start date, expected grad date, and any aid you have already secured. The calculator does the math: federal cap minus tuition minus stack, year by year. Free, no email gate.