Indian Health Service Scholarship Program
Section 103(b)(1)

Description:

Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship Program provides financial assistance for American Indian and Alaska Native (Federally or State Recognized) students only to enroll in courses that will prepare them for acceptance into health professions schools, i.e., nursing, pharmacy, etc.  Courses may be either compensatory (required to improve science, mathematics, or other basic skills and knowledge) or preprofessional (required in order to qualify for admission into a health professions program).

Priority Health Career Category

The selection of health career categories that are considered and given priority for award or scholarship depends upon the health staffing needs of the I H S and of the Indian People.  Since staffing needs change from year to year, priority categories also change.  In order for an applicant to be considered for scholarship support during the 2006-2007 scholarship cycle, he/she must be accepted by or enrolled in a college or university beginning in Fall 2006 for the following priority career categories:
 

Specific Requirements

The applicant must:

1. be an American Indian or Alaska Native (Federally or State recognized);
2. be a high school graduate or equivalent;
3. have the capacity to complete a health professions course of study;
4. be enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, in a compensatory/preprofessional general educated course or curriculum; and
5. intend to serve Indian people upon completion of professional health care education and training as a health care provider in the discipline/specialty for which he/she is taking preparatory courses and for which the application is submitted.

Applicants must provide a course curriculum outline, approved and signed by your advisor, for your chosen health program:

1. Courses are required to meet the applicant's educational deficiency and compensatory needs at the professional level are preparatory to enrollment  in the applicant's chosen health professional program and
2. represent at least 12 credit hours per semester/quarter full-time or 6-11 credit hours for part-time in relation to the applicant's needs.
   
   

Limitation of Support

This program makes scholarship support available for up to two academic years full-time or up to four academic years part-time of compensatory or preprofessional education, which, up on completion, will enable the student to qualify for enrollment or reenrollment in a health professions school.  Only those students who meet the continued eligibility requirements and have been recommended for continuation will be given priority consideration for additional periods of scholarship support.  Scholarship support to preprofessional students will be paid for 10 months each academic year.

Continued Eligibility

Recipients of scholarship support must apply annually to continue funds beyond the initial funding period and meet specific eligibility criteria for consideration.  The criteria are:

1. recipient must be in good academic standing;
2. must be enrolled for the next semester in at least 12 credit hours or the equivalent which is considered full-time or 6-11 credit hours which is considered part-time; and
3. must remain full time or part-time during this current academic year.

Please contact Eric Pinto at epinto@na.ihs.gov if you have any questions or comments.