IHS Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship

Award Amount
Application deadline
Awarded By:

Indian Health Services

Number of Awards & Eligibility: The number of awards offered varies annually. It is anticipated that 80 awards will be given for this program and the IHS Pre-Graduate Scholarship.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. This award is for U.S. students.
  2. Must enroll in a program of study for the following priority career programs: pre-nursing (courses leading to a B.S. in nursing); pre-pharmacy (courses leading to a Pharm.D.); pre-social work (college juniors and seniors who are preparing for an M.S. in social work); or pre-clinical psychology (junior and senior years).
  3. Must be a U.S. citizen or national.
  4. Must be: a member or descendent of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native village; or a member or descendent of a state-recognized or terminated tribe.
  5. Must be enrolled full time (12 or more credit hours per semester) or part time (6 to 11 credit hours).
  6. Must be a high school graduate or the equivalent to apply for this undergraduate award.
  7. Must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Description: This scholarship is available for American Indian and Alaskan Native undergraduate students. Students must enroll in a program of study for the following priority career programs: pre-clinical psychology (junior and senior years only); pre-nursing; pre-pharmacy; and pre-social work (junior and senior years only).

Application requirements for the IHS Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship are:

  • Application form
  • Recommendation letter
  • Official Transcript
  • Letter of Acceptance
  • Tribal documentation
Additional Information: All applicants must intend to serve Indian people as a health professional in their chosen specialties. They must also be willing to sign an IHS Scholarship Program Agreement documenting their commitment to continuing their education in their identified health profession degree program. The IHS Scholarship Program awards scholarships based on a 100-point ranking system divided among three categories: academic performance, based on official transcripts (40 points); faculty/employer evaluations (30 points); and applicant essays (30 points). A committee of volunteers from Native communities review the application packets. The results of these reviews provide the data to rank applicants within each scholarship option according to their average review scores, selected degree program, and projected graduation date. When applicants receive the same ranking, those closest to graduation will be ranked higher than those just beginning their education. All applicants scoring 70 points or higher will be considered for a scholarship.

Award Amount: The award includes the following: all tuition and required fees at the institution; a stipend of no less than $1,500 per month for the 10-month period of Aug. 1-May 31 (pro-rated for part-time students); and an annual lump sum to cover books, travel, tutorial services, parking permit, and other educational expenses. This scholarship provides financial support for up to two years of full-time (four years part-time) academic work. To maintain eligibility as a scholarship recipient, the student must: be in good academic standing with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher; fulfill all program reporting requirements; and maintain his/her enrollment status. The student must apply annually to request continued scholarship support until he/she has earned his/her degree or qualifies to apply for a Health Professions Scholarship.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $63,839.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Friday, March 26

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Friday, March 26

Application materials must be submitted online by the deadline date.
About Indian Health Services:
Contact Information: Robert Pittman, Scholarship Branch Chief
Address: 5600 Fishers Lane OHR (11E53A) Rockville, Maryland 20857

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