The Indian Health Service (IHS) is soliciting applications, via the attached December 22, 2014, FEDERAL REGISTER notice for FY 2015 full- and part-time scholarships. American Indians and Alaska Natives are invited to apply under the three programs described below. The funding is $11.3 million for continuation and new awards combined. No more than five percent of funds may be used for scholarships for part-time students. The deadline for applications for continuation awards is February 28, 2015 and the deadline for applications for new awards is March 28, 2015.
• Health Professions Preparatory Scholarships and Health Professions Pregraduate Scholarships. Up to $1.3 million will be allocated for approximately 40 awards. Eligible applicants are members of federally (including those from tribes terminated since 1940) or state recognized tribes and first and second degree descendants of federal or state recognized tribal members and Alaska Natives. Applicants for the Preparatory program must have been accepted for enrollment in a compensatory, pre-professional general education course or curriculum. Applicants for the Pregraduate program must have been accepted for enrollment in an accredited pregraduate program leading to a baccalaureate degree in pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-optometry or
pre-podiatry.
• Indian Health Professions. Approximately $10 million will be allocated for an estimated 233 awards. This scholarship is available only to members of federally recognized tribes who are enrolled in an accredited school and pursuing a course of study in a health profession as defined by section 1603(10) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.
The attached notice provides IHS contact information for questions regarding the scholarship programs. It also describes the eligibility requirements and lists the health profession priority areas. The IHS provides the following instruction for obtaining and filling out applications:
Applicants must go online to:
www.ihs.gov/scholarship/online_application/index.cfm to apply for an IHS scholarship and access the Application Handbook instructions and forms for submitting a properly completed application for review and funding consideration. Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek consultation from their Area Scholarship Coordinator (ASC) in preparing their scholarship application for award consideration. ACS’s are listed on the IHS Web site at:
http://www.scholarship.ihs.gov/area_coordinators.cfm.
The attached notice also includes contact information for IHS Area Scholarship Coordinators.
