HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Federal Support for the Health Professions

Uncle Sam pours great amounts of money--almost one half a billion dollars per year--into the training of health professionals. The assistance programs fall into two broad categories; those that fund students and those that fund schools which then parcel out some of their money to students.

Individual-based programs are fairly easy to locate. You apply directly to Uncle Sam or through the school you plan to attend. Tip: You will gain an advantage over fellow applicants if you indicate a willingness to work in a shortage area. Don't worry about what a shortage area is. Its definition will change several times between the time you apply and the time you graduate. What's important to know is that "shortage areas" are a big thing at the Department of Health & Human Services. It has "primary medical care shortage areas," "dental manpower shortage areas," "rural dental shortage areas," "vision care shortage areas," "podiatry shortage areas," "psychiatric shortage areas," even "veterinary care shortage areas." Can you say "Northern Exposure"?

School-based programs are something else. Here, the available dollars go directly to schools and usually become part of the faculty payroll. Your challenge is to locate the schools which garnered Uncle's grants and negotiate with deans for some of the lavishings. When writing to the addresses given in the tables that follow, be sure to ask for a current list of funded schools--and be aggressive in your request. The program officers with whom you will deal usually won't understand why you need this information. You'll have to be polite but tough and persistent.

To save space, we have used the following coding. Check the coding before writing for information. A--Allied Health, MA or higher
B--Chiropractic
C--Dentistry
D--Health Administration
E--Medicine
F--Nursing, Associate
G--Nursing, Diploma
H--Nursing, Baccalaureate
I--Nursing, Advanced
J--Nursing, Anesthetist
K--Nursing, Community Health
L--Nursing, Midwifery
M--Nursing, Psychiatric
N--Nutrition
O--Optometry
P--Osteopathy
Q--Pharmacy
R--Podiatry
S--Psychology, Clinical
T--Public Health, MA or higher
U--Safety, Occupational
V--Social Work
W--Therapy, Occupational
X--Therapy, Physical
Y--Therapy, Rehabilitation
Z--Veterinary Medicine


Individual Based Programs B-C-D-E-O-P-Q-R-S-T-Z. Health Education Assistance Loans. Medical, Dental, Osteopathic, Optometry, Podiatry, and Veterinary Medicine students may borrow $20,000 per year for total of $80,000. Other students: $12,500 per year (limit $50,000). Floating interest rate (91-day Treasury Bill average plus 3%). 6-8% insurance premium. Up to 25 years to repay. Includes Graduate students. Program is not authorized for study at foreign medical schools. Apply through school or write: HEAL, Room 8-29, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

C-E-O-P-Q-R-Z. Health Professions Student Loan. Tuition plus $2,500 per year. 5% interest. Must show great financial need. Apply through school.

E-I-K-L-P. National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program. The program will pay up to $25,000 each year for a minimum 2-year commitment and up to $35,000 per year for years 3 and 4. In addition, for each year served, the program will pay 39% of the participant's outstanding government and commercial education loans towards the increased Federal, State and local income taxes caused by these payments; National Health Service Corps, Loan Repayment Program, US Public Health Recruitment, 8201 Greensboro Drive, #600, McLean, VA 22101, 800/221-9393 (in VA, 703/734-6855).

C-E-I-L-P. National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program. The NHSC will pay tuition, fees, books and supplies, plus a monthly stipend of $796 for up to four years. For each year of support, award recipients owe one year of full-time clinical practice in high-priority health professions shortage areas. For more information, write: NHSC, Scholarship Program, 8201 Greensboro Drive, #600, McLean, VA 22101, 800/221-9393 (in VA, 703/734-6855).

C-E-O-P-Q-R-Z. Exceptional Need Scholarships. All tuition plus stipend. Good for one year only. At completion of year, participants have priority for a NHSC Scholarship. Apply through school.

All Health Related Fields. Commissioned Officer Student Training & Extern Program (COSTEP) Work Program. For graduate awards, students must have completed minimum of 1 yr. graduate work in medical, dental, veterinary school. For undergraduate awards, students must have completed 2 yrs in a dietary, nursing, pharmacy, therapy, sanitary science, medical records, engineering, physician's assistant, or computer science field. For other health-related areas, students must be enrolled in master's or doctoral program. Student must Return to studies following completion of the COSTEP assignment. Serve as an extern (another word for intern) in medical facilities of the Public Health Service during school breaks of 31-120 days duration. Get ensign's pay during work phases. Send for more information. COSTEP, Room 7A-07, Parklawn Bldg., 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.(800) 221-9393 or (703) 734-6855.

School-Based Programs
I-J-K-L. Professional Nurse Traineeships. Nurse practitioners, nurse educators, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetist, public health nurses, and other nursing specialties. Tuition, fees, and stipends. Funded through participating schools (most graduate nursing programs participate). Division of Nursing, Room 9-35, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

D-T. (1) Traineeships in Graduate Programs of Health Administration; (2) Graduate Level Public Health Traineeships. Annual stipends and/or tuition assistance, awarded by the educational institution receiving a grant. Division of Associated and Dental Health Professions, HRSA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rm. 8C-09, Rockville, MD 20857.

M-S-V. Mental Health Research. National Research Service awards for individual fellows. Pre-doctoral stipend, $8,500. Post-doctoral stipend is determined by years of experience. Range is $17,000 to $31,500. Grants Management Branch--National Institute of Mental Health, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rm. 7C-15, Rockville, MD 20857.

V. Child Welfare Training Grants. Undergraduate and graduate social work programs or child welfare training programs. Awarded by school. Write for school list. Children's Bureau, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW, Washington, DC 20447.

Military Medical and Nursing Programs

F. Edward Hebert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship
Medicine, osteopathy, optometry, clinical psychology (Ph.D.), nurse anesthesia (Master's degree). Monthly stipend plus tuition, fees and books, lab expenses, educational services. Military service obligation. Ask for a scholarship fact sheet from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1200. For catalogue, write F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Admissions Office, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814; 800-772-1743.

Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program
Medicine, osteopathic, dental, optometry, nurse anesthesia (Masters degree). Monthly stipend plus tuition, fees and books, lab expenses, educational services. Minimum three year service obligation. Ask for scholarship fact sheet from Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), The Pentagon, Washington, D C. 20301-1200.

Armed Forces Health Professions Financial Assistance Program
Specialized (residency) training for graduate physicians. Annual $15,000 grant plus generous monthly stipend and educational expenses. Service obligation. Each branch of the service has its own point of contact. Write for fact sheets: Army
HQ, DA (SGPS-PDO)
5109 Leesburg Pike, #638
Falls Church, VA 22041
703-756-8114


Navy
Medical Command, US Navy
BUMED-512
Washington, DC 20372-5120
202-653-1318


Air Force
Directorate of Health Professionals
HQ, USAF Recruiting Service
Randolph AFB, TX 76150
800-531-5980

ROTC Nurse Program (Army, Navy, Air Force)


Students at an approved nursing school affiliated with an Army, Navy, or Air Force ROTC unit. 2, 3, 4 year scholarships; tuition, textbooks, and fees, plus $100/month (Although Army ROTC Scholarships are awarded at an established amount, e.g., 80% of tuition or $7,500/yr., whichever is larger). Service obligation. Army
Army ROTC
Attn: ATCC-N
Ft. Monroe, VA 23651
800-USA-ROTC

Navy
Commander
Navy Recruiting Command
801 N. Randolph Street
Arlington, VA 22203
703-696-4581

Air Force
HQ AFROTC
Scholarship Actions Section
551 East Maxwell Blvd.
Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6106

AF ROTC Pre-Health Professions Program
Pre-medicine. Attend a school offering AF ROTC. 2 and 3 year scholarships. Tuition, textbooks, fees, plus $100/month. Service obligation. HQ AFROTC Recruiting Division, 551 East Maxwell Blvd, Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6106.

Private Programs

Dental Assistant $100/$1,000. Juliett A. Southard Scholarship Trust Fund, American Dental Assistants Association, 203 North LaSalle St., #1320, Chicago, IL 60601.

Dental Hygienist
To students enrolled in at least second year of dental hygiene program. To $1,500. ADHA Institute for Oral Health, 444 N. Michigan, #3400, Chicago, IL 60611. By May 1.

Dental Lab Technology
Up to 25 awards. Maximum annual award for dental students is $2,500. By June 15. Maximum annual award for allied dental health students is $1,000. By August 15. ADA Endowment and Assistance Fund, 211 E. Chicago Ave., # 820, Chicago, IL 60611.

Laboratory
Several scholarships to help obtain an education in medical lab technology. Limited to International Society for Clinical Laboratory Technology members, or their children. ISCLT Scholarship Committee, 818 Olive St., #918, St. Louis, MO 63101.

Medicine
Research Training Fellowships; $14,000 stipend plus a $4,500 research allowance and a $4,700 institutional allowance. These fellowships enable sixty medical students to do full-time research for one year (renewable for an additional year). Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 4000 Jones Bridge Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815-6789.

Nursing
Information on scholarships, loans, grants, fellowships, awards. Send $15.95 for the book Scholarships and Loans for Nursing Education ; prepayment must accompany order. National League for Nursing, 350 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014.

Nursing (Advanced)
Scholarship for registered nurses going for advanced degrees. $2,500-$10,000. Full-time student at master's level, full-time or part-time at doctoral level. Send $5 for kit by Feb. 1. Nurses' Educational Funds, Inc., 555 W. 57th St., 13th Floor, New York, NY 10019.

Physician Assistant
For a brochure listing financial assistance sources, write American Academy of Physician Assistants, 950 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Surgical Technology
One $500 award with additional awards available. For students in CAHEA-accredited surgical technology program. Association of Surgical Technologists, 7108-C S. Alton Way, Englewood, CO 80112. By March 1.

Therapy (All)
Graduate and undergraduate scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $1,500 are available to members of Kappa Kappa Gamma. For more information and application materials, contact your chapter's Scholarship Chair, or send a SASE (52 cents) to Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, 530 East Town Street, PO Box 2079, Columbus, OH 43216.

Therapy (Occupational and Physical)
To students enrolled in accredited school of Occupational or Physical Therapy. Amounts range from $500 to $1,000. Applications from DAR Scholarship Committee, 1776 D Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006-5392. By February 15. The DAR has numerous nursing scholarships as well. Ask for complete listing of awards.

Therapy
500 awards per year, $500-$1,500 junior/senior undergraduate and graduate scholarships. National AMBUCS Scholarships for Therapists, P.O. Box 5127, High Point, NC 27262. Deadline is April 15.

Therapy (Respiratory)
Various scholarships and awards, $500-$1,250. American Respiratory Care Foundation, 11030 Ables Lane, Dallas, TX 75229. By June 30.

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