The Indian Health Service (IHS) is soliciting applications, via the attached
January 10, 2017, FEDERAL REGISTER notice for FY 2017 full- and part-time scholarships. American Indians and Alaska Natives are invited to apply under the three programs described below. The funding is $13.7 million for continuation and new awards combined, the same as in FY 2016, although funding is contingent upon final appropriations. 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, 2017 and the deadline for applications for new awards is March 28, 2017.
• Health Professions Preparatory Scholarships and Health Professions Pregraduate Scholarships. Approximately 20 new and 10 continuing awards will be made for these 2 programs combined (compares to 80 awards in FY 2016). The average award for a full-time student is approximately $31,919. The IHS is allocating in FY 2017 a smaller portion of the scholarship funds for these programs, electing to direct more funding into the Indian Health Professions program. 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. An estimated 263 awards will be made (compares to 245 in FY 2016). This scholarship is available only to members of federally recognized tribes who are enrolled in an appropriately 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 average award for a full time-student is approximately $48,500.
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 by type of scholarship. The IHS provides the following instructions 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.ihs.gov/scholarship/contact/areascholarshipcoordinators/.
The attached notice also includes contact information for IHS Area Scholarship Coordinators.
