Healthcare Scholarship: The Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship
Overview of the Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship
Every year, the National Hispanic Health Foundation awards The Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship to full-time health students. The foundation was created to address the shortage of Hispanic health professionals in the United States; as of 2014, Hispanic professionals constituted about 4 percent of physicians, 3 percent of dentists and 2 percent of nurses.
The National Hispanic Health Foundation is a charitable arm of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA).
The scholarship is open to full-time students who are enrolled in accredited degree programs in nursing, public health, health policy, dentistry, podiatry, pharmacy, physician assistant or medicine. While applicants need not necessarily be Hispanic, they should demonstrate an affinity with Hispanic communities and an engagement in the aims of the NHHF and NHMA. All applicants should demonstrate their interest in future participation in NHHF Alumni activities. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens.
Along with the application form, all prospective recipients should provide a personal statement and a letter of recommendation. The personal statement should convey characteristics that set you apart. The information you provide in the statement should add something to your application, beyond your coursework or information provided from your recommendation letter. A winning personal statement will clearly describe your interest in Hispanic Health issues as well as your plans to act on those interests, following your graduation. The recommendation letter may come from a current or past professor. The letter may be included with the rest of the application, or mailed from the professor directly. In addition, all applications must submit a transcript, a document showing official enrollment in a degree program, and evidence of a grade point average of at least 3.0.
All scholarships must be received by October 4th by 5p.m. Bear in mind, however, that deadlines may vary slightly from year to year. Therefore, it is advisable to consult with the NHMA website for full, current details before applying. All applications should be submitted by email, with all materials sent as a single PDF file.
In total, 20 scholarships are awarded each year. 11 recipients are awarded a two-year scholarship, worth $5,000 for each year. Nine recipients are awarded a one-year scholarship, for $2,000. All honorees are recognized at the National Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Galas in Los Angeles and New York.
Membership in the NHMA is preferred, but not required of applicants. Past applicants are welcome to re-apply in following years. However, past recipients may not win the award a second time.
