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HPSP

HPSP Scholarship Recipients

Academic Requirements

  • Currently enrolled, or unconditionally accepted for enrollment in a program identified on the “About HPSP” page.
  • Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) equivalent to 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale.
  • All academic institutions must be located in the United States or its territories and accredited by the professional accrediting body identified in VA Qualification Standards as required for the occupation in which the participant will be appointed, assigned, or retained. For HPSP the accrediting organization must be recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Reporting Requirements

  • Informing HPSP immediately of any changes impacting the terms of the agreement. These changes include, but are not limited to:
    • Name  
    • Mailing Address
    • E-mail Address
    • Enrollment Status
    • Curriculum Plan Revision (including course withdrawal)
    • Academic Standing (including course and/or challenge examination failure or incomplete grade)
    • Pending Graduation Date
    • Projected Costs
    • Banking information
  • Notice of Change/Annual Academic Status (VA Form 10-0491I) and any other required form(s), as determined by HPSP, for any of the changes listed above and annually to verify academic status.

Graduation

  • Informing HPSP immediately of any changes impacting graduation and completing the following:
  • A Notice of Approaching Graduation (VA Form 10-0491H) 6 months prior to scheduled graduation date.
  • Provide HPSP with a copy of your final transcripts showing degree completion and date degree conferred within 90 days of graduation.
  • An Education Program Completion Notice /Service Obligation Placement (VA Form 10-0491E) within 90 days of completing your education program and agreeing to accept a position within the VA to fulfill service obligation.
  • Meeting or exceeding performance requirements for current VA position if participant is a VA employee.
  • Obtaining applicable credentials within 180 days after degree conferral and becoming eligible for assignment or appointment to the position for which you the HPSP sponsored education or training program prepared the participant.
  • Serve as a full-time VHA employee in a position for which HPSP sponsored education or training program prepared the participant for a minimum of 2 years in a location determined by VA.
  • Maintain program eligibility requirements throughout participation in the program.

Deferments

  • HPSP participants may request deferment of the period of obligated service to allow completion of an approved program of advanced clinical training. The Request for Deferment for Advanced Education must be completed and received by S&CE. If approved, participants are responsible for verifying their deferment status each year using the Annual VA Employment or Deferment Verification Form.

Request for Deferment. A participant receiving a degree from a school of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, optometry, or podiatry, may request deferment of obligated service to complete an approved program of advanced clinical training.  VA may defer the beginning date of the obligated service to allow the participant to complete the advanced clinical training program.  The period of this deferment will be the time designated for the specialty training.

Deferment Requirements. Any participant whose period of obligated service is deferred shall be required to take all or part of the advanced clinical training in an accredited program in an educational institution having an Affiliation Agreement with a VA health care facility, and such training will be undertaken in a VA health care facility.

Additional Service Obligation.  A participant who has requested and received deferment for approved advanced clinical training may, at the time of approval of such deferment, at the discretion of VA, and upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health, incur an additional period of obligated service:

  • At the rate of one-half of a calendar year for each year of approved clinical training (or a proportionate ratio thereof) if the training is in a specialty determined to be necessary to meet health care requirements of VHA; or
  • At the rate of three-quarters of a calendar year for each year of approved graduate training (or a proportionate ratio thereof) if the training is in a medical specialty determined not to be necessary to meet the health care requirements of the VHA.  Specialties necessary to meet the health care requirements of the VHA will be prescribed periodically by the VA when, and if, this provision for an additional period of obligated service is to be used.

NOTE: Physicians will not incur an additional service obligation to complete Residency program requirements. During periods of deferment for residency programs, physicians will submit updates to deferment status using the Annual VA Employment or Deferment Verification Form and update the date when Step 1 and Step 2 of the US Medical Licensing Exam are complete on a Notice of Change and/or Annual Academic Status Form.

Altering Deferment.  Before altering the length or type of approved advanced clinical training for which the period of obligated service was deferred, the participant must request and obtain written approval of the alteration from the Under Secretary for Health or designee.

Beginning of Service after Deferment.  Any participant whose period of obligated service has been deferred under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section, must begin the obligated service effective on the date of appointment to a title 38 or hybrid title 38 occupations in full-time clinical practice in an assignment or location in a VA health care facility as determined by VA.  The assignment will be made by the VA within 120 days prior to or no later than 30 days following the completion of the requested graduate training for which the deferment was granted.

Student Documents

  • The HPSP application is completed in the HPSP portal.  However, certain documents will need to be uploaded into the portal or can be found within the portal.
    • Resume’  
      • The applicant’s résumé supports information contained on all forms. Do not assume that the information on the résumé will automatically translate to information on the Application. Use the résumé to support all the information provided on the application and the answers provided on the Online Questionnaire. Include prior education, professional licenses, registrations, certifications, and detailed descriptions of volunteer and work experience, especially those that are healthcare related. The résumé must not exceed five single-sided pages and must be at least 11-point font.
    • Transcripts
      • An unofficial transcript is acceptable from a current program or previous courses completed.
    • Evaluations and Recommendations (must be dated within 12-months of application deadline):
      • The maximum number of evaluations and recommendation that can be considered is three. If the applicant submits more than three only the first three received will be evaluated. More emphasis is placed on Faculty and Supervisory level recommendation while less emphasis is placed on friends/co-workers. While comments are not required in each section, the comments add to the overall evaluation/recommendation. The evaluation/recommendation will not be considered if the signature and date are missing from the Consent to Release of Information section on page one or the Evaluators signature is blank on the last page.
    • Academic Verification
      • This form is the source document for your academic information. The accuracy of the information on this form is very important as it outlines the payments that will be made if the applicant is accepted to receive the scholarship. The applicant will not be considered if the signature and date are missing from the Consent to Release of Information section on page one or the Certification section is not signed and dated by the Dean/Program Director/Administrative Chair of Program.