VA Scholarships
Scholarship Program Details
Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) Physician Scholarship
The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to individuals pursuing a program of study leading to a degree of doctor of medicine or equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic or osteopathic medicine.
Note: Pediatrics is not eligible for this scholarship program.
Benefits
Tuition and Fees
The HPSP award pays a participant’s school tuition and approved fees through direct payment to the school. HPSP assistance includes topping off any existing grants and scholarship to ensure 100% of tuition and required/mandatory fees are paid.
Required/Mandatory Fees are defined as those fees assessed by the college or university to all students in the academic program for which the scholarship was awarded. General Guideline: If the fee is optional, the fee is not required by all participants in the plan of study, or if the student at any time can opt out of the fee, they do not qualify for reimbursement.
Stipends
HPSP will pay a monthly stipend directly to the participants. The payment is made for each month a participant is enrolled in coursework, beginning with the first month of the school year. The 2021 stipend amount is $1,153 per month.
If the participant is a full-time student, the stipend continues through the summer months, provided the participant has not yet completed the participant’s degree requirements and is enrolled in course work. The stipend payment is discontinued the month of a participant’s degree completion.
Service Obligation
Recipients are obligated to complete a minimum of 18 months of service, for every year sponsored, at a VA facility after graduation, licensure, and residency.
Qualifications
Students unconditionally accepted for enrollment or currently enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic or osteopathic medicine accredited by either the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale in your current program of study. Applicants will provide unofficial transcripts as part of the application package submission.
Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP)
Other Professions Scholarships are determined and published for VHA workforce needs.
In FY2021 (October 2020 – September 2021) scholarships will be offered in the following areas:
- Nursing
- Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist (DRT)
- Physician Assistant Scholarship (MPAS) ** (See Below)
- Medical Technologist (MT)
- Nurse Practitioner for Mental Health
** Due to a legislative change beginning with the 2020-2021 scholarship cycle HPSP will only award scholarships to Physician Assistants (PA) who have veteran status.
The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to individuals pursuing a one of the programs of study noted above. This program will help alleviate the health care workforce shortages in VA by obligating scholarship recipients to complete a minimum service obligation at a VA health care facility after graduation and licensure/certification.
Tuition and Fees
The HPSP award pays a participant’s school tuition and approved fees through direct payment to the school. HPSP assistance includes topping off any existing grants and scholarship to ensure 100% of tuition and required/mandatory fees are paid.
Required/Mandatory Fees are defined as those fees assessed by the college or university to all students in the academic program for which the scholarship was awarded. General Guideline: If the fee is optional, the fee is not required by all participants in the plan of study, or if the student at any time can opt-out of the fee, they do not qualify for reimbursement.
Stipends
HPSP will pay a monthly stipend directly to the participants. The payment is made for each month a participant is enrolled in coursework, beginning with the first month of the school year. The 2021 stipend amount is $1,153 per month.
If the participant is a full-time student, the stipend continues through the summer months, provided the participant has not yet completed the participant’s degree requirements and is enrolled in course work. The stipend payment is discontinued the month of a participant’s degree completion.
Service Obligation
Nurse Practitioner for Mental Health and Nursing scholarship recipients are obligated to complete a minimum of 2.5-year service obligation at a VA health care facility after graduation, passing licensure/certification, and completing an applicable 12-month residency.
Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist, Physician Assistant, Pharmacist and Medical Technologist scholarship recipients are obligated to complete a minimum of 2-year service obligation at a VA health care facility after graduation, passing licensure/certification.
Qualifications
Students unconditionally accepted for enrollment or currently enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree an accredited college or university in a specific academic program. The academic programs required for the scholarships are:
- Nursing: Bachelor of Science (or higher) in Nursing from an accredited educational institution in the United States.
- Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist (DRT): Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Radiography or other directly related field to diagnostic radiology/imaging from an accredited educational institution in the United States.
- Physician Assistant Scholarship (MPAS): Masters (or higher) of Physician Assistant Studies accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or one of its predecessor organizations.
- Medical Technologist (MT): Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.) from an accredited educational institution in the United States.
- Nurse Practitioner for Mental Health: Masters (or higher) in Nursing- Nurse Practitioner Mental Health from an accredited educational institution that is in the United States.
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale in your current program of study. Applicants will provide unofficial transcripts as part of the application package submission.
Visual Impairment and Orientation and Mobility Professional Scholarship Program (VIOMPSP)
The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to individuals pursuing a program of study leading to a degree in orientation and mobility, low vision therapy or vision rehabilitation. This program will help alleviate the health care workforce shortages in VA by obligating scholarship recipients to complete a minimum of 3 year service obligation at a VA health care facility after graduation and licensure/certification.
Awards of scholarships under the VIOMPSP are subject to the availability of funds, and VA may award a full-time student a scholarship for a maximum of 4 years. VA may also award a part-time student a scholarship for a maximum of 6 years.
Benefits
Tuition and Fees
The VIOMPSP award pays a participant’s school tuition and required/mandatory fees through direct payment to the school. The total amount of assistance provided to a full-time VIOMPSP student in an academic year may not exceed $15,000 and the total amount of assistance a participant receives from VIOMPSP may not exceed $45,000.
Required/Mandatory Fees are defined as those fees assessed by the college or university to all students in the academic program for which the scholarship was awarded. General Guideline: If the fee is optional, the fee is not required by all participants in the plan of study, or if the student at any time can opt out of the fee, they do not qualify for reimbursement.
Responsibilities
After completion of their education, participants must serve as a full-time clinical VA employee for a minimum of three years in the VA in a qualified discipline in an assignment or location determined by VA while participating in the VIOMPSP. This obligated service would begin on the date on which the participant obtains any required applicable credentials and when appointed as a full-time clinical VA employee in a position for which the degree prepared the participant.