FEDERAL AGENCY:

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

AUTHORIZATION:

Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Public Law 94- 437, as amended.

OBJECTIVES:

To make scholarships to American Indians and Alaska Natives for the purpose of completing compensatory pre-professional education to enable the recipient to qualify for enrollment or re- enrollment in a health professions school or curriculum.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Scholarship awards are limited to persons of American Indian or Alaska Native descent. Awards are limited to a maximum of 2 years of full-time scholarship support under this section of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Scholarship awards are made to individuals of American Indian or Alaska Native descent, who have successfully completed high school education or high school equivalency and who have been accepted for enrollment in a compensatory, pre-professional general education course or curriculum.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Individuals of American Indian or Alaska Native descent.

Credentials/Documentation:   Students must submit proper documentation of Indian eligibility verification from the college advisor that the courses or curriculum to be taken are required to meet the applicant's deficiency and compensatory needs at the professional level and represent the number of credit hours which the school considers as full-time or at least 6 credit hours per semester for part-time.

Pre-application Coordination:   Preapplication is not required. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   Application forms and instructions are provided by the Indian Health Service (IHS) Scholarship Program acting through the IHS Area Program Offices. Application forms and required documentation (official transcripts, letter of acceptance by college, curriculum verification, Indian eligibility, tuition verification, faculty evaluations) should be submitted to IHS Headquarters for review and approval/disapproval.

Award Procedure:   Payments for stipends and books are made directly to the individual applicant. Tuition payments and fees are made to the college or university, upon receipt of an invoice.

Deadlines:   Contact IHS Area offices for application deadlines. New applications are usually available to interested individuals in February with a submission deadline of April 1.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Applicants are notified by July 31.

Appeals:   None.

Renewals:   Continuation applications must be submitted annually. Continued funding subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   This program has no statutory formula or matching requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Tuition payments are paid upon receipt of invoices from the universities. Stipend payments are paid monthly, for 10 months or for the academic period if students attends summer school. Amount for books and other necessary expenses are provided to student.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Students are required to submit their official transcripts as they are received. In addition, recipients must submit initial progress reports on forms supplied by IHS and notifications of problems/changes.

Audits:   Not applicable.

Records:   Indian Health Service Scholarship Branch, IHS, maintains records on all students. Records are maintained for 4 years after the final award payment has been made.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   75-0390-0-1-551.

Obligations:   (Grants) FY 01 $1,024,584; FY 02 est $1,024,584; and FY 03 est $1,024,584.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  
$16,617 - $43,670; average $27,596.

For fiscal year 2001, 33 new and 26 continuation scholarship awards were made. It is estimated that 60 continuation scholarship awards will be funded in fiscal years 2002 and 2003.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

42 CFR 36.320 - 36 324. Final Rules and Regulations, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Public Law 94-437, published in the Federal Register on November 18, 1977.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  
See Regional Agency Offices. See listing of Area Scholarship Coordinators at https://www.ihs.gov/scholarship/contact/areascholarshipcoordinators/.

Program Contact: Mr. Robert Pittman, Acting Chief, Scholarship Branch, Division of Health Professions Support, Indian Health Service, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop; OHR 11E53A, Rockville, MD 20857. Email: scholarship@ihs.gov Telephone: (301) 443-6197.

Grants Management Contact: Mr. Robert Tarwater, Director, Division of Grants Management, Indian Health Service, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop 09E70, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone: (301) 443-5204, Fax (301) 594-0899.

Headquarters Office:  
Grants Policy Office, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: 09E70, Rockville, Maryland 20857 Email: grantspolicy@ihs.gov Phone: (301) 443-5204

Web Site Address:  
http://www.ihs.gov

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

In fiscal year 2002, continuing scholarship recipients will be funded in the pre-professional categories of pre-nursing, pre-medical technology, pre-physical therapy, pre- engineering, pre-sanitation, and pre-pharmacy only.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

Applicant must be American Indian or Alaska Native. Other elements considered are: (1) Academic performance; (2) faculty recommendation; (3) stated reasons for asking for the scholarship; (4) goals of the individual; and (5) the relative needs of the IHS and Indian health organizations for persons in specific health professions are taken under consideration.