APHA Kaiser Permanente Community Health Scholarship

The APHA Kaiser Permanente Community Health Scholarship supports students who intend on pursuing an MPH or DrPH/PhD at one of our partner universities.

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Latest Updates

• Applications are for the 2024-25 scholarship closed on Jan. 4, 2024.
• Applicants will be notified of final decisions by March 29, 2024.
• Applications for the 2025-26 scholarship will open in fall 2024.
• The 2023-24 program began in September 2023. Congrats to our incoming scholars!

About the Program

We aim to create a pipeline for diverse leadership in public health by supporting the education of underrepresented students who are committed to pursuing health equity. The scholarship is funded by a grant from the Kaiser Permanente National Community Benefit Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation.

"As a first-generation, Spanish-speaking, former foster youth, financial instability has always been a hurdle for me. By alleviating some of the financial burdens, the scholarship has allowed me to focus more on my research and academic pursuits."

—Joel Rubio, MPH Candidate, University of California, Berkeley

Read more scholarship testimonials >>

Scholarship Award

MPH Scholarship:
Awardees receive a $15,000 tuition award each year over the course of two years of full-time study. (Note: awardees attending Morehouse School of Medicine in fall 2024 will receive a $7,500 tuition award each year over the course of two years of full-time study.)

DrPH/PhD Scholarship:
Awardees receive a $20,000 tuition award per year for three years. In the third and final year, the award can be given as a stipend or as a combination of stipend/tuition. 

Scholarship Policies: 

• Degree programs must begin in fall 2024. 
• Dual degrees are not eligible.
• The scholarship is only applicable to our nine partner universities (see below).
• The scholarship supports core and elective courses for full-time graduate study. It cannot be used to fund study abroad or any courses outside of the required coursework or the award period.
• Students must maintain the academic requirements of the graduate program for the duration of the scholarship.
• The award goes toward tuition only. Students are typically responsible for fees unless otherwise stated by university policy. (Doctoral students may receive the award as a stipend in their third year.)
• The award is stackable (combinable with other awards). The award is not combinable with tuition remission or waivers.
• The award must cover at least 80% of tuition when combined with another award. The Program reserves the right to adjust any and all awards with other awarding bodies to meet tuition needs.
• Scholarship funds will be paid directly to the partner university upon confirmation of the student’s commitment to attend.

Eligibility

All applicants are required to:

• Be applying for a full-time MPH or a DrPH/PhD in public health at one of our partner universities (see below) for the 2024-2025 academic year. Students do not need to be admitted by the scholarship deadline.
• Be U.S. citizens or hold a permanent residence visa (Green Card) in the U.S.

Partner Universities:

• Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
• Georgia State University
• Morehouse School of Medicine
• Morgan State University
• Portland State University (OHSU-PSU)
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of California, Irvine
• University of Colorado Anschutz
• University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
• University of Washington

Eligible full-time program types:

• In-person MPH and DrPH/PhD
• Online or hybrid MPH and DrPH/PhD
• Accelerated MPH (considered for a one-year award)
• Dual degrees (Bachelor’s/Master’s) with the applicant starting their MPH in the upcoming year (considered for a one-year award)
  • Note: Dual programs (MSW/MPH, MPH/MPP, MPH/MPA) are not eligible.

Currently enrolled MPH and DrPh/PhD students are not eligible but should consider applying for the APHA Kaiser Permanente Community Health Fellowship.

Preference will be given to applicants who identify as first-generation college graduates; persons from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and those who classify under race/ethnicity groups such as Blacks or African Americans, Asians, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, and individuals from other communities of color or underrepresented populations.

Questions? Review our FAQs or email scholarships@apha.org.

Selection Process

Timeline

Contact

Please email scholarships@apha.org if you have questions about this opportunity, or review our FAQs.