Exclusive Healthcare Scholarships with 2026 Deadlines

About healthcare scholarships

Healthcare is an umbrella term for many branches of health professions, ranging from doctors and nurse practitioners to occupational or physical therapy specialists. Degrees in healthcare make up some of the most popular college majors in the country. In 2020 alone, a total of 922,730 healthcare degrees were awarded.

For students pursuing healthcare, a future in the industry looks promising. Health professions are projected to add more jobs than any of the other occupational groups in the coming years. Employment in healthcare occupations is projected to add about 2.6 million new jobs from 2020 to 2030, with a growth of 16%, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This projected growth is mainly due to an aging population, leading to greater demand for healthcare services.

The median annual wage for healthcare professionals was $75,040 in May 2021, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations in the economy of $45,760.

Most of the time, healthcare students have to study for an extended time compared to the average college student. This means healthcare majors must pay for around 8 years of postsecondary and medical education before they can work in the healthcare field.

Higher education usually comes at a high price. For a health education, even more so. About 76-89% of healthcare graduates have educational debt, with the average medical school graduate owing 6 times as much as the average college graduate. The average cost of tuition to attend a public, American college in-state is $7,070 annually for healthcare majors and $32,370 at out-of-state private institutions.

Over the years, the cost of college to study healthcare has nearly doubled and has pushed healthcare students to take on student loans to meet the costs. Around 55% of medical school students use loans specifically to help pay for medical school as opposed to undergraduate or premed debt.

What is a healthcare scholarship?

A healthcare scholarship is a type of scholarship that is college major-specific. This type of scholarship is meant to help future healthcare professionals pay for their studies by providing financial assistance.

Any healthcare students that demonstrate financial need and any healthcare students seeking financial aid can apply for these scholarships to pay for their educational costs. Unlike student loans that have to be paid back with interest, healthcare scholarships can see healthcare students through their studies without adding to their student debt.

Can you get a scholarship for healthcare?

Students pursuing health professions, regardless of background and education level, can get a scholarship for healthcare. Since there are multiple scholarships available for all kinds of healthcare professionals, the options for financial aid vary.

Healthcare is a large spectrum with many branches. This means that healthcare scholarships are in abundance for all different majors. There are scholarships for students enrolled in any medical assisting program to become medical assistants. This also includes students studying in a nursing program to become nurse practitioners, or dental hygiene students and future dental professionals . The list of eligible applicants goes on and on.

There is also an option to receive financial assistance from the school you attend. These institutions may have their own scholarship program to help healthcare students in financial need. If you are attending medical school or an accredited school for higher education, it's worth checking with your financial aid office or healthcare department if a scholarship program exists.

Healthcare students can also find several scholarships on Bold.org, where applying for scholarships is made easy.

How to apply for healthcare scholarships

Creating a profile on Bold.org is the first step to applying for scholarships. Fill out your information to the best of your ability to find better matches. On your Bold.org profile, it is easy to find scholarships for students pursuing public health or other health fields. Using the filters, you can sort through the site's available scholarships by the 'Healthcare' category, or click on one of the healthcare scholarships listed on this page.

Then, select a scholarship that suits you and read through the description to find useful information like the eligibility requirements, the application deadline, selection criteria, and required materials.

The application process is simple and conducted at your own pace. If you wish to complete the application process at a later time, the bookmark tool allows you to save scholarships so you can return later.

To apply, simply click the 'Apply Now' button once you've completed the application materials and you'll be entered into the scholarship.

How to get a healthcare scholarship

To qualify for healthcare scholarships, you must plan to enroll in a healthcare program in an accredited school or be currently working on a healthcare degree. Applicants should be attending an accredited college or plan to enroll in an accredited program.

To boost your chances of winning, apply for scholarships that are best fit for you. Find the right scholarships for your education level and background. Some scholarships will be chosen from applicants with academic excellence. Scholarships will look for the best candidates with academic achievement by including things such as a minimum GPA in their requirements.

Similarly, apply to scholarships with more specific applicant criteria. For instance, if you are studying in a graduate program with the goal of joining the ranks of nurse practitioners, apply to a scholarship for students in nursing graduate school. This scholarships will have fewer applicants than a scholarship open to anyone, so your chances of winning will increase.

You may be expected to write a personal essay about your personal circumstances. Most scholarships may ask you to write an essay or answer a given prompt as part of the requirements. Be ready to talk about your desire to help others and how important healthcare is to you. Finding scholarships that best fit your experience and interests can help make your essay more personal.

Don't be discouraged if you don't win the scholarship you applied for. Instead, keep applying for more! You may find a scholarship that's a better fit for you than the last. Scholarships with more specific requirements will have a smaller pool of eligible students. You'll have a greater chance of winning the scholarship award if you apply for a more niche type.

Best healthcare scholarships

There are plenty of healthcare scholarships to explore, but you may not know where to start. Some general scholarships have more general criteria that all students can be eligible for. This makes the applicant pool for these types of scholarships harder to compete in. Undergraduates and graduates pursuing a degree in healthcare can explore these major-specific scholarships with smaller applicant pools. The scholarships listed below are a great place to start.

Here are the best healthcare scholarships exclusively found nowhere else with upcoming deadlines through 2022.

1. Cindy J. Visser Memorial Nursing Scholarship
2. Wieland Nurse Appreciation Scholarship
3. Bold Science Matters Scholarship
4. WiseGeek Nursing No-Essay Scholarship

Healthcare scholarships for high school seniors

While you're in your final year of high school, you may already be planning ahead for what comes after high school graduation. If you see yourself pursuing higher education in healthcare, you can apply for these scholarships to make that a reality in the future.

Check out these scholarship opportunities that high school seniors interested in healthcare are eligible for!

1. Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship
2. Melaninwhitecoats Podcast Annual Scholarship
3. Homeward Bound Pets Veterinary Technician Scholarship
4. Homeward Bound Pets Humane Society Veterinary Assistant Scholarship
5. Robert F. Lawson Fund for Careers that Care

Healthcare scholarships for college students

Undergraduate students pursuing healthcare have demonstrated financial need, leading to many college students graduating with student debt. Scholarship awards are a great way to pay for college tuition and fees. Compared to student loans, recipients are not required to pay back the award amount. There are several healthcare scholarships on Bold.org that are worth applying for.

Consider applying for the scholarship options below for current college students!

1. Amber Lott’s Health Heroes Scholarship
2. Mary Schonfield PA School Scholarship
3. Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship
4. Melaninwhitecoats Podcast Annual Scholarship
5. Jerry Garrett and Starlinne Sullivan Memorial EMS Scholarship
6. Robert F. Lawson Fund for Careers that Care
7. Exercise Science Scholarships

Scholarships for graduate students in healthcare

About 23% of workers currently in the healthcare industry hold at least a Master's degree. Healthcare majors often stay in college longer than the average college student. Graduate students enrolled in any healthcare graduate program can find many opportunities to win a scholarship.

Below is a list of some of the best scholarships exclusively for graduate students studying in healthcare.

1. Mary Schonfield PA School Scholarship
2. Betsy V Brown Veterinary Scholarship
3. Melaninwhitecoats Podcast Annual Scholarship
4. Precious K. Hollins Dental School Scholarship
5. Pharmacy Scholarships

Scholarships for minorities in healthcare

Unfortunately, diversity in healthcare is lacking when it comes to race and ethnicity, with the industry being predominantly white at a 53.6% share of degrees awarded in 2020. Minority groups altogether were awarded fewer degrees than the white majority. Of the rest of the graduating class of 2020, 16.2% were Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% were Black or African American, 6.77% were Asian, and only 0.682% were Native American.

Many scholarship donors want to see this change by funding scholarships that are meant to support underrepresented groups and diversity in public health. Minority students, especially African American students pursuing health professions, should apply for the scholarships below.

1. Amber Lott’s Health Heroes Scholarship
2. Betsy V Brown Veterinary Scholarship
3. Melaninwhitecoats Podcast Annual Scholarship

Scholarships for women in healthcare

The gender distribution for healthcare majors in the United States is predominantly female. Women earned more degrees in healthcare than men in the year 2020, making up 81.8% of degrees earned and men earning 18.2% of degrees. This is why having healthcare scholarships for women is so important. Any woman going into healthcare should consider applying for the following female-focused scholarship.

1. Mary Schonfield PA School Scholarship

New scholarships are being added on Bold.org constantly. Be sure to come back and check for new opportunities, or discover over types of scholarships for students pursuing healthcare.

Frequently asked questions about healthcare scholarships

How to find healthcare scholarships

Students can find healthcare scholarships by searching the Bold.org scholarships page and browsing the "Healthcare" category.

Depending on your background or your degree program within the healthcare department, students can apply for other relevant scholarship types in other categories such as "Nursing" or "STEM." Other related or more general scholarship awards can also be found on Bold.org.

Completing the FAFSA form should always be the top priority in the financial aid process for college students. This federal form determines your eligibility for federal student aid and federal financial aid programs, such as the Pell Grant. The FAFSA also determines eligibility for annual scholarships awarded to support students attending an accredited college.

Additionally, some medical institutions offer merit-based scholarship programs for disabled students that attend their college. Check with your university's financial aid office about any scholarship opportunities available for you.

Be sure to try all of your options and utilize all of the resources and services available to you.

When can I start applying?

When applying for scholarships, it is never too early or too late to look at your options. The key point is that the sooner you get the scholarship money, the fewer student loans you’ll have to take and the less money you’ll have to pay out of pocket.

On Bold.org, you must be at least 14 years old to qualify. However, there are scholarships for students in every academic year. All high school, undergraduate, and graduate students can find scholarship opportunities they are applicable for. Anyone who has student debt or is planning ahead for tuition can apply for scholarships on Bold.org.

Keep in mind that the scholarship application process is set at your own pace. If you're not able to finish the application in one sitting, you can save it and come back to it later. There will always be different scholarships available at later deadlines.

How many scholarships can I earn?

On Bold.org, there is no limit to how many scholarships you can apply for or earn. You can even earn multiple awards in more than one category.

For your benefit, it's best to apply for more than one scholarship in order to increase your chances of success and maximize your potential funds. Bold.org's mission is to combat student debt and help students that are in financial need by being a platform for scholarships. Students pursuing public health education can apply for multiple scholarships to fund their postsecondary education.

How can healthcare scholarships be used?

When you win a scholarship, the money will be sent to your school's financial aid office to go towards your tuition costs. Scholarship money can be applied to educational costs such as textbooks, student fees, tuition, etc. Some scholarships can be applied to other expenses such as living expenses, however, be sure to check if this applies to any scholarships you earn.

How do I know if I'm eligible for a scholarship?

Eligibility is simple to check on Bold.org. Each scholarship will have a clear list of all eligibility requirements in the description. If your profile matches those requirements, then you'll be eligible to apply. If your profile information does not match the list of requirements, Bold.org may block you from applying for that scholarship. That's why it's important to fully complete your profile information.

Some scholarships may include in the eligibility requirements that the scholarship is exclusive to a specific education level, college major, SAT score, etc. The more specific the eligibility requirements are, the less competition there will be and the more likely your chances are of earning the scholarship.

Are scholarships counted as income?

No, scholarships awarded through Bold.org are not counted as income. Since scholarship money won through Bold.org is sent directly to the college you are attending, scholarships are not considered taxable income. If you are a high school student, your earnings will be held in an account for you until you go to college.

However, scholarship money may be taxed if you win a scholarship from another source and if you receive an amount that's greater than your total educational costs. Or, if you receive the money directly and apply it to costs other than tuition, books, or course fees, the money may be taxable.