The Best Public Health Scholarships with Upcoming Deadlines in 2024

About public health scholarships

Public health professionals evaluate and regulate the health needs of the public population and are vital to the wellness of society. 4.49M total people in the workforce have a public health degree. These public health professionals help with pressing issues related to disease outbreaks, health education, safety standards, and more. 

37,963 public health degrees​ were awarded in 2020 alone. In college, public health students develop the critical thinking and analysis skills necessary to confront issues such as low vaccination rates, foodborne diseases, and drug overdoses. With a public health education, graduates often research with nonprofits, consult on disease prevention or develop health marketing campaigns. 

Many public health majors go on to receive a master’s degree in the field. From there, students can plan to work at nongovernmental organizations or as biostatisticians, health educators, health administration members, and more. 37.7% of public health graduates go on to work as registered nurses. Some students also go on to law school and pursue careers in public health law. If they complete premedical requirements, public health majors can attend medical school and become doctors. 

What is a public health scholarship?

A public health scholarship helps students studying public health pay for their college tuition. While some scholarships are specifically for public health majors, there are also some medical scholarships and STEM scholarships that public health majors can apply to.

The median in-state public tuition for public health students is $8,150 while the median out-of-state private tuition is $37,625. For any college student who wishes to get a public health degree, it is crucial that they apply for scholarships that can give them some financial assistance. 

Can you get a scholarship for public health?

Yes, there are plenty of scholarships for those who study public health as well as opportunities for those pursuing other career fields. If you are interested in going to medical school or becoming a nurse, there are also plenty of scholarships that are catered specifically to those in the medical field. 

On Bold.org, you can find many different types of scholarships that can help undergraduate and graduate students in public health programs.

How to apply for public health scholarships

To begin applying for public health scholarships, click on any of the scholarships listed above. If you have not yet created your free Bold.org profile, the listed scholarships will redirect you, so that you can create an account and begin applying to Bold.org's exclusive scholarships.

The scholarship search features provided on Bold.org can help you find the most relevant scholarships based on your experiences, goals, and skills. Use filters such as the ones for education level, scholarship amount, deadline, and category to help you narrow your search. The bookmark tool can help you save scholarships you are interested in, so you can return later.

Once you've decided on scholarships that fit you best, you can begin applying. The application process is set up to be easy, so all you have to focus on is writing a great essay or submitting other materials like videos or images.

How to get a public health scholarship

The first step for students to get a public health scholarship is to make a profile and start applying. By applying for plenty of scholarships, you can have a greater chance of winning scholarship money. 

High schoolers, undergraduate or graduate students, and even recent graduates who have student loans can all receive scholarships. Winners are selected all throughout the year, so start using Bold.org's resources today to gain access to the current selection of scholarships.

Best public health scholarships

Regardless of whether you are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in public health, there are plenty of scholarship options on Bold.org. Students of all backgrounds who are passionate about protecting the public's health can benefit from the many public health scholarships available. The following list includes some of the best scholarships for public health students.

1. Amber Lotts Health Heroes Scholarship
2. Melaninwhitecoats Podcast Annual Scholarship
3. Healthy Living Scholarship
4. National Healthcare Heroes Nursing Grant
5. Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship

Public health scholarships for high school students

High school is a great time to get started on applying for scholarships. By applying early, high school students can maximize their higher education funding. The earlier you start, the more time you'll have to find and win scholarships. To start applying, click on any of the below scholarships for high school students.

1. Healthy Living Scholarship
2. Melaninwhitecoats Podcast Annual Scholarship
3. Eleven Scholarship
4. Jacob Daniel Dumas Memorial Scholarship
5. Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship

Public health scholarships for undergraduates

For undergraduate students, scholarships can be a great way to get some financial support while pursuing a public health major. Whether students are planning on attending graduate university programs or going straight on to their careers, there are scholarships available to support students enrolled in public and community health programs. 

Regardless of your exact path, there are bound to be many scholarships that you can apply for. If you have any unmet financial need when funding your public health education, consider applying for the scholarships below.

1. Amber Lotts Health Heroes Scholarship
2. National Healthcare Heroes Nursing Grant
3. Healthy Living Scholarship
4. Melaninwhitecoats Podcast Annual Scholarship
5. Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship

Scholarships for graduate students in public health

In 2o2o, 44% of public health degrees awarded were graduate degrees. Since the cost of a graduate program is often too high for the average student to afford without help, scholarships are a critical form of assistance for those with financial need. Below are some scholarships for students in a health-related graduate program.

1. National Healthcare Heroes Nursing Grant
2. Healthy Living Scholarship
3. Dashanna K. McNeil Memorial Scholarship

Public health scholarships for international students

5.43% of public health students are international students. It is important for public health experts to have a worldly perspective of health and disease control so they can best execute health policy and public service. To get started, check out the scholarships below that may interest international students

1. Carlynn’s No-Essay Coming to America Scholarship
2. Keep Going Forward No Essay Scholarship
3. “Equal Opportunity” Scholarship
4. Expand Your Horizons Scholarship

Public health scholarships for minorities

In 2020, 43.2% of public health graduates were white. Diversity is important when understanding health in society, so it's critical that the public health workforce is representative of all identities. To support minority students in public health practice, there are many exclusive scholarships available for underrepresented students. You can start your scholarship search with the opportunities below. 

1. Amber Lotts Health Heroes Scholarship
2. Stephan L. Daniels Lift As We Climb Scholarship
3. Nina L. Colman Memorial Scholarship
4. Melaninwhitecoats Podcast Annual Scholarship
5. Snap Finance “Funding the Future” Scholarship

Frequently asked questions about public health scholarships

How to find public health scholarships

Students can find public health scholarships by searching the Bold.org scholarships page and browsing the "Health and Wellness" and "Healthcare" categories. Depending on one's exact career path in public health, students may even be able to apply for "STEM" scholarships if their major is related to science.

Public health students may also be eligible for medical scholarships and scholarships for nurses. On the scholarship page, you can browse the "Nursing" category to find scholarships. In addition, students pursuing public health programs can apply for other relevant scholarship opportunities based on their hobbies and identities. For example, a female student pursuing a public health degree can check out the "Women" category for additional scholarships.

Additionally, some schools offer scholarships for their public health students, so always check your university's financial aid office for more information. Often, prospective college students who excelled academically in high school can earn merit scholarships from their school's financial aid office.

When can I start applying?

It's never too early to begin applying for public health scholarships! As soon as you're at least fourteen years old and in high school, you'll start qualifying for scholarships. The sooner you begin applying, the more scholarships you will be able to apply for, boosting your chances of covering all of your financial need.

It's also never too late to apply for scholarships! High school seniors can and should submit scholarship applications, even if it's their last month of high school. Undergraduate and graduate students can continue applying for scholarships throughout their degrees. Recent graduates who have student loans are even eligible to apply for certain scholarships!

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

Every scholarship will include a list of eligibility requirements in the description. Eligible students must meet all of the criteria to qualify and apply, so read carefully! Some scholarships have a wide range of eligibility requirements and are less competitive as a result. The fewer eligible applicants a scholarship has, the better your chances of winning will be. 

Eligibility requirements can be anything from race or gender to location to field of study. Students who display academic excellence, leadership, or other positive traits can even qualify for additional scholarships. Additionally, students who demonstrate financial need can unlock scholarships exclusively open to low-income students. 

To make sure you're taking advantage of all of your opportunities, make sure your Bold.org profile is completely filled out. Since Bold.org may block ineligible students from applying for certain scholarships, it's important that your profile accurately reflects your information so you don't miss out on any scholarships.

Before applying, read through all requirements to ensure that you're eligible to apply. Since scholarships often take time and effort to apply for, you want to be sure that you're not wasting time on a scholarship that you're not eligible to receive.

What do I have to do to apply?

Each scholarship has its own application process, but generally, you just need to follow the instructions in the description to apply. Donors know that high school and college students have limited time, so every scholarship is designed to be as simple to apply for as possible.

There are many different types of scholarships to choose from. the most common type of scholarship is essay-based awards. These scholarships require applicants to submit an essay or written statement in response to a prompt, single question, or a series of questions. Eligible students just need to meet the word requirement to apply. 

To make the best impression in your scholarship essays, stick to the given topic or prompt, include personal details, and be sure to proofread before clicking "submit!" You can find more essay-writing tips in this guide.

Other scholarships may require a different submission in place of an essay. These scholarships may ask students to submit artwork, videos, photographs, or portfolios as part of the application process. Other opportunities may require applicants to submit additional forms and documentation.

Additionally, there are some scholarships that don't require any type of submission. Easy, no-essay scholarship applications can be completed with just a few clicks. These low-effort scholarships are great opportunities for busy students to consider. To find the best no-essay scholarships, check out this guide.

Again, always check the details listed in the posting for the particular music scholarship in which you are interested.

Are scholarships counted as income?

Generally, scholarship money is not counted as income, as long as the money goes to qualified expenses and doesn't exceed your total costs.

The scholarship award must be used for school-related expenses, like tuition and fees, books, and school supplies. Scholarship money is taxable if it is used for other college-related costs like room and board, food, or travel.

Scholarships from Bold.org are sent directly to the school of the winner and applied towards qualifying educational costs, so you don't need to worry about reporting it as income or paying taxes on it.