West Virginia Health Sciences
Scholarship Program
The Health Sciences Scholarship Program is a service-obligation
scholarship for health professions students interested in primary
care and rural health in West Virginia. The program awards
approximately 25 scholarships each academic year to students in the
state's higher education system: $20,000 for medical students and
$10,000 nurse practitioners/educators, physical therapists,
physician assistants, doctoral clinical psychologists, and clinical
social workers. Awards are made by the Vice Chancellor for Health
Sciences based on a competitive application process and the
recommendations of an advisory committee.
Eligible Students
-
Fourth-year medical students at a West Virginia school of
medicine who are entering primary care internships or residency
programs in West Virginia, including general family/medicine,
general pediatrics, general internal medicine, combined internal
medicine/pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and general
psychiatry;
-
Students who are in the final year of a primary care educational
program for nurse practitioners or physician assistants, or a
master's degree nursing program in West Virginia, leading to a
career in nursing education;
-
Students who are in the final year of a graduate program in
physical therapy; and
-
Students who are in the final year of a graduate program in
social work or a doctoral program in clinical psychology. Social
work students must be training to become Licensed Independent
Clinical Social Workers. Doctoral clinical psychology students must
match with an internship in West Virginia.
Application
The application process is competitive, so please be sure to
thoroughly and accurately complete the information requested. Your
application, two recommendation forms and the Certification of
Educational Status must be postmarked by October 15,
2011.
Scholarship
Application 
Recommendation Form
Certification of
Educational Status Form
Obligation to Practice in West Virginia
Participants must sign a contract to fulfill a service
obligation after completing training. Participants are responsible
for locating a practice site. The penalty for not fulfilling the
service obligation is repayment of the scholarship with
interest.
Medical, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and physical
therapy students are required to practice primary care or physical
therapy for a minimum of two years in an underserved rural area of
West Virginia. Frequent practice sites include federally qualified
community health centers, rural health clinics, private primary
care practices, and school-based health centers.
Social Work and Clinical Psychology participants may practice at
primary care sites or additional eligible sites - community mental
health centers, state mental hospitals, or veterans' health
facilities.
Participants in nursing education must sign a contract to teach
for at least two years in a state approved, accredited
undergraduate nursing program in West Virginia.
Eligible Sites for Service Obligation:
For Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Assistants,
Physical Therapists:
For Nurse Educators:
For Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers and Doctoral
Clinical Psychologists
Eligibility for Other Financial Incentives
Students who are awarded Health Sciences Scholarships may also
qualify for other financial incentives for rural practice in West
Virginia (see West Virginia Recruitment Programs in the resources
section below). In many cases, the service obligations can be met
concurrently. At this time, a student cannot fulfill his two-year
Health Sciences Scholarship obligation at the same time he is
serving a National Health Service Corps obligation.
Resources
For more information, contact:
Laura Boone, Program Director
Health Sciences Scholarship Program
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Blvd. East, Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: (304) 558-0530; Fax: (304) 558-0532
E-mail: lboone@hepc.wvnet.edu