Advanced Practice Healthcare Scholarship Program
Scholarship Sponsored by Department of Health Care Access and Information
The Advanced Practice Healthcare Scholarship Program (APHSP) aims to boost the number of suitably trained healthcare professionals delivering direct patient care in a recognized facility within California.
The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) is committed to expanding and diversifying the healthcare workforce in California. They achieve this by offering scholarships and loan repayments to students and graduates of health professions who provide direct care to patients in these communities.
The APHSP is financed through grants, contributions, and special funds. Qualified applicants who pledge to a one-year service obligation, offering direct patient care in an underserved community, could receive up to $25,000. The program's objective is to enhance the number of suitably trained advanced practice healthcare professionals delivering direct patient care in underserved regions or recognized facilities across California.
The County Medical Services Program Governing Board (CMSP) provides funding for this program to assist students who either live in or graduated from a high school in a CMSP-designated county.
Eligibility Criteria
Provider Eligibility Criteria
Applicants for an APHSP award must fulfill all the following requirements:
- Start class or training program by October 1, 2025
- Enroll in at least six semester units (or equivalent) until the end of the program
- Achieve a GPA of 2.0 or higher for the most recent academic performance (or equivalent)
- Maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher until the end of the program
- Graduate after March 31, 2026
- Have no existing service obligations with other organizations, including other HCAI programs
- Not be in violation of any other HCAI service obligation
- Pledge to a one-year service obligation providing a minimum of 32 hours per week of direct patient care in an underserved area or qualifying facility in a CMSP county, starting within six months of graduation
- Be a resident of California
- Reside in a County Medical Services Program (CMSP) County or have graduated from a high school in a CMSP County (if homeschooled or earned a GED - the county of residence during this period must be a CMSP County - refer to CMSP County chart in Section 3)
- Complete and submit an application through https://funding.hcai.ca.gov/ by October 3, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
Eligible Disciplines
Applicants for APHSP must be currently enrolled in or accepted into an accredited graduate or postgraduate degree program that will lead them to become one of the following professionals:
(Note: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners are not eligible for this program):
- Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice
- Certified Nurse Midwife Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
- Certified Nurse Practitioner Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Doctor of Pharmacy
- Pharmacist
- Master or Doctor of Physical Therapy
- Physical Therapist
- Master of Physician Assistant
- Physician Assistant
- Doctor of Dental Medicine
- Dentist
- Doctor of Chiropractic
- Chiropractor
- Master of Counseling
- Rehabilitation Counselor