“We are getting around to that time of the year again when it’s important for people to begin applying for scholarships. We’re talking about people going on to higher education in most instances, like colleges or universities, but not always.”
That’s Dustin Durbin, Volunteer Services and Community Outreach Coordinator at CCMH.
“For example, the Crawford County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary offers scholarships to first or second year college or university students pursuing health care careers. The auxiliary operates the gift shop at CCMH and some of the net positive cash flows from the gift shop are designated for the annual auxiliary scholarships.”
Durbin notes the CCMH Auxiliary Scholarship deadline is approaching rapidly. Applications need to be submitted by March 1 and are specifically targeted toward students who live in Crawford County, Iowa.
“We give away five or six $1000 scholarships each year. The scholarships are not only funded through the gift shop. The Auxiliary also sponsors two bakes sales a year, one prior to Thanksgiving, and the other before Easter. If those two bake sales bring in a good net profit, the Auxiliary can fund additional scholarships.”
Durbin also says that while the requirements to receive a scholarship require studying for healthcare, almost any healthcare field will do.
“You can go to school to become a lab technician, or physical therapist, or anything clinical. It could be nursing but this also includes Certified Nursing Assistants or CNAs.”
To begin the scholarship application process, Durbin says you’ll need to go online.
“Anyone can start by going to ccmhia.com. On the top right hand side of the homepage, hover over the ‘About’ tab in the menu. It will reveal a drop down menu that including a link to ‘Scholarships’. Click on this link and it will take you directly to the CCMH Auxiliary scholarship application.”
Once you’ve accessed the application, Durbin clarified the applicant will also need to upload a couple of documents when filling out the form. To access the CCMH Auxiliary Scholarship application, CLICK HERE.
“We’ll need a high school or first year college transcript uploaded with the scholarship application. We’ll also need a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) report which indicates the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Finally, a letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, administrator, employer, pastor, or coach is required. It sounds like a lot, but it is no different from any other scholarship for which you’d apply. Once the form is completed and all of the documents have been uploaded, click on the ‘Submit’ button and your application will come right to my computer.”
Durbin says a committee of Auxiliary members review the applications to determine who will receive scholarship funds.
“We routinely receive about a dozen submissions a year. Once the reviews are complete, which happens by mid-April, we’ll send out send out letters of acceptance or, for unsuccessful applicants, we’ll also send out a letter that states you weren’t selected.”
Durbin also noted the Iowa Hospital Association also sponsors a healthcare scholarship. It’s called the Iowa Hospital Education and Research Foundation or IHERF scholarship.
“The IHERF scholarship is open to anyone pursuing a career in any health field. If you’re already in a healthcare field, like Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and would like to improve your skills, this scholarship is also for you. The deadline for applications is approaching quickly. which is February 29.”
The IHERF scholarships can provide a significant amount of financial assistance over two years. Durbin says the IHERF scholarship requires the completion of an online application form and the upload of a high school or college transcript.
“The IHERF scholarships are in the amount of $3,000 a year for two years, or a total of $6,000. Since the beginning of the IHERF program, they’ve awarded scholarships to more than 700 students. This year they’re planning on awarding 60 scholarships.”
Durbin says the proliferation of scholarships for health careers is a response to the on-going concern about the lack of trained professionals to fill open positions in hospitals and clinics across Iowa and the entire U.S.
“We’re all doing what we can to get people into health care careers. Healthcare entities across the spectrum are short of workers in so many areas. Research shows there may be an uptick in people entering health occupations between 2025 and 2031. Nonetheless, it will be uneven across professions. Based on projections for retirements and other people leaving the healthcare fields for a variety of reasons, we’re going to see a huge demand for the number of people needed to fill open positions.”
To apply for the IHERF Scholarship, CLICK HERE.