Mat-Su Health Foundation Vocational Scholarships help pay for vocational training and certificate programs in health and human services career fields. Many of the fastest-growing jobs in Alaska are in health care, and with the right training, Mat-Su residents can seize these opportunities. Some examples of the types of career training we help pay for include: medical and dental assistants, personal care aides, lab technicians, medical office personnel, mental health technicians, phlebotomists, radiology technicians and EMTs.
Applications for Vocational Scholarships are accepted year-round and require an essay of 250 words or less that demonstrates interest in a health or nonprofit field that matches the workforce needs of the Mat-Su Borough. The number of scholarships given each year and the amount of each award varies, with a cap of $5,000 per vocational scholarship. Please note: Vocational Scholarship applications must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the start of your training program.
How to Apply for a Vocational Scholarship:
Vocational scholarship applications are accepted year-round.
To apply for a NEW Vocational Scholarship, please review the scholarship eligibility requirements below, and then fill out the online application linked here. If you have an EXISTING application and need to log back in or submit an enrollment verification, click here.
MSHF Scholarship eligibility requirements include the following:
- United States citizenship or lawful permanent residency.
- Mat-Su Borough residency for minimum of one year at the time of application.
- Minimum half-time student status at an accredited college, university, or medical training program.
- Selection of a health and human services career choice that matches the workforce needs of providers in the Mat-Su Borough.
- Interest in the fields of health and human services as demonstrated by the applicant’s responses to questions posed in the application.
- Completion of the Free Application For for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is not required for Vocational Scholarship applicants.
- GPA: There is no minimum GPA for first time applicants. For returning awardees a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required. Returning awardees must provide an official transcript for no less than one complete year. If they have not completed a full year at time of application, they must provide college transcripts for any college courses they have completed plus their high school transcripts.
Disqualified Applicants For All MSHF Scholarships:
- Individuals disqualified from applying for a MSHF Scholarship include the following:
- VHA dba MSHF directors, officers, employees and members of the Program Committee (including non-voting community members), and their family members.
- Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Board of Directors members and their family members.
- Mat-Su Regional Board of Trustee Members and their family members. (Family members of a disqualified person include a disqualified person’s spouse, brothers or sisters (whether by whole or half-blood), spouses of brothers or sisters (whether by whole or half-blood) and their children by whole or half blood or by adoption, ancestors, children (including a legally adopted child), grandchildren, great grandchildren, and spouses of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren (whether by whole or half-blood).
Questions? Please visit our FAQ page.
For additional assistance, please send an email to: scholarships@healthymatsu.org.