Oregon Health Authority

Healthcare Workforce Scholarship Opportunity

Nursing, Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, Dental Assisting, and Public Health programs

 

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Application Period:

May 4th - September 4th, 2026 for the following programs:

• Nursing Assistant
• Medical Assistant
• Dental Assisting
• Public Health

Scholarships will be awarded Fall 2026

Additional application opportunities will be available as funding allows. Please see bottom of this page for links to the scholarship applications.

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Criteria for applying and scholarship amounts for Nursing, Allied Health, and Public Health programs:

• Admitted to COCC and currently enrolled or planning to enroll as a degree or certificate seeking student in one of the programs, or be enrolled in one of the Public Health courses listed below for 2026-2027 academic year:
  • Dental Assisting - $3,000
  • Medical Assistant - $4,200
  • Nursing Assistant - $1,000
  • Nursing – $3,300 – 1st year nursing students only
  • Public Health Class Only – PHE282 Community Health Worker ($869) or PHE183 Peer Support Specialist ($579)
  • Public Health - $5,000 (Community Health One-Year Certificate of Completion, or Public Health AAOT)
• Priority will be given to student applicants who have lived in, currently or formerly attended school in, or intend to work in a Health Professional Shortage Area:
  • Nursing or Allied Health Programs: Crook and Jefferson counties
  • Public Health Programs: Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, northern Klamath county, or the Warm Springs Indian Reservation
• Scholarship recipients must sign a Letter of Intent (LOI) and be willing to remain in contact with OHA after program completion. Applicants that do not agree to sign a LOI and remain in contact with OHA will not be eligible to submit an application.
• Scholarship recipients will be asked to complete a demographic information form that includes questions about Race, Ethnicity, Language, and Disability. A response to the form is required, but a response to each question is voluntary and will not impact scholarship eligibility.
• Students who have already received a 1-year OHA scholarship through this opportunity are not eligible.

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Continued Eligibility:

To continue to be eligible for the OHA scholarship, students must remain enrolled in at least 6 credits per term, be making progress towards program completion, and be meeting the academic performance standards for their chosen healthcare program. Please follow the links below for program-specific academic Performance Standard that students will be required to meet to receive the scholarship:

Nursing Performance Standards
Nursing Assistant Performance Standards
Medical Assistant Performance Standards
Dental Assisting Performance Standards
Community Health 1 Year Certificate
Public Health Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer
Peer Support Specialist Training
Community Health Worker Training

Continued eligibility will be reviewed at the beginning of every term. If a scholarship recipient is not meeting all eligibility requirements stated above, funds will not be applied to their student account and the scholarship will end.

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If you are awarded a scholarship:

Your full scholarship amount will be applied to your student account in installments. For example, if you are in a 1-year certificate program, your full scholarship amount will be disbursed equally between fall, winter, and spring terms as long as you continue to meet eligibility criteria and the performance standards for your program (see links above).

The scholarship is applied toward your COCC tuition and fees first and if there are remaining funds you can use them for expenses related to your educational needs. Accepting a COCC OHA Scholarship may prompt a revision and possible reduction of your federal financial aid. Unlike federal financial aid loans, scholarship dollars do not need to be paid back.

If you have questions about the OHA scholarship, please reach out to the following program faculty:

Nursing: Carmen Ingulli or Amy Shapen
Nursing Assistant: Megan Michell
Medical Assistant: Shannon Waller
Dental Assisting: Leslie Houston
Public Health: Sarah Baron

For general questions, please contact Stephanie Rohdy, Grants Specialist

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