Advanced Practice Healthcare Scholarship Program

Scholarship Sponsored by Department of Health Care Access and Information

Overview
The Advanced Practice Healthcare Scholarship Program (APHSP) expands the pool of trained clinicians delivering direct patient care at eligible facilities across California. Administered by the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI), the program aims to broaden and diversify the state’s health workforce by offering scholarships and loan repayment to students and recent graduates who commit to delivering direct client care in underserved communities.

Funding and award
APHSP is financed through grants, donations, and other designated funds. Eligible applicants who agree to a one-year service commitment delivering direct client care in an underserved area or qualified facility may receive awards of up to $25,000. The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board is providing funding for this round to prioritize applicants who live in, or graduated high school in, a CMSP-designated county.

How to apply
Complete and submit the online application at https://funding.hcai.ca.gov/ by October 3, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.

Eligibility requirements
Applicants must satisfy every item below to be considered for an APHSP award:

- Begin their class or training program no later than October 1, 2025.
- Be enrolled in at least six semester units (or the equivalent) and maintain this enrollment level through program completion.
- Have a most-recent-term GPA of 2.0 or higher (or equivalent) and maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher until program completion.
- Have a graduation date after March 31, 2026.
- Have no existing service obligation to any other entity, including other HCAI programs.
- Not be in breach of any current HCAI service obligation.
- Commit to a one-year service obligation of providing no fewer than 32 hours per week of direct patient care in an underserved area or an eligible facility located within a CMSP county, beginning within six months of graduation.
- Be a resident of California.
- Reside in a CMSP county or have graduated from a high school located in a CMSP county. (If homeschooled or GED was earned, the county where you lived during that period must be a CMSP county—see CMSP County chart in Section 3.)

Eligible disciplines
To qualify, applicants must be accepted into or currently enrolled in an accredited graduate or postgraduate program that leads to one of the following professions:

- Advanced nursing degrees: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), including Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Certified Nurse Practitioner, or Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Pharmacy: Doctor of Pharmacy or programs leading to licensure as a Pharmacist
- Physical therapy: Master’s or Doctor of Physical Therapy leading to licensure as a Physical Therapist
- Physician Assistant: Master’s or other accredited program leading to licensure as a Physician Assistant
- Dentistry: Doctor of Dental Medicine leading to licensure as a Dentist
- Chiropractic: Doctor of Chiropractic leading to licensure as a Chiropractor
- Counseling/rehabilitation: Master’s in Counseling or programs qualifying for certification/licensure as a Rehabilitation Counselor

If you have questions about whether your program or discipline qualifies, consult the APHSP guidance materials or contact HCAI for clarification.