A variety of scholarships are available to help nursing informatics students defray the cost of a college education. Scholarships are available in a range of amounts and from different sources, including professional health informatics organizations and institutions of higher learning. Some nursing informatics scholarships are limited to students in a certain geographic area.
HIMSS Scholarships
The Healthcare Information Management Systems Society Foundation offers scholarship assistance to nursing informatics students through its Healthcare Information Management Systems Scholarship. In 2011, this award was valued at $5,000. To be eligible, an applicant must be of at least junior undergraduate standing, must be a member in good standing of HIMSS, and must not be a previous scholarship recipient. The HIMSS Foundation also awards several $5,000 chapter scholarships limited to members of the Delaware Valley, New York State, Northern California or South Florida chapters.
Duke School of Nursing Informatics Scholarship
Nursing informatics students at Duke University may be eligible to receive the Duke School of Nursing Informatics Scholarship. This scholarship may cover all of an undergraduate student's tuition for four years. If awarded to a graduate student, this award will pay for up to $10,000 worth of tuition for one year, as of 2011. To be eligible for the undergraduate scholarship, a student must apply as an incoming freshman. Only U.S. citizens are eligible to receive this scholarship.
University of Missouri Scholarships
Nursing informatics students at the University of Missouri (UM) may be eligible for several departmental scholarships. The Ernst and Young Health Informatics In 2011, scholarships are available to UM nursing informatics students in the amounts of either $1,000 or $5,000. The Foster McGaw Scholarship is awarded in the amount of $500. Other available scholarships include the HMI Alumni Scholarship and the Gary Maienschein Memorial Scholarship. To be eligible, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
AHIMA Foundation Scholarships
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Foundation offers several levels of scholarship support to students pursuing a degree related to health informatics. Candidates seeking an associate degree are eligible for up to $1,000 of support, candidates seeking a bachelor's degree are eligible for up to $1,500 of support, master's students may receive up to $2,000, and students pursuing a Ph.D. may be eligible for up to $2,500, all as of 2011. To be eligible, an applicant must be a member of AHIMA, must be taking at least six credits per semester, and must have a grade point average of at least 3.5.
