If you are pursuing a certification or a 2-year associates degree in healthcare-related STEM fields during the 2022-2023 academic school year, this may be a scholarship opportunity for you!
*High School seniors may also apply.
The AbbVie Foundation is the founding partner of the UNCF Healthcare Workforce Diversity Program, a comprehensive HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) healthcare professionals pipeline program preparing and motivating Black individuals to pursue a wide variety of careers in healthcare.
A diverse healthcare workforce improves access to care for racial and ethnic minority communities, ensuring greater patient choice and satisfaction and improving the quality of healthcare for vulnerable people. “We thank AbbVie for this significant investment in better futures for Black and HBCU students,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president, and CEO, UNCF. “This gift is very important to all Americans, but particularly Black Americans, as we face the current COVID-19 crisis. We now realize we need as many new, diverse healthcare professionals as possible. Students who will benefit from this new program will be our future pandemic front liners. America needs their expertise, especially because this virus has shed light on the gaps in our public health system by hitting the African American and other communities of color so hard.”
The UNCF Healthcare Workforce Diversity Program aims to address the racial imbalance in the healthcare workforce that can potentially exacerbate health disparities in Black communities. Scholarship, academic, and career development support will be given to students who are interested in a career in healthcare, but who might otherwise not have an opportunity to go beyond their high school diploma to earn a credential.
“Supporting the launch of UNCF’s new program will provide critical scholarships and wraparound support for students pursuing health care careers and creating a path for those who never believed a healthcare career was a possibility,“ said Karen Hale, vice president, and deputy general counsel, AbbVie. “UNCF’s program will help increase access to more culturally competent care through a more equitable and diverse workforce in health care.”
Applicants for the Program must meet the following criteria:
* Must be an African American student pursuing a certification or a 2-year associates degree in healthcare-related STEM fields such as:
*EKG Technician
*Pharmacy Technician
*MRI Technologist
*Certified Patient Care Technician
*Phlebotomy Technician
*Community Health Worker
*Certified Nursing or Medical Assistants
*Respiratory Therapist
*Surgical Technologist
* And many others
* Must File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid ("FAFSA") each year and must be eligible for Federal financial aid.
* Must have unmet financial need as determined by the student's college or university financial aid office.
* Must meet the institution’s SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) requirements.
* Have an interest in pursuing a career in the healthcare sector.
If you have questions or comments, contact Yvonne Nash (yvonne.nash@uncf.org).