Merit Scholarships
Application Process
The 2010 Application is now closed, and awards have been distributed. The 2011 application will be posted early next year.
Required Documents:
The Enrollment Verification Form below is required for completion of your application. It is provided here as a convenience for you. Simply download the appropriate form and have it completed and signed by your program director. The form can then be converted to a .pdf file and uploaded into your online application in the appropriate section. Note that in order to view and print the applications, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download the software for free, go to www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html. If you are attaching your resume to the online application, it also must be converted to a .pdf format and then uploaded. To preserve the integrity of academic records, sealed transcripts must be mailed to: AHIMA Foundation, Attention: Scholarships, 233 N. Michigan Ave. 21st Floor, Chicago, IL 60601-5800. Foundation Staff will upload the transcript to the application once it has been submitted. Applicants are encouraged to call the AHIMA Foundation to verify transcript receipt (312/233-1131 or 312/233-1968.) Applications without transcripts will be incomplete and not able to be reviewed for scholarship awards.
Graduate Enrollment Verification Form 
Undergraduate Enrollment Verification Form
Additional requirements are listed on the scholarship application. You may begin your scholarship application, and come back to it as many times as necessary prior to submitting it before the April 30 deadline. This will allow you to be certain all areas of the application are completed, to edit your responses to the essay questions, and to track that all recommendations and transcripts have been received. Once you are confident the application is 100% complete, then click on the submit button.
Eligibility
AHIMA Foundation scholarship basic eligibilty requirements include:
- The program the student is enrolled in must be must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM). (Want to know if the program is accredited? Visit http://www.cahiim.org/accredpgms.asp). Graduate students must be AHIMA credentialed members pursuing degrees in areas related to HIM practice.
- The student must have completed at least 6 credit hours in program coursework before being eligible to apply for a scholarship. In addition, student must have at least one full semester (6 credit hours) of classes remaining in their course of study at the time the award is granted. This information will be verified through certified student transcript(s).
Background
One of the major initiatives of the AHIMA Foundation is to attract and support new talent in the HIM industry by improving the educational opportunities for future HIM professionals through scholarships. The Foundation offers scholarships to students currently enrolled in accredited health information management programs. There are three levels of scholarships offered: $1,000 for a HIT AA degree student; $1,200 for a HIA BA/BS degree student; and $2,500 for a credentialed professional pursuing a masters or doctoral degree in an area related to HIM practice.
In 2010, a total of 146 students submitted their applications for review; out of that pool, 72 qualified candidates received scholarships for a total of $94,650 awarded. The 2010 award recipients included 2 PhD candidates, 9 Masters’ Degree students, 23 Bachelors’ Degree students and 38 Associate Degree students. The scholarship recipients represent 33 Component State Associations, and the GPAs of those awarded scholarships ranged from 3.25 to 4.0, with an average GPA of 3.8. Some scholarships give preference to applicants in categories such as diversity, second-career students, and students residing in particular states. Only one application is needed to be completed, and the applicant will be considered for all awards offered. Applicants are eligible to receive only one scholarship in a calendar year.
Online Applications
In 2009 the scholarship application became an online process, making it easier for applicants to apply and for the scholarship committee to process the reviews. The 2010 application was further customized to allow students to easily submit the required information, in a secure online format. Students will be able to track the progress of their application and ensure that all necessary components have been completed (including academic references and recommendations). before submitting the application by the April 30 deadline. Once the applications have been reviewed and scholarships determined, recipients should receive notification of their award status the middle of June of that year; scholarship checks will be sent out approximately July 1.
Corporations, CSAs and individuals are all encouraged to sponsor scholarship awards, either through donations to the Grace Whiting Myers general scholarship fund, or else by establishing an agreement for a named scholarship; payment options for funding the scholarships are flexible. Acknowledgment of scholarship sponsorship comes in many forms, on the AHIMA Foundation Website, in AHIMA and Foundation electronic and mailed publications, and in appropriate convention materials. Sponsoring an AHIMA Foundation scholarship becomes a win-win situation, with supporting the professionals of the future while extending name recognition for your company. Contact Bonnie Aguda at (312) 233-1175 or bonnie.aguda@ahimafoundation.org for further details.
