AHIMA Foundation Scholarships with Specialty Criteria

Diversity Eligibility Guidelines

The AHIMA Foundation promotes diversification of the HIM profession. There are many attributes that create a diverse workforce, and some scholarships are designated to diversity candidates.  Students self-select themselves as diversity candidates, and complete the application essay question by responding to the AHIMA Foundation’s Guidelines on Diversity, Section 7 ‘Scholarship Selection’ of the online application form.

Diversity Guidelines (Adopted from the AHIMA, House of Delegates, Resolution on Diversity and Inclusion, 2011)

We believe that AHIMA’s student population promises greater future diversity in AHIMA membership. We believe that  greater diversity enriches and adds value to AHIMA membership, the HIM practice experience, and the innovation and creativity of AHIMA.

We are committed to the adoption of meaningful, actionable and durable diversity practices to expand the real opportunities available to all HIM professionals, including opportunities to fully participate in the Foundation and AHIMA.

To that end, we respect the individual sensibilities, personal beliefs, differences, and privacy and other rights of all HIM professionals and AHIMA members.

Human diversity can be defined as differences in race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical capabilities, and religious beliefs. We acknowledge that all humans are possessed with unique, rich cultural histories, backgrounds and personal experiences deserving of universal respect and acceptance.

Scholarships Awarded Based on Specific Requirements

The AHIMA Foundation offers some scholarships that have award preferences for students who meet certain criteria over and above the general requirements.  A listing of some of these specialty scholarships is below.  Once the individual completes and submits the standard online scholarship application, the applicant is considered for any of the specialty awards for which he is determined eligible.  In some instances an additional essay question is asked to help qualify the applicant for a specific award. 

• The AHIMA Foundation Board Chair’s Graduate Scholarship - for a graduate student who demonstrates leadership in HIM
• The AHIMA Foundation Diversity Scholarships  - available to students who illustrate why their lives are in alignment with the AHIMA Foundation’s Guidelines on Diversity
• The CSA Leadership Scholarships - for applicants who exhibit a solid record of volunteerism
• The Rita Finnegan Memorial Scholarships - for students who exhibit extraordinary potential in Health Information Management
• The Viola Griffin Memorial Scholarship - for students who are residents of Colorado
• The HCR Sanfra Key/Pat Gorman Memorial Scholarships - preference given to second-career students in HIT programs
• The Linda Kloss Honorary Endowed Scholarship -  for applicants whose careers illustrate leadership and vision, and who possess a dedication to lifelong learning
• The MHIMA Graduate Scholarship - for residents of Missouri enrolled in a graduate program
• Kathy McCaffrey Memorial Scholarship - available for graduate students
• The Walter Murray Scholarship - for students who are residents of New Jersey
• The Oklahoma CSA Scholarship - for residents of Oklahoma
• The Precise Coding Services, Inc. Merit Scholarship - for a student who is enrolled in the Florida A&M HIA program
• The Esther Mayo Sherard Scholarship - available only to African-American students
• The Dot Wagg Memorial Scholarship - for graduate students with a JD degree or working toward a JD degree
• YES HIM Consulting, Inc. Student Scholarship - for a student who is enrolled in an RHIA program