AcrobatAll of the following reports and documents must be sent to:
IHS Scholarship Program
801 Thompson Ave, Suite 120
Rockville, MD 20852.
If you fail to submit these reports as required, you will be ineligible for continuation of scholarship support and your scholarship payments will be discontinued.
- Initial Program Process Report
- Transcripts
- Notification of Academic Problem or Change
- Change of Status
- Address for Correspondence
Initial Program Progress Report [top]
Within 30 days from the beginning of each semester or quarter, you must submit an Initial Program Progress Report (PDF - 24KB) to the IHS Scholarship Program, signed by your school advisor or the registrar’s office verifying that you are enrolled in a full-time or part-time course load for the semester/quarter. You must also submit a course curriculum outline, approved by your advisor, for your chosen health program.
Within 30 days from the end of each academic period (semester, quarter or summer session), you must submit an official transcript. Official transcript means the institutional seal and/or the signature of the registrar must be present. Copies of official transcripts are not acceptable. If an official transcript will not be available within 30 days, you must submit a copy of your official grade report or documentation indicating the grades received in each class, signed by each instructor and your advisor. When your transcripts do become available, you must have an official copy sent directly to the IHS Scholarship Program. If an official transcript is not submitted, all benefits will be suspended.
Notification of Academic Problem or Change [top]
If at any time during the semester/quarter you experience academic problems or are advised to reduce the number of credit hours in which you are enrolled below the minimum of 12 hours for a full-time student or at least six hours for part-time students, you must submit a Notification of Academic Problem or Change to the Area Scholarship Coordinator and the IHS Scholarship Program. If you are enrolled in at least 12 credit hours for full-time or six hours for part-time and are doing satisfactorily in all classes (at least a “C” or better), do not submit this form unless you want to alert your Area Scholarship Coordinator to a special problem you are experiencing or to request assistance, e.g., tutorial service or approval to drop a course.
If at any time you have a change in status, you must notify your Area Scholarship Coordinator and the IHS Scholarship Program immediately. The following categories constitute a change of status:
- Change of Academic Status
- School Transfer Request
- Change of Health Discipline
- Change in Graduation Date
- Program Change
- Leave of Absence Request
- Name Change
Change of Academic Status [top]
Academic Probation
If placed on academic probation, you must notify your Area Scholarship Coordinator and the IHS Scholarship Program in writing immediately. Notification will alert your coordinator that you need special assistance such as tutorial services or reduction of course load. The Area Scholarship Coordinator will advise you on alternatives that may help you.
Withdrawal from School
If you are considering voluntarily withdrawing from school for any reason (personal or medical), you should inform your Area Scholarship Coordinator in writing prior to actually dropping your classes. Your coordinator may be able to advise you of alternative courses of action that will allow you to continue in the scholarship program. If you do withdraw from school, the IHS Scholarship Program must be notified in writing immediately in order to stop your stipend checks. If you fail to notify the IHS Scholarship Program and you continue to cash stipend checks, you will be liable for the return of all funds to which you were not entitled. If you have been awarded a Health Professions Scholarship, you will also be liable for repayment of all Scholarship Program funds paid to the school on your behalf.
Dismissal from School
You must notify the Area Scholarship Coordinator and the IHS Scholarship Program immediately if you are dismissed from school. If you fail to notify the IHS and you continue to cash stipend checks, you will be liable for the return of all funds to which you were not entitled. If you have been awarded a Health Professions Scholarship, you will also be liable for repayment of all Scholarship Program funds paid to the school on your behalf.
At least 30 days prior to the time of transfer to a new school from the school you are currently attending, you must request approval from the IHS Scholarship Program for the change. Clearly state the reason for the transfer. The school transfer request is for scholarship continuation students only. It is not available for new students receiving the IHS Scholarship for the first time.
You may request a transfer of schools during the school year for only two reasons:
- To change from a school with a non-accredited program in your health discipline to a school with an accredited program.
- To change from a school that does not offer courses required for your health professions degree to a school offering the necessary courses.
Personal and/or family hardships, which may necessitate school transfer, will be considered on an individual basis.
You must submit with your request a school acceptance letter, which specifies entry into a specific health professions program and documentation of the course curriculum. Also, you must submit documentation to verify the number of hours and courses earned and the number of hours and courses transferable from your current school to the school you are requesting to attend. You will be notified of IHS’ approval or disapproval of the request.
If you change schools without prior IHS approval, your scholarship award will be discontinued.
Change of Health Discipline [top]
Change of health disciplines must be requested in writing to the IHS Scholarship Program and authorization received before you apply for continuation of your scholarship. The health discipline to which you are changing must be one of the IHS priority categories listed for the new scholarship cycle.
Additionally, Faculty and Employer Evaluation and Reasons for Requesting Scholarship forms must be completed and submitted with your continuation application. Submit documentation to verify the number of hours earned and transferable from your current program into the new health discipline program you are requesting. If change of discipline requires school transfer, change of graduation date or program change, consult the appropriate sections of this handbook for additional requirements.
You cannot change from the approved IHS Scholarship Program health discipline during the school year. If you make an unapproved change, your scholarship payments will be discontinued and you are subject to being placed in default status.
Change in Graduation Date [top]
Any time a change occurs in your expected graduation date, you must notify the IHS Scholarship Program and your Area Scholarship Coordinator immediately in writing. You must submit documentation (signed by a school official) supporting the proposed change.
Changes from one type of scholarship to another can occur only at the end of the academic funding year. Changes cannot be made during the academic year. If you are funded as a Health Professions Preparatory Program student and complete your preparatory courses after mid-year or any part of the year, and begin your health profession courses during mid-year or any part of the year, you will be funded for the entire year under the agreement for which you were originally awarded.
You must provide supportive documentation when requesting a change from the Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship Program to a Health Professions Scholarship Program (letter of acceptance for your chosen health professional program) or from the Health Professions Scholarship Program to a Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship Program (verification that you are enrolled in preparatory courses and a copy of your proposed curriculum). All requests must be submitted to the IHS Scholarship Program.
Leave of Absence Request [top]
If for any reason you cannot continue with your courses/classes during a semester/quarter, you must submit a written request for leave of absence to the IHS Scholarship Program. The request may be for one semester or a full academic year.
Once reviewed and approved, the approval letter will keep you in good standing with the IHS Scholarship Program and allow you to file a continuation application when you are ready to re-enter school. The maximum leave of absence is limited to two consecutive years and must be requested annually. Any need for further leave will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
As long as the IHS Scholarship Program is kept informed of your academic status, you will remain in the active-non-pay status.
Legal documentation must be received by the IHS Scholarship Program before a student’s record is changed to reflect a new name.
Address for Correspondence [top]
You are required to obtain a post office box to serve as your correspondence address for the period of the scholarship award. The IHS Scholarship Program will provide payment for a post office box or banking account fee, included in the August stipend. This address should not change to prevent delay or loss of correspondence. However, if your address does change, you must promptly notify us. Address changes received after the 10th of each month will not take effect until the following month.
Previous scholarship recipients have encountered delays up to eight weeks in receiving their correspondence when addresses have been changed and the IHS Scholarship Program has not been notified.