2024 Scholarship Season
Scholarships for employees, volunteers, and community members
The Salem Health Foundation, Salem Health West Valley Foundation, and the Salem Health Projects Committee fund this scholarship program, which supports members in our community that are pursuing a degree in the health care field.
The foundations’ scholarship program began in 1968. Since then we have awarded over $3.9 million in scholarships. The Projects Committee also has a rich history of supporting students for more than 25 years.
SH Foundations Grant Portal Link
The 2024-2025 SH Foundations scholarship application season will run from February 12-March 31, 2024.
Important Information
Important Notices
- The upcoming scholarship season will run from February 12 – March 31, 2024. Scholarships provided will be for the 2024-2025 academic year. Applications for those pursuing degrees in front-line health care fields in clinical settings will be prioritized.
- Applications will be accepted through the SH Foundations Grant Portal only.
- Awards are subject to the number of qualified applicants and will not exceed $2,500 per applicant.
2024 Scholarship Timeline
- Monday, February 12: The SH Foundations Grant Portal opens for students to start their application process at 9 a.m.
- Sunday, March 31: Deadline for application submission through the SH Foundations Grant Portal at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.
- April – May: Scholarship Committees review applications and submit their recommendations to the Boards in late May.
- Wednesday, June 5: Applicants are notified of the Boards’ decisions via email.
- Fri, July 12: Deadline for students who are awarded scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year must reply with their Scholarship Response Form through the SH Foundations Scholarship Portal to accept the awards. Reminders of this will be included in the June notification to scholarship recipients.
- Early August: Scholarship checks are mailed directly to the schools for each scholarship recipient for the 2024-2025 academic year (August 2024 – June 2025).
Eligibility Rules
At the time of application, applicant must either be accepted to or have applied to an accredited college or university; and be pursuing a degree in a health care field; and meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Be a current Salem Health employee (Directors and above are ineligible to apply)
- Be an immediate family member of a Salem Health employee
- Be a current Salem Health Volunteer
- Be a Marion or Polk County resident
- All awarded scholarship amounts will only be used for student’s tuition, fees, and books.
- Awarded amounts are paid directly and only to the accredited college or university where applicant is enrolled.
- All applicants must be enrolled at least part-time to qualify.
- Awarded amounts are subject to change, if there is a change in an applicant’s original application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some frequently asked questions about the scholarship application and disbursement process, but feel free to contact the Foundation staff at [email protected] if you don’t see your specific question addressed.
Awards are subject to the number of qualified applicants and will not exceed $2,500 per applicant.
We are accepting applications for those pursuing careers in front-line health care fields in clinical settings. Examples include, but certainly are not limited to:
- certified nursing assistants
- registered nurses
- nurse practitioners
- medical assistants
- physicians
- Chiropractic medicine
- Dentistry
- Forensic pathology
- Optometry
- Podiatry
- Veterinary medicine
- Business Administration
- Health Administration
- Leadership & Management
- Public Health
No they are not renewable. Students must reapply for the next year.
Our grantmaking software requires applicants to create an account so they can save their progress as they go and receive communications and updates regarding their applications.
Required items include:
- A complete online application through the SH Foundations Scholarship Portal.
- Attached Narrative essay - topic specified in the application
- Attached Resume - current and limited to two pages
- Attached Academic transcript(s) - most recent unofficial transcript
All scholarship communications from our Salem Health Foundations (SHF) Scholarship portal will come from Salem Health Foundation <[email protected]>. Please make sure to add this email as a contact to prevent our messages from going to your junk or spam mail folders.
The term “grant” is used generally, but grants and scholarships are both types of gift aid. Therefore, emails received will come from Salem Health Foundation <[email protected]>.
You can click on the “Forgot Password?” link in the SH Foundations Scholarship Portal to reset the password. Or you can contact the Salem Health Foundation at [email protected] to request that your password is reset. We cannot see your password, but will send you a link to reset it.
The SH Foundations Scholarship Portal allows you to save your work as you go, and pick up where you left off. Our website has separate links for students starting a new application and a separate link for those continuing a current application. If you do accidentally create multiple applications, make a note of which one is the correct or most completed one, and you can delete the duplicates so you don't get confused. Make sure you return to your application that you have in progress and make sure you submit your completed application before the deadline of March 31st at midnight PST.
The options at the bottom of the form allow you to Save & Finish Later or the Review & Submit your application. Make sure that you have clicked the Review and Submit button to submit your application when you have completed it. After the application has been submitted, you’ll receive an automated confirmation email that your application has been received.
The Scholarship Review Committee considers all applications and makes their recommendation to the Boards in late May. After the Boards decided on the Committee’s recommendations, all applicants will be notified of the outcome via email. Refer to the Scholarship Timeline for date of notification.
Applicants who are awarded scholarships will be directed back to the SH Foundations Scholarships Portal to complete a Scholarship Response form to formally accept the scholarship and to verify information about the school that they are attending for the upcoming academic year. The form will require that the student provide some additional information that will enable us to make sure the scholarship funds are sent to the correct institution and applied to the correct student account. Refer to the Scholarship Timeline for when the Scholarship Response Form is due.
The check is mailed directly to your institution in early August if you have completed the Scholarship Response form in a timely manner. The entirety of your scholarship is sent to your institution in August, and it is up to your institution to apply it to your student account. Please check with them by the end of August if you have questions about how the funds are applied across the terms/semesters of your academic year.