HPSP Scholarships
If you are interested in entering the medical field in any capacity, you might want to know more about the armed forces health professions scholarship that will also net you a career in the United States Military. The Army, Navy, and Air Force all have health professions scholarship programs, referred to as HPSP, or AFHPSP scholarship for the Air Force, to help you pay for your education in a medical field.
With the armed forces Health Professions Scholarship Program, you will join the service of your choice and you will enter that service as an inactive reservist. At that point, you will attend school to work towards your health care degree. While you are in school, you will be required to serve for forty five days each year. This requirement can be satisfied with weekends and holidays, so that it does not interfere with your education. For each of these forty five days, you will be considered active military, and you will receive pay and all other benefits afforded to military personnel for active duty. If you are required to serve the 45 days consecutively, this can be achieved during the summer months – between semesters. During the first two years of your education, this time will be spent in officers training, in most cases. For the last two years, this time will be spent at a military hospital.
When you are selected for the armed forces Health Professions Scholarship Program, you enter the military as a Second Lieutenant in either the Army Reserve or the Air Force Reserve, or an Ensign in the Navy Reserve. You must also meet certain qualifications to be selected for the program. You must be a United States Citizen and suitable for military duty, and you must meet certain academic qualifications as well.
Different branches of service offer different armed forces health professions scholarships for this program. Note that all HPSP scholarships are post graduate scholarships – for medical school – and they do not offer health professions scholarships for under graduate programs, although there are other military programs designed to pay for under graduate educations. Health professions scholarships available through the Air Force can cover three or four years of school. The Army health professions scholarships can provide funds for one to four years of college. If you are a winner of one of these scholarships, all financial expenses for your education will be met for the length of your scholarship. This includes tuition and fees, books, and equipment, and also includes a monthly stipend as well.
Once you have graduated from your health care program, you will be expected to serve in the military. In most cases, when you agree to use the HPSP scholarship, you are agreeing that you will exchange one year of military service for each year that your education was paid for. The service that you are required to give while in school does not count towards this obligation. You do, however, get a promotion in the military when you graduate from college, if you were awarded the Health Professions Scholarship. If you are in the Army or Air Force, you will be promoted to Captain. If you are in the Navy, you will be promoted to Lieutenant. At that time, you will be moved to active status, and you will complete the required residency through the military – which pays a great deal more than residency programs outside of the military.
With economic forces being uncertain today, think outside the box for a solid and dependable career in the armed forces. It’s not for everyone, but for some it’s a perfect fit. You may discover it could be the best educational move for you at this time. The armed forces have educational packages which are second to none – if this is the field of study you are interested in. Many armed forces scholarship packages cover all expenses which are sometimes irresistible to pass up. An armed forces health professions scholarship program can be your first step.
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