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OHA-BHWi Tuition Grant & Stipend

Explore tuition assistance and stipends for Bushnell University’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, where eligible students can receive up to $5,500 in grants and stipends per semester. The deadline for priority consideration for Summer 2024 is May 1, 2024.

OVERVIEW

Oregon is in a behavioral healthcare workforce crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The need from Oregon’s communities for qualified behavioral healthcare workers increases while the supply continues to fall short. The existing workforce continues to struggle with the capacity to meet demand, a struggle that interferes with retention and recruitment efforts. Oregon’s Communities Who are Underserved are most impacted by this crisis. Communities of Color and Tribal communities are failed by a lack of culturally specific and culturally responsive services within the current behavioral health care workforce. Rural communities are failed by a lacking general presence of behavioral healthcare workers.  The field presents a significant lack of clinicians who identify as part of these communities; this funding is intended to increase opportunities for BIPOC clinicians to enter the field, thereby serving these communities more effectively.

Due to the increasing needs of behavioral health care workers, House Bill 4071 authorizes OHA to distribute funds to behavioral healthcare institutions, including Bushnell University, for the purpose of providing tuition assistance and stipends for students in Graduate-level Behavioral Health-Related Programs. 

eligibility

To be considered for the tuition assistance and stipends designated by this grant, a student must: 

  1. Be admitted to or enrolled in the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Bushnell University.
  2. Be enrolled at least half-time for the semester in which the award is being distributed.
  3. If a continuing student, must be a student in Good Academic Standing with Bushnell University (3.0 GPA or higher). 

selection criteria

All students who are eligible to apply must complete an online application through the University which will provide the opportunity to self-certify and/or self-identify among the following (as specified by the RFGA Section 2.1): 

1. Status as a student from a community of color
2. Status as a student from an underserved community
3. Ability to provide culturally and linguistically responsive behavioral health services

Additionally, all applicants will be asked about their: 

A. Intent to work in an underserved community
B. Intent to work in the State of Oregon
C. Intent to provide culturally and linguistically responsive behavioral health services

Awarding priority will be given to students who meet the primary criteria (1-3).  Applicants will be considered in priority order of criteria 1 through 3, with criteria 1 being the strongest priority.  Additional consideration will be given to students who meet the supplementary criteria (a-c). 

selection committee

A selection committee will be formed to determine priority for awarding the funds. This committee will include the following individuals: 

  1. Program Director, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program
  2. Director of Financial Aid
  3. Academic Advisor, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program
  4. Faculty member (or Advisory Board member) of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program
  5. Representative from student affairs (such as the University’s Title IX Coordinator or other student-facing campus professional).

awarding

Eligible awardees of grant funding may receive a tuition grant up to $5,000 towards tuition for the relevant semester.  Funding is considered financial aid and will be included as part of a student’s financial aid award and may affect their eligibility for other aid programs.  OHA Grant awards may reduce a student’s eligibility for student loan funding. 

Stipends will be given at 10% of the tuition grant award, not to exceed $500 per semester per student, with a maximum of up to $1,500 per student per year over the three eligible semesters (Fall, Winter Spring). Students may receive the stipend up to two consecutive years (six consecutive semesters) for a per-student maximum of $3,000 over the course of their graduate-level behavioral health education. 

deadline

Priority Deadline for Fall 2024 Applicants: August 1, 2024. 
Applications may be reviewed after the priority deadline but are not guaranteed consideration.

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