Great news for Albizu University Miami students aspiring to be mental health care professionals—they can achieve a gratifying career while helping America’s military veterans better transition and adapt to civilian life.
This year, the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) has launched a “full hiring initiative” that not only includes hiring mental health experts, but also expanding its own programs to train more mental health providers, especially in jobs where recruitment or retention has typically been difficult.
One of the ways it plans to do this is by tripling the number of scholarships awarded by its annual VA Health Professional Scholarship Award program (HPSA) to help train and recruit more mental health nurses, advance practice nurses focusing on mental health or substance use disorder), veterans’ psychologists and veterans’ social workers.
The accelerated move to train more veterans mental health care professionals comes in the wake of a devastating 2021 report on veteran suicides. Fast forward to 2023 and the VA is now moving forward with key suicide prevention initiatives in collaboration with other federal agencies, Veterans Service Organizations, community partners, non-profit organizations, and others across the nation—all of which need trained mental health professionals to fill the need.
Now, as of July 2024, the VA will award at least 83 VA Health Professional Scholarships each year to individuals who are accepted for or are enrolled in a program of education or training leading to employment in a mental health discipline, including, but limited to, advanced practice nursing (with a focus on mental health or substance use disorder), psychology, or social work.
Click here to see an FAQ and get contact information about how to apply. Even better news: HPSA Scholarship applications received now through Oct 31, 2024, will be considered for a Spring 2025 start date.
Click here to see other types of VA scholarships that also pertain to mental health (note these are different than the Health Professional Scholarship Award program).
Since the HPSP began providing scholarship support to students pursuing health profession careers in 2016, it has grown to support, educate and place healthcare professionals within medically underserved veterans programs throughout the continental United States. Today, nearly 1,400 students have received HPSP scholarship awards, and many have committed to serving their health profession careers at the Veterans Administration itself.
If you need help completing your application, an Albizu University Miami financial aid counselor can assist you.
