Brief description of our program process:
Ambassadors for Community Health - Auxiliary at St. David’s Medical Center (A4CH) scholarship application process is an annual cycle. Scholarships are awarded for one year to qualifying students attending a Texas school. Recipients must re-apply for subsequent scholarships. Once an application is received, it is reviewed to insure it is complete. If the requirements are not met and/or the application is otherwise incomplete, it is NOT reviewed and the candidate notified.
We are a volunteer organization and have limited resources to apply to the number of applications we must process. We are unable to collate separately submitted materials. An incomplete application packet will result in the application being denied. Applicants are encouraged to begin the process early enough to ensure a completed application packet arrives by the designated due date.
Once it’s determined that there is a complete application packet, the committee reviews the applications in more detail focusing on the essay, financial need and volunteer service. Those candidates passing this secondary review are offered an interview, which is conducted in April by conference call. Notification of non-selection will be sent no later than June 1st.
Interview applicants will schedule their own phone interview online and receive instructions in their interview email. All interview times are CST and via phone.
Finalist must pass a background check to receive this scholarship. Authorization requests for background check and a release form are emailed to the final candidates and must be executed and returned immediately upon receipt. Scholarship recipients will receive an e-mail prior to the fall semester that details their responsibilities in securing and maintaining their scholarship.
Scholarship checks are mailed directly to the appropriate school each August for the fall semester and each January for the spring semester. It is the recipient’s responsibility to ensure that the A4CH Scholarship Committee is kept apprised of the most current contact information including postal mailing and email addresses, as well as, phone numbers.;
Application and delivery
No, this is an open application opportunity; however, current and past St. David’s Medical Center volunteers are awarded additional consideration for their service.
An employee who does not qualify for tuition reimbursement assistance may apply for this scholarship program.
No, your eligibility for our scholarship begins with submitting a complete application packet. All materials must be received together in one packet.
Full-time student
Full time status is determined by each educational institution. Check with the school’s admission office. Note: Full time status refers to the scholarship period not the application deadline. Applicants who have experienced an interruption in school attendance, may still be eligible to apply.
Yes, if you have an acceptance letter into medical school or a health professions program and will be entering school within the period of this scholarship, you are considered a full-time student if you meet your school’s definition as such. A gap in school attendance does not automatically disqualify you for this scholarship opportunity.
While schools may not qualify Nurse Practitioner (NP) candidates as full-time, for the purposes of this scholarship, this is a full-time course of study; clinical practice hours supplement classroom requirements. The applicant needs to clearly detail the numbers of clinical hours worked and explain the connection between those hours and the NP program. It is also helpful to submit any corroborating documentation that stipulates a requirement for clinical hours.
Acceptance into an appropriate program/degree plan
No. Qualified applicants must be pursuing a degree in a healthcare profession.
No. As a high school senior, you may want to research the Neal Kocurek Scholarship offered by St. David’s Foundation.
Yes, these are qualifying degrees. Other examples include BSNs; Masters’ degrees in Health Administration and Public Health to name several more.
Yes, Occupational Therapy is a qualifying program, as well as, Physical Therapy and Speech Pathology.
Yes, you may apply for the scholarship program with this acceptance letter. If you are selected for a scholarship and fail to enter school in the fall, you will not receive the award.
A copy of an official acceptance letter or printed e-mail is sufficient validation and must be included with the application package.
No, an official transcript is the only required document. While the transcript will not document much detail, it will establish that you are currently enrolled in an eligible program, at a qualifying school. It will also list your classes. You may also submit a copy of your acceptance letter to further explain and clarify your transcript if you choose.
No, our scholarship period is fall through spring and while we will award fall semester only scholarships within that process, students entering in the spring semester are not yet qualified.
Yes; the caveat, of course, must be that if the program is not accredited in a timely manner, you would become disqualified. Accreditation must be received at the earliest possible date and no later than June 1st.
You are eligible to apply for this scholarship if, by the application due date, you have an acceptance letter to a Texas medical school or other qualifying program. If you receive a later acceptance letter to your first-choice school, it is in Texas and you choose to attend it, you remain an eligible candidate. We must be notified of the change in school.
Scholarship eligibility period
Yes, scholarships are awarded by semester, fall and/or spring. The scholarship period extends from August through May. If you anticipate graduating in December, for example, you would qualify for one semester’s award (fall).
Yes, you are eligible to apply. Note that scholarship payments are made for the fall and spring semesters, so any award, in this situation, would be paid only for the fall semester.
Citizenship, residency & identification:
Yes, however, the photocopy must be in legible.
No. Eligible students must have legal, permanent resident status. The F-1 Visa does not provide permanent status.
No, a driver’s license is not proof of citizenship.
This should not be a problem. Note: If you have recently married or had other occasion to change your name so that it appears differently on your identification than on your application, be sure that a clear connection can be established. You may be required to submit a copy of your marriage license.
The requirement is that the student attends a Texas school; you do not have to be a Texas resident.
Financial
There are no hard and fast rules for what to include in this section. The objective is to clearly and thoroughly explain how you are paying for school, which includes living costs. Additionally, if you continue your studies over periods this scholarship does not cover; i.e., summer sessions, income received and expenses incurred should be addressed as part of a complete financial picture. Any corroborating documentation you wish to submit to clarify or validate your statements will be reviewed. Please send copies as we will not be responsible for original documents and are not able to return any application materials.
Yes, a clear financial picture is best defined by detailing total income vs. total expenses. While not required, the application financial section may be supplemented with IRS form 1040.
Yes. Minimally, applicants should provide information on how the most recent school experience was funded. If financing for the previous semester or year was not required, explain why not. If there is a combination of experiences over time, speak to them all as they impact your current situation.
The financial section helps provide the committee a picture of how you pay for your schooling. While this requires more detail than a simple statement that your spouse supports you, it probably doesn’t require the submission of a communal balance sheet. How your spouse helps pay for your school expenses needs to be clearly explained. Ultimately the purpose of this section is to determine how you afford to go to school. Some information from your jointly filed tax records might also be pertinent; i.e., AGI, number of dependents, but not required.
Yes, while financial need is a significant consideration, it is not a foregone requirement of application.
Financial information must be as thorough as possible within a reasonable amount of narration, so the committee can form a good picture of financial need. Highlight financial detail on the application and provide corroborating documents as warranted.
Transcript
No, while we often receive transcripts in sealed envelopes within the application packet, we do not require it.
Submit your most recent transcript; the one from the EMT school. While the other transcripts are not required, if you are able to submit those without financially burdening yourself, and then please do so to clarify this timeline.
No. An unofficial transcript is not acceptable. Furthermore, transcripts must be submitted with the application materials for your application package to be considered complete.
You must submit your most recent transcript, which should include your pre-requisite course grades. Otherwise, you will need to submit both your recent transcript and any transcript reflecting the required pre-requisite grades for admission.
Resume
The resume is a compilation of the experiences you want to share. While we ask for a minimum, if you wish to share more, that is your decision. The only caveat is if a page limit is specified, you observe that.
Your resume should allow the committee to form a good picture of your education and experience. Specifically, what’s included is up to you; we have no requirement that your resume be limited to only medically related work and volunteer experience.
References
Since references may take some time to acquire, it is a good idea to begin seeking those as early as possible.
While the preference is that a community reference be an employer outside school, if you’ve been employed only recently or as a teaching assistant, and you believe your professor will provide you the best possible reference in this regard, then an employing professor would be an acceptable reference. However, the professor cannot provide both references and it must be clear in the reference which request is being fulfilled.
Yes, a previous professor is an appropriate reference as long as he/she is clear about when and how he/she knows you and your work, as well as, identifies any continuous connection that the two of you may have maintained.
Yes, you should clearly indicate in which capacity it is being submitted.
In this situation, a professional reference is acceptable in lieu of an educator. You will need to submit your most recent (last) official school transcript.
Of the two required references, one must be from a member of your community such as an employer, coach, volunteer leader, church leader, etc. This reference is focused more from a personal perspective. The second reference should be from a current teacher, counselor or advisor. At the beginning of new semester, especially in the spring, “current” can be interpreted as any professor from the current school year, which would include a fall semester.
No. The reference format is broad and does not go into any medical specificity. Select an appropriate reference who knows you well in both a personal and professional/student capacity. While a church leader would not be responding to specifically defined questions about your church work, such a reference should draw on his/her knowledge of you personally, as well as, your participation at church.
Yes, the important qualifier is that a community reference should be someone who knows the applicant, first and foremost, on a personal level and can evaluate the applicant’s community involvement and overall knowledge, skills and abilities.
Since you have just begun your program of study, the previous professor could serve for either. If the reference is submitted for the “community” one, the professor needs to be able to speak from a more personal capacity; not just as a faculty member. It is also imperative that the application materials specify which assignment you have given to this specific reference.
Is there any way a TA (teacher’s assistant) could provide the current teacher, advisor or counselor?
While a professor’s reference should be a stronger endorsement, if the TA knows you and your work better, then that would be the reference to submit as long as there is no other personal connection or relationship. The TA must clearly indicate his/her credentials.
Yes, there is no specific prohibition against this.
Essay
The required essay font is 12pt Times New Roman.
Other
Providing documented hours is the best response. However, if volunteer hours are not specifically documented, then describe your volunteer experience and clearly indicate that you are providing a best guess estimate of the number of volunteer hours completed.
While there is no specific prohibition in regard to supplying more information or corroboration than what is required, there are limited resources to expend on evaluating additional materials. There is no guarantee that additional materials will be reviewed or subsequently considered; neither will additional materials provide an edge over any other candidate.
Unfortunately, there is no good nor guaranteed remedy for this. If there is ample time to resubmit a complete packet, you are welcome to do that. An explanatory note should be included with the completely resubmitted packet. Of course, as long as you remain eligible, you may also re-apply in the next cycle.