Medical and behavioral healthcare fields continue to face significant workforce shortages. A competent skilled workforce is indispensable to support the health of residents across the state, especially in rural Alaska. Hands-on clinical experiences or internships are a required component of most medical and behavioral health care educational programs/courses including, but not limited to, professions such as medical assistants, para-medicine, nursing, social workers, clinical psychologists, surgical technicians, and radiology technicians.

Unfortunately, affording to live while earning a health degree or certificate has been a significant challenge due to the limited ability to work while completing clinical rotations and/or costs associated with completing clinical health placements.  

The University of Alaska (UA) is excited to offer this Clinical Health Placement Financial Aid Funding Award opportunity for eligible students in health programs across the UA system. This program provides an opportunity for partial financial aid support for Alaska’s next generation of health professionals as they further their education to help the residents of Alaska. The financial aid funding awards are designed to help alleviate necessary expenses during the clinical portion of their health academic programs. 

The Clinical Health Placement Initiative financial aid funding awards have been allocated for FY25 (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025) and cannot be used for clinical placements starting after June 30, 2025, or for placements that may start in FY24 but the majority of clinical placement hours take place in FY25.

Before applying, students are advised to contact their University’s (UAA, UAF, or UAS) Financial Aid Department to discuss their financial situation and circumstances. This financial aid funding award may affect financial status and/or be applied directly toward school debt. It is the student’s responsibility to understand how this funding may affect their particular financial aid status. 

By applying for the financial aid funding award, UAA, UAF, and UAS students understand the following:

1. “Additional resources" are any sources of money that you have received that were not factored into your cost of attendance estimate. If additional resources become available to you, the Office of Financial Aid may reduce previously paid or anticipated awards to keep the student's aid package within the estimated cost. If additional resources become available to you at any time during the enrollment period that exceed your eligibility for assistance, federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to reduce previous awards that have been previously offered and or disbursed (this does include grants, scholarships, and loan funding).
   
   Additional resources are funding such as scholarships, fellowships, internships, loans (private or subsidized), and department payments on behalf of students for tuition. Basically, any funding that goes on into a student account can have positive or negative impacts on their ability to qualify for loans.
   
   All or part of any loan funds may be returned to the lender if additional resources become available to you that were not originally considered when eligibility for the loan was determined. Returned funds will therefore be applied to reduce your loan debt. Undisbursed, anticipated loan funds may also be canceled or reduced before disbursement if these resources exceed the need calculation.
   
   
2. If you are a student enrolled or participating in a UAA partnership program (Pharmacy; Occupational Therapy; Speech & Language; WWAMI; and MEDEX) which may be engaged in a consortium agreement, before applying check with your home institution to see if you are eligible to receive financial aid. If you do not verify your eligibility this may result in funds being awarded that will need to be reversed.
   
   
3. Students will receive a financial aid funding award for only one semester for their clinical health placements or internship/practicum. Students must select their first and second choice for which semester they would prefer funding - summer, fall, or spring – based on the semester of their placement.
   
   
4. Students in paid clinical placements, including paid work-based placements, are not eligible for these funds.

The University of Alaska System’s Office (UASO), UAA, UAF, and UAS will not be held responsible for any loss of or reductions to a student's financial assistance (ie: tuition assistance, VA benefits, etc.) if the student accepts this funding or if these funds get applied to past due balances.

Students will receive an award for only one semester for their clinical health placements. Students must select their first and second choice for which semester they would prefer funding - summer, fall, or spring.

Students who meet the Clinical Health Placement eligibility, program, and location criteria may be awarded financial aid to alleviate expenditures during their health placement. Certain students may also qualify for an additional award for travel expenses. All student applications will undergo a four-step approval process:

1. Health degree program director/manager
2. UAA department manager
3. Fiscal processing
4. UAA Financial Aid Department

Travel awards will be made at the discretion of the UAA department manager and will be based on the student’s home community location, clinical health placement location, and relocation away from the student’s home community. 

Financial Aid Award Types
These financial aid award funds have been made available as an incentive for students to consider and conduct their clinical placement in rural communities; however, UA understands that is not always possible. Eligibility for travel awards will be determined by the UAA department manager and does not require a separate application.

1. Out of State and Rural (as defined by SOA Department of Labor Workforce Development – DOWLD*) placements: $6,200.00 stipend/financial aid with an additional $800.00 for travel per semester. Possible semester total: $7,000.00
2. Non-rural/urban (as defined by SOA DOLWD*) placements: $3,000.00 stipend/financial aid with an additional $500.00 for travel per semester. Possible semester total: $3,500.00
   
   • Students residing in rural areas who remain in their home community for their placement will receive the urban award amount without travel assistance.
   • Students residing in a non-rural (urban) area who remain in a non-rural (urban) area will receive the non-rural (urban) award without the additional travel award.
   • Students who leave their non-rural (urban) home community and travel to another non-rural (urban) community (eg. A student in Kenai relocates to Fairbanks for their placement) will receive the non-rural (urban) award and the travel award. 
3. Health Occupational Endorsement Certificates (OEC)/Clinical Health Certificate programs: $500.00 for one semester/course. Travel is TBD. Possible semester total: $500.00

*Alaska DOLWD Research & Analysis Section defines rural/remote Alaska as well as regions and communities EXCEPT for the Municipality of Anchorage, the Mat-Su Borough, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Kenai Peninsula, and the City and Borough of Juneau.

• Student Eligibility
  • This partial financial aid funding support is available for UAA, UAF, and UAS full- and part-time students enrolled in specific health degree programs (as listed) that require a clinical health placement of three weeks or more in rural Alaska, out-of-state or in the student’s established home community (rural or non-rural). 
  • Students in health OECs or certificate programs are eligible for a one-time $500.00 award during the semester of their choice.
  • Students in paid clinical placements, including work-based placements, are ineligible for a financial aid funding award through this program opportunity.
  • Funding preference will be given to students whose clinical placement requires that they relocate out of state, choose to conduct their clinical health placement in a rural community, or relocate away from their home community.
  • Travel awards are available at the discretion of the UAA department manager and are based on relocation out of state or to rural communities. 
  • Students who remain in their home community or established place of residence participating in clinical health placements of three weeks or more may apply for a financial aid funding award. 
  • Requests for a retroactive financial aid funding award in the current fiscal year will be considered as funding allows.
  • Students must work with their university’s financial aid department to understand the implications to their financial aid resources if their application for the financial aid funding award program is awarded. Students are advised to speak with their financial aid department before applying to understand how this clinical health placement financial aid funding award may impact their financial status. UA, UAA, UAF, and UAS will not be held responsible for any loss of financial aid (ie: tuition assistance; VA benefits; etc…)
• Eligible Programs

  UAA Programs

  • Applied Behavior Analysis – BA, BS, MS
  • Certified Nursing Aide Course – Certificate/OEC
  • Clinical Community Psychology – PhD
  • Clinical Psychology – MS
  • Dental Hygiene – BS
  • Dietetics and Nutrition – MS pre-professional track
  • Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) – AAS
  • Doctor of Medicine – MD
  • Family Nurse Practitioner – FNP
  • Human Services – AAS, BHS
  • Medical Laboratory Science – BS
  • Medical Laboratory Technician – AAS
  • Medical Assisting – AAS
  • Nursing – AAS, BSN
  • Paramedical Technology – AAS
  • Phlebotomy – OEC
  • Physical Therapist Assistant - AAS
  • Psychiatric – Mental Health - Nurse Practitioner – PMHNP
  • Radiologic Technology - AAS
  • Social Work – BSW, BA
  • Social Work – MSW
  • Surgical Technology – AAS

  UAF Programs

  • Clinical Mental Health – M.Ed.
  • Dental Assisting – AAS, Certificate
  • Medical Assisting – AAS, Certificate
  • Medical Scribe – Certificate
  • Certified Nursing Aide – OEC
  • Paramedic – Training Program
  • Paramedicine – AAS
  • Phlebotomy – Training Program
  • School Counseling – M.Ed, Graduate Licensure
  • Social Work – BA

  UAS Programs

  • Behavioral Health Assistant — OEC
  • Certified Nurse Aide Training (Ketchikan) — OEC
  • Certified Nurse Aide Training (Sitka) — OEC
  • Medical Assisting —  Certificate
• Application Process
  • Applications will be approved and awarded on a first come, first served basis with preference given to full or part-time students relocating away from their home community or established residence. Non-rural placements and OECs/certificates will be awarded as funds are available and as stipulated in the student eligibility section.
  • Students may apply for only a one-semester award.
  • Submitted applications will go directly to the health degree program director/manager in which the student is enrolled for verification, approval, and processing.

For additional information, please contact uaa_healthplacement@alaska.edu.