Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Program

Bastyr University's Department of Midwifery is the proud recipient of a five-year $3.25 million grant through the U.S. Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA).

Overview

The Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program provides scholarships for full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are enrolled in the Master of Science in Midwifery program at Bastyr University - including those from underrepresented racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic populations. The SDS program can help fund up to $40,000 per academic year in tuition, costs, and living expenses for eligible students who are awarded this scholarship. Funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to the Bastyr Midwifery program, this program promotes diversity in the health professions while aiming to increase the number of graduates working in medically underserved and rural communities.

Please contact the Department of Midwifery at [email protected] with any questions.   

Award Amount  

  • No less than half of the annual cost of tuition (which varies by year in the program)  
  • Up to $40,000 per academic year  
  • Award is renewable as long as grant funds remain available  

Download full list of requirements 

Note: Eligibility does not guarantee a scholarship, as funding is limited.   

Criteria and Eligibility

In order to qualify for this scholarship, you must be:   

  • A U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident
  • From a disadvantaged background (economically or educationally, based on HRSA definitions; see below)
  • Demonstrate financial need of at least half the cost of tuition, as indicated on the FAFSA
  • Enrolled full-time in the Midwifery program at Bastyr University
  • Maintain good academic standing on a full-time basis in the Midwifery program

**There are additional criteria for scholarship eligibility. Please see below for the full list of requirements. Eligibility does not guarantee a scholarship, as funding is limited.

View full list of requirements

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award with zero percentage financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

An individual from an educationally disadvantaged background is defined as one who comes from an environment that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skill, and abilities required to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school, or from a program providing education or training in an allied health profession. 

Educational Disadvantage Criteria 

The Bastyr University Department of Midwifery has defined educational disadvantage as graduating from a high school that meets any of the following criteria:

  • graduation rate of <85%
  • over 50% of the students were receiving free or reduced-price lunches.
  • per-pupil expenditure of <$8000.
  • designated as a Targeted Support & Improvement (TSI) school or a Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI) school or a National Board Challenging school

HRSA also defines educational disadvantage as being a first-generation college student, which is defined as neither parent having attended any amount of college coursework.

Economic Disadvantage Criteria 

Low income family/household is defined by the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Secretary for various health professions programs included in Titles III, VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act, as having an annual income that does not exceed 200 percent of the DHHS’s poverty guidelines. A family is a group of two or more individuals related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together. A household may be only one person.

View full list of requirements

pregnant person holding belly next to water

Midwifery Equity Statement

The Bastyr Department of Midwifery commits to the ongoing work of creating an inclusive learning environment where student midwives feel welcomed, represented, and supported.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award with zero percentage financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.