The HNHCSP program supports District residents in certain high-need professional training programs and to address the workforce shortage of healthcare professionals in the District. Programs will apply to DC Health for scholarship funding for their students.
Benefits of Becoming a HNHCSP Training Program:
- Expand your reach: Attract driven individuals interested in healthcare to your training program.
- Financial support: Receive 100% tuition and other identified supplemental funds to support the HNHCSP student participants with their education, specifically in their training, and examination costs.
- Strengthen community ties: Contribute to the healthcare workforce in the District of Columbia and address critical shortages.
HNHCSP Training Program Provider Responsibilities:
- Educate and train: Provide comprehensive education and training in one or more high-need healthcare careers.
- Assist with preparation: Support participants with exam preparation and licensure, registration, or certification processes.
- Reporting: Submit required reports and information to the Department of Health.
HNHCSP Trainee/ Student Responsibilities:
- Serve a minimum of two (2) years as a healthcare worker in a high-need healthcare career in the District of Columbia upon completion of their education and obtaining necessary licensure, registration, or certification.
- Provide full-time services (40 hours/week) consistent with their credential requirements throughout their service obligation period.
- Submit a notarized contract for training program participation
Program Eligibility and Selection
Student Eligibility Criteria:
- Must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident.
- Must meet admission requirements for a participating school or training program.
- Must commit to obtaining licensure, registration, or certification in the District of Columbia immediately after completing the training program.
- Must commit to serving as a healthcare worker in a high-need healthcare career in the District of Columbia for at least two years.
- Must enroll in a school or licensed training program in good standing.
Applicants will receive preferential consideration if they:
- Currently reside in the District.
- Are committed to enrolling in or already enrolled in an educational institution or program located in the District.
- Reside in a Health Professional Shortage Area or Medically Underserved Area.
- Are immediately eligible and available for education or training.
- Commit to serving more than the required two years.
- Are fluent in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, French, or Amharic.
- Demonstrate a desire to reside in the District.
- Submit a signed and notarized contract stating adherence to program requirements
What constitutes a high-need professional training program?
A high-need professional training program addresses critical shortages in essential healthcare professions. This includes, but is not limited to, Home Health Aides (HHA), Certified Nurse Aides (CNA), Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMT), and Paramedics (NRP).
Scholarship details
Scholarship award amounts will vary and be determined based on the industry and average training program cost.
Training Program Participation
- Training programs must apply online via the DC Health website. To be considered, programs must have:
- License in good standing to operate in the District of Columbia or another state.
- License in good standing by the Higher Education Licensure Commission, if applicable.
- For emergency medical service educational institutions, maintain a first attempt National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) cognitive examination pass rate of at least 80% for the preceding year.
- For nursing assistive personnel training programs in the District, have full approval or no less than Level 1 conditional approval for the preceding year.
- Programs outside of the District must be licensed and in good standing
- Approval by the District of Columbia Board of Nursing or Emergency Medical Services Program, as applicable.
- Comply with the High-Need Healthcare Career Scholarship reporting requirements.
- For emergency medical service educational institutions, must be recognized by the NREMT as an authorized EMS Education Program to the level of certification sought.
- Sign and notarize a contract with the District of Columbia to adhere to program requirements.
Service Commitment
Training Program Commitment:
- Maintain status as a public or non-profit healthcare entity.
- Appoint an individual to serve as the HNHSP point of contact, responsible for providing data, signing invoices/contracts, and verifying service. This individual should be familiar with program participants, their tasks, licensure, certification, and status.
- Provide signed participation contracts for all program participants.
- Ensure the site has the financial capacity to cover the cost of the contract.
- Ensure HNHSP participants provide full-time services (40 hours/week) consistent with their credential requirements throughout their service obligation period.
Failure to submit required reports, student contracts, cohort registration totals, or other requested documents within the stipulated four-week period after approval for funding may result in termination from the program.
Participant Commitment:
- Complete education, training, and examinations necessary to become a healthcare worker in a high-need career in the District.
- Obtain licensure, registration, or certification in the District immediately after completing the training program.
- Serve a minimum of two (2) years as a healthcare worker in a high-need career in the District.
- Provide required information for reporting purposes during participation in the HNHCS Program, including the two-year service period.
Reporting Requirements
Training sites will be required to provide annual reports on the exam pass rates, licensure/certification, and employment outcomes of program participants. Participants and educational institutions or training programs must submit reports and information including:
- Regular updates on the participant’s progress and compliance with the education, training, and service requirements.
- Reports from educational institutions or training programs on their participation in the HNHCS Program, including support provided to participants and their outcomes.
Interested in scholarships and funding opportunities, visit:
For questions or inquiries, email: [email protected]