CHCA Scholarship Applications Open Now!
We are excited to announce the CHCA District 1199 Scholarship Program which supports our members and their dependents pursuing careers in health care and health care-adjacent fields! Three (3) scholarships of $1,000 each will be awarded for the Fall 2026 semester. Applications are open until June 29th at 11:59pmET.
Who Can Apply?
The scholarship is open to active members of CHCA District 1199, NUHHCE, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, and to dependents of active members. To be eligible, the sponsoring member must:
- Be a dues-paying member in good standing; and
- Have maintained continuous membership for a minimum of one (1) year prior to the application deadline.
Members on an approved leave of absence remain in good standing for purposes of this program, provided they were in good standing when their leave began and they return to dues-paying status upon their return to work. Signing a membership card within the year preceding the deadline does not satisfy the one-year requirement.
Qualifying programs include: trade and vocational programs, certificate programs, and associate, bachelor’s, or graduate degree programs in health care or health care-adjacent fields. Online, in-person, and hybrid programs at accredited institutions all qualify.
What to Submit
Each applicant must submit the following by the application deadline:
- Completed Scholarship Application Form;
- Personal essay on the topic of labor (500–1,000 words);
- Proof of enrollment or acceptance letter from an accredited program;
- Signed Dependent Attestation Form (if applicant is a dependent).
Note: Proof of the member’s good standing and one-year tenure will be verified by the union office. You do not need to submit separate documentation for this.
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Applicants will be notified of missing materials and given a reasonable period to provide them before the final review deadline.
Prohibition on Artificial Intelligence
All application materials, including the personal essay, must be your own original work. The use of artificial intelligence tools, including but not limited to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or similar generative AI platforms, to draft, write, or substantially generate any portion of your application is strictly prohibited.
If the Scholarship Committee determines that an application or essay was generated by artificial intelligence, the application will be disqualified. This determination is at the sole discretion of the Committee, and its decision is final. Disqualified applicants will not be offered an opportunity to resubmit.
Standard word processing tools such as spell check and grammar check are permitted. The prohibition applies to the use of AI to generate substantive content.
How to Apply
Applications may be submitted by:
- Apply online
- Email your application to chcascholarshipcommittee@gmail.com
- Deliver your application in person to the CHCA District 1199 union office
How Are Recipients Selected?
All applications are reviewed through a blind review process. Identifying information is redacted before applications are presented to the Scholarship Committee, so applicants are evaluated on the strength of their materials rather than who they are or where they work.
Recipients are selected by majority vote of the Scholarship Committee. The Committee considers:
- Quality and thoughtfulness of the personal essay;
- Demonstrated commitment to a health care or health care-adjacent career;
- Active engagement with the union and the labor movement;
- Overall strength of the application.
Awards
- Three (3) scholarships of $1,000 each will be awarded for the 2026 cycle.
- Awards are distributed by check made payable to the scholarship recipient.
- Recipients must provide proof of fall 2026 enrollment before funds are disbursed.
- For the 2026 cycle, scholarships are one-time awards.
Notification
Selected recipients will be notified by telephone, followed by formal written notification by Certified Mail. Recipients must confirm acceptance in writing within ten (10) calendar days of notification.
Applicants who are not selected will receive a written notification thanking them for their application and encouraging them to apply in future award cycles.
With the recipient’s written consent, the Committee may publicly recognize scholarship recipients through union communications, social media, and at the annual awards ceremony.
Questions
Contact the Scholarship Committee at [email address] or [phone number].