​

Informatics College Scholarships

  • HIMSS Foundation
  • ANIA Scholarships
  • Gallagher Student Health Careers Scholarship Program
  • AHIMA Foundation
  • State/Region Scholarships

Until recently, health informatics did not exist as a degree program, but the field is rapidly expanding as are informatics scholarships. This field draws talent from a variety of areas including computer science, medicine, public health, data science, and statistics, and there are degree programs at every level from an associates degree to a doctorate. Some prominent scholarships for these students include the following.

1. HIMSS Foundation

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, or HIMSS, offers one of the largest scholarships for informatics students. This organization focuses on researching and sharing ideas related to medical documentation and efficient and safe healthcare delivery. Each year, an undergraduate junior, graduate student in a Master’s program, and Ph.D. student each earn a $5,000 scholarship for their education. Each recipient needs to be a member of HIMSS and can either self-nominate or be nominated by a peer or adviser.

2. ANIA Scholarships

The ANIA is the American Nursing Informatics Association, and according to Forbes, nursing informatics professionals will be in increasingly higher demand throughout the near future. The ANIA awards two $3,000 scholarships to graduate students in the fields of nursing informatics or healthcare informatics, one for a Master’s student and one for a Ph.D. student, based on academic achievement, references, and an essay demonstrating a passion for helping advance the discipline.

3. Gallagher Student Health Careers Scholarship Program

Gallagher Student is an insurance company that provides healthcare policies for college students. They also offer 6 scholarships each year to students beginning either their junior or senior year. Students interested in becoming any type of healthcare professional including health informatics specialists are eligible to apply for this scholarship. While winners are determined based on academic achievement, financial need, and community service, the application essay carries the most weight. This needs to demonstrate that the applicant is dedicated to the healthcare field and feels a sense of duty to help others. The winners receive two payments of $3,750, one before each semester.

See: Top 30 Best Online Master’s in Computer Science Degree Programs

4. AHIMA Foundation

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has been a big part of the transition from paper to electronic medical records. They focus on research and policy development as it relates to the documentation of and access to patient information with a focus on patient safety and eliminating errors. As a way to encourage newcomers to the field, they offer four informatics scholarships each year. These are merit-based requiring at least a 3.5 GPA, and all applicants need to be part of AHIMA. One award goes to each degree level from Associate’s to Doctoral with amounts ranging between $1,000 and $2,500.

5. State and Regional Scholarships

The scholarships for informatics students listed above are available to all students living anywhere in the United States. There are many awards of a local nature. Some examples include the TxHIMA in Texas, Sister Peter Olivaint Scholarships in Washington, and the Lou Davison Graduate Scholarship in Louisiana. Other times, only students at a particular school are eligible. A useful resource for information on these scholarships is a university’s financial aid center.

The field of informatics is undergoing a transformation as systems get more complex and medicine gets further from paper records. Data storage systems help with advanced analytics of physician and treatment performance, among other things. In order to be part of this growth, students need a solid foundation in the field which is why healthcare informatics scholarships are essential.