The Health Professions Education Foundation is awarding more than $30 million in scholarship and loan repayment funds to college students and graduates in the healthcare field.

The scholarships are intended to further the foundation’s goals, Public Information Officer for the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development David Byrnes said.

“We are giving out scholarships because it is the foundation’s mission to improve access to healthcare in underserved areas of California,” Byrnes said.

The HPEF hopes to use the scholarships to increase the amount of people working as health professionals in lower income state areas.

The students awarded these scholarships will have to agree to work in lower income areas in return for the funds, Byrnes said.

According to the HPEF, money for the scholarships is provided from multiple health programs. These programs include the Health Professions Education Fund, the Registered Nurse Education Fund, Vocational Nursing Education Fund, the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund, the Mental Health Services Act, and the Medically Underserved Account for Physicians.

In order to receive a scholarship, students must be enrolled or accepted in one of the qualifying programs. The programs include Allied Healthcare programs, Vocational Nursing, Registered Nursing, Dentistry, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner and Midwifery programs and Clinical Nurse Specialist programs Byrnes said.

Students can apply for scholarships online at www.calreach.oshpd.ca.gov. Applicants must submit their personal information, two letters of recommendation, completed community service hours, their cost of tuition, and personal statements about their major, family background and academics.

Reward amounts can range from $4,000 to $13,000 per award, Byrnes said. Applications are open and the deadline to apply is Oct. 19.

Acting Assistant Director for the office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at San Diego State Colleen Conniff said that in 2011-12, seven SDSU students received a total of more than $40,000 in scholarship support from the Health Professions Education Foundation  for nursing studies.

In the 2012-13 year, 1,529 students received campus-based scholarships and 1,231 students were given outside scholarship awards, Conniff said.

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