College of Public Health

Scholarships and awards make a major impact on College of Public Health students’ lives.  They provide access to education for deserving students with financial need, reward students for exemplary academic performance, and provide students with experiences to take what is learned in the classroom and apply that knowledge to our community and to the world.

There are opportunities for students to apply for scholarships and awards within the College of Public Health; however, each type of scholarship has specific criteria for eligibility and deadlines to apply.  The types of scholarships and awards and their criteria are listed below:

CPH General Scholarship for Second-Year MPH Students

Awards may be given up to $2,000 per student (maximum).

With the support of alumni and friends, the College of Public Health is proud to be able to provide some support to a limited number of continuing MPH students each year.

• College of Public Health MPH degree-seeking students who will have completed the equivalent of at least one full-time year in the program by the time the award begins are eligible to apply. 
• One General Scholarship Application is sufficient for consideration for any CPH scholarship for which the candidate qualifies.
• Students who currently have a GRA/GTA position are not eligible to apply.

Global Health Travel Award

Awards may be given up to $1,500 per student (maximum).

Travel awards are available to College of Public Health students participating in international study, practicum experiences, research or other health activities abroad that will have a meaningful impact on their education.

• College of Public Health graduate and undergraduate degree-seeking students who will have completed the equivalent of at least one full-time year of study prior to the date of travel are eligible to apply.
• Students are only eligible to receive a professional development or travel award once.
• Travel must be directly aligned with degree program academics, research, and/or service.
• Priority will be given to projects based on alignment with Ohio State’s Global Gateways, currently in specific locations in China, India, and Brazil; and emerging regions in Africa and Turkey.

Professional Development Award

Awards may be given up to $1,500 per student (maximum).  Funds are limited and may not be available every term.

• College of Public Health graduate and BSPH majors who have completed the equivalent of at least one full-time year of study by the time the award begins are eligible to apply.
• Students are only eligible to receive a professional development or travel award once.
• Awards may be used to help with expenses such as conference registration fees, food and lodging, and travel costs. 
• Professional development activity must be directly aligned with degree program academics, research, and/or service.

Farm to Table Award

Awards may be given up to $1,500 per student (maximum).

• Public health or veterinary public health students traveling with the Farm to Table program are eligible to apply for this award. A limited number of awards are available each year.
• Students are only eligible to receive a professional development or travel award once.
• Awards will be based on financial need and the student’s personal goals and objectives for the experience.

Students must submit the appropriate application and all required documentation online by the deadlines specified the section above. Application forms are found below.

Following are examples of the scholarship and travel award applications.

• Example - Scholarship Application
• Example - Travel Award Application

Application Forms

• College of Public Health General Scholarship for Second-Year MPH Students
• Farm to Table Awards
• Global Health Travel Awards (for international travel)
• Professional Development and Travel Awards (for domestic travel)

Rubrics

Scholarship & Award Rubrics - download as PDF

The following responsibilities apply to all CPH scholarship and award recipients:

• Recipients will be informed via OSU email if they have received an award.  In the email notification, recipients will be given award acceptance instructions and a deadline to accept the award. The process involves accepting the award online and submitting a photograph.

• If recipients do not formally accept their awards by the deadline specified in their offer letters, the funds may be reallocated to other applicants.

• Recipients also may be asked to attend a scholarship event honoring them and the relevant donors.

Additionally, for CPH international travel award recipients:

• All CPH students traveling internationally are responsible for checking with the Office of International Affairs to ensure that the destination is approved by The Ohio State University.  More information can be found at https://oia.osu.edu/education-abroad.html.

• Ohio State students traveling to international locations for the purpose of study abroad, undergraduate or graduate/dissertation research, internships or independent study are required to enroll in the university’s supplemental international insurance, which is provided through GeoBlue (formerly HTH Worldwide).  The insurance includes coverage for medical, evacuation, repatriation, emergency assistance, and political security and natural disaster. 

1. Will applications be reviewed by Divisions or Programs before reaching the Graduation Studies Committee (GSC) or Undergraduate Studies Committee (USC)?

   No. The GSC and USC, which have representation from all Divisions and Programs, will review and decide on all applications.  The only exceptions are any scholarships that are specific to a division (e.g., Mary Plummer, Bruce Casto), which will be awarded within that division, not through the USC or GSC.

2. Are advisor letters of support accepted?

   No, advisor letters of support aren’t required and won’t be accepted as part of the application.  An advisor sign-off sheet is required for Global Health and Farm to Table Travel Award applications, but letters of support will not be taken into consideration.

3. What happens if students apply for other funding for travel after they’ve been awarded by CPH?

   If a student secures additional funds from another source after receiving an award from the College of Public Health, the GSC and USC have the ability to reduce a student’s CPH travel award so as not to exceed the total cost of travel.

4. What does the committee consider when selecting scholarship or travel award recipients?

   The committee considers each applicant’s academic record; personal background information; public health experiences, community service, and leadership; description of current financial assistance and how award will help the applicant achieve academic goals; and overall presentation and writing skills.

5. How are the funds disbursed?

   Scholarship funds are disbursed into the student’s OSU account by the Bursar at the beginning of each semester covered.  For travel awards, half of the funds are disbursed into the student’s account prior to travel and the other half are disbursed after travel is completed.