Scholarships

About the Scholarships

The Healing Hand Foundation is awarding two (2) competitive $5,000 scholarships, four (4) $2,500 scholarships, and three (3) $1,000 scholarships to Alaska Native and American Indian students from Southeast Alaska to increase Alaska Native and American Indian people working in healthcare fields.  The Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship, offered by the Healing Hand Foundation, will begin accepting applications on March 29, 2024. The deadline for applications is May 3, 2024.

The Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship provides the selected recipients with a scholarship which can be used to pay for tuition, travel, books, living expenses, or other education related fees.

Ethel Aanwoogeex’ Lund was known by many as the Godmother of Tribal Health. Growing up in Wrangell, Alaska, she saw how poor health care affected Alaska Native people throughout Southeast Alaska. She helped to form the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC); and in 2001, she was also one of the founding members of the Healing Hand Foundation. Ethel Lund believed that building healthy families requires the integration of cultural practices, traditional medicines, and foods. Ms. Lund was the President Emeritus of SEARHC and The Healing Hand Foundation.

This scholarship, provided by the Healing Hand Foundation, honors her legacy by continuing to provide a commitment to tribal health and rewarding students for their work in these important health care fields. In 2021, The Healing Hand Foundation hosted its inaugural gala in honor of Ethel Lund and her many contributions to tribal health. The proceeds from this biennial event helps to fund these scholarship opportunities for students in our Southeast Alaskan communities.

For more information about the Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship, please contact the Healing Hand Foundation office at melissam@searhc.org or visit our website at hhf-ak.org.

Eligibility Requirements

• HHF Scholarship Application, official high school and/or college transcript(s)
• Must be a permanent resident of Alaska
• Must be Alaska Native/American Indian and provide documentation of tribal enrollment or proof of descent from a federally recognized tribe
• Must be interested in a Health care-related career at an educational institution (this can include the pursuit of an Associates, Bachelors, Masters, or Ph.D. program)
• Current Letter of Acceptance from selected educational institution listing declared degree or proof of application

Policy Statement

Allocation Policy: The Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship Fund is recognized as a scholarship opportunity for Alaska Native and American Indian students to have support services for their continuing education. The fund allocates all named scholarship donations in the best interest of the scholar. 100% of each named scholarship donation is used to support a scholar’s pursuit of their higher education. Scholarships are used by scholars to help pay for their college education, including tuition, room and board, books and school supplies, travel, or guidance and support services. The exact allocation of the award is flexible and is individually designed to be responsive to the needs of each scholar.

Statement of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity: It is the policy and practice of the Healing Hand Foundation to treat all candidates with dignity and respect and to provide equal opportunity to all Alaska Native and American Indian applicants. In addition, the Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship Fund protects retaliation against any individual who reports discrimination or who participates in any investigation of such reports. This policy covers all scholarship award actions, including distribution of applications, selection process, and continuance of scholarship funding.

The Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship Fund will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, unless doing so would result in an undue hardship or where doing so would cause a direct threat to the health and safety of the individual or others. This policy governs all aspects of the scholarship award process, including distribution of applications, selection process, and continuance of scholarship funding. All information provided regarding any impairment will be handled confidentially to the extent allowable by law.

Candidates for scholarships with questions or concerns about any type of discrimination in the scholarship award process are encouraged to bring these issues to the attention of the President immediately so any such questions or concerns may be addressed promptly.

Donor Privacy Policy: The Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship Fund is offered by the Healing Hand Foundation, a non-profit, tax-exempt public charity under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  We rely on contributions from organizations, corporations, and private individuals. All contributions to the Healing Hand Foundation for the purpose of the Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship Fund are tax-deductible. The Healing Hand Foundation respects the privacy of its donors.

Donor Information: The Healing Hand Foundation collects and maintains donor information that is voluntarily provided to us. This includes confidential information, which is kept on file for IRS purposes. It is also used to analyze overall giving patterns in order to make accurate budget projections, as well as to understand donors’ interests in our mission and to update them on the Healing Hand Foundation’s events and activities. This information may be shared with staff, board members, and consultants only on a confidential and need-to-know basis. The Healing Hand Foundation does not sell, rent, trade, or share its donor list with any other organizations.

Disbursement Policy Statement: The Healing Hand Foundation will make a single disbursement installment at the beginning of the Fall semester of each year. Disbursements are made only to those scholars who have met the participation requirements of the scholarship program. The disbursements will be sent directly to the educational institution. Please be aware that disbursements can affect financial aid packages provided to the student. The Healing Hand Foundation does not permit an educational institution to devalue the scholarship benefit by reason of their displacement policy. The Healing Hand Foundation will not be required to make payment of its scholarship award on behalf of a student if an educational institution reduces its institutional grant by reason of the Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship Fund.

Disbursement Requirements:  All recipients will receive their scholarships at the beginning of the Fall semester. To receive the award, the award recipient must sign and submit their affidavit prior to funding. They must also submit proof of enrollment with their current semester schedule.

Displacement Policy Statement: Displacement occurs when the scholarship recipient is denied the benefit of any portion of the scholarship due to the reduction or elimination of another grant by reason of the scholarship being awarded. The Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship Fund’s sole stated and implied objective in granting scholarships is to provide scholars with benefits that place them in better positions than if they had not received the award. It is intended that the scholar, not the institution, benefit from the scholarship.

If you have questions regarding the scholarship, please contact the Healing Hand Foundation office at (907) 364-4402 or by email at melissam@searhc.org.