$3.25 million grant provides scholarship opportunities for disadvantaged students to pursue graduate degrees in public health at Georgia Southern

June 29, 2020

Nandi A. Marshall, DrPH, and Joseph Telfair, DrPH, of the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health (JPHCOPH) at Georgia Southern University have received a 2020-25 U.S. Department of Health Resources and Service Administration grant valued at $3.25 million to support the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program. Each year, $650,000 will be available to offer scholarships to qualifying students who wish to pursue a Master of Public Health or Doctor of Public Health at Georgia Southern.  

“We hope these funds can remove barriers for students who want to pursue graduate-level education, but due to financial constraints had otherwise been unable to continue their education.” said JPCOPH Dean Stuart Tedders, Ph.D. “The timing of this grant could not be better as our communities have come to realize the critical role public health plays in society and the need we have for more practitioners. I am thrilled that Drs. Marshall and Telfair have secured these funds for our students.”

The SDS program promotes diversity among the health professions by providing awards to eligible health professions and nursing schools for schools to provide scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are enrolled full time in a health profession program or nursing program. 

Students may earn individual scholarships of up to $40,000. Applications are due the first week of August and will be applied to the fall and spring semesters. Funds may be applied toward summer semesters if available.

“We are excited about the opportunity for funding, but this program also aims to intentionally expose our students to opportunities that serve medically underserved communities,” said Marshall. “We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to ensure our public health students can put our mission of eliminating health inequities into practice.”

For more information, visit https://jphcoph.georgiasouthern.edu/students/ or contact Nandi A. Marshall, DrPH, at nmarshall@georgiasouthern.edu.

Together with the Waters College of Health Professions, which earned a $3.25 million HRSA grant to fund Medical Laboratory Science students in the SDS program, Georgia Southern will offer students a total of $6.5 million from 2020-25 to promote diversity in health professions.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving more than 26,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.