CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK BURSARIES THROUGH SASKATCHEWAN HEALTH

The bursaries are worth $7000 per year, maximum of two year's funding.   Return service to the province is two years for one year of bursary assistance if the place of work is Regina or Saskatoon and one year for other communities.   The return service employment must be with a publicly funded employer and be a front line position.

OVERVIEW OF BURSARY PROGRAM

The purpose of Saskatchewan Health’s Bursary program is to retain and recruit needed health care professionals to meet the needs of the people of Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Health Bursary is offered to students in a variety of health disciplines. In return for this assistance, a bursary recipient must commit to work in Saskatchewan.
The Bursary Program has three components:

1. Allied Health Provider Bursaries.
   This includes a number of health disciplines that are facing the greatest recruitment and retention difficulties. The specific disciplines eligible for bursary assistance changes on a yearly basis in order to adapt the retention and recruitment strategy to ongoing changes in markets and health systems.

2. Nursing Bursaries.
   This includes bursaries for students studying a variety of nursing disciplines, such as those studying to become Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Primary Care Nurse Practitioners. Also included in this category are “Re-entry” bursaries for individuals who trained and worked as nurses in the past and wish to return to practice and re-certify in the profession, as well as nurses pursuing Masters and Doctorate degree for the purpose of becoming a nurse educator.

3. Physician Bursaries. As part of broad spectrum of retention and recruitment initiatives targeted at physicians, financial assistance is provided to physicians in various stages and types of education and practice. Information about physician bursaries is available from the Saskatchewan Medical Association.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Decisions regarding which health disciplines are to be eligible for bursary assistance are made each year. Once the eligible disciplines are identified, bursaries are then offered at certain points over the course of the fiscal year (April 1 - March 31).

For any bursary, when an application period opens the information is posted on the web site, with the application forms and deadlines. Application periods and deadlines vary depending on the type of bursary, so please check this web site periodically for information about what bursaries are currently being offered and application deadlines and forms.

BURSARY POLICIES

Provisions differ slightly for each type of bursary and all policies are evaluated and revised annually. The following parameters are in place for 2004-05 bursaries:

AMOUNT OF BURSARY

Bursary amounts range from $2,000 to $10,000, for a maximum of two years, depending on the length of program, degree level and discipline.

RETURN SERVICE

In return for financial assistance, students sign a return-service agreement to practice in an approved publicly funded position in the province for a specific duration. The length of the return-service requirement, for most allied and nursing professions*, is:

• Return service in cities of Regina or Saskatoon is 2 years for each year of assistance.
  OR
• Return service in all other areas of the Province is 1 year for each year of assistance.

*There are some disciplines for which the return service is different from that described above.

For more information, please visit the website http://www.health.gov.sk.ca/hhrp_bursaries.html

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility criteria are set annually, and are detailed in the application package.

SELECTION OF APPLICANTS

Decisions are based upon selection criteria that may include: geographic/sector work preference matched with need, date of graduation and employability, aboriginal status, and those most likely to return service.

For more information on bursaries, please visit  http://www.health.gov.sk.ca/hhrp_bursaries.html