Students who are selected to participate in the Scholars Program have the opportunity to:

• Learn about career opportunities in public health and other health-related professions.
• Participate in PAID mentored research training at Tougaloo College and other esteemed colleges/universities, organizations, and agencies around the country.
• Engage and network with health professionals and scientists from across the country, including representatives from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Earn a Certificate in Public Health after completing the four required Jackson Heart Study-sponsored courses:
  • NSD 211, Introduction to Public Health and Epidemiology (offered every fall)
  • MAT 208, Biostatistics (offered every Spring, prerequisite for NSD 311)
    
  • NSD 311,  Research Methods in Public Health and Epidemiology (offered every fall)
  • NSD 247, Ethics, Medicine, and Technology (offered every spring)
• Travel to scientific research conferences across the country, with all housing and travel expenses paid by the JHS UTEC.
• Earn stipends during the academic year and summer.
  • During the academic year, sophomores will earn $500 per month, and the juniors and seniors earn $700 per month. 
  • During the summer, the maximum stipend for rising sophomores will be $3,000, $6,300 for rising juniors, and $6,620 for rising seniors.

REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY

1. Must have already earned a high school diploma
2. Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
3. Must have an overall GPA of 3.0 (to keep the scholarship, must maintain a GPA of 3.0 every semester)
4. Must have an ACT score of 20 or higher
5. May be any major but must have an interest in pursuing a career related to healthcare, public health, or the biomedical sciences.

6. Must committ to the two years and one semester to complete the program. This includes: Taking the four Jackson Heart Study Sponsored  public health courses, working with the Science Language Art Math Program (SLAM) the first summer, participating in research and scientific colloqia academic year, and participating in at least one summer of public health or biomedical research.  

APPLICATION PROCESS

The application process for the Scholars Program is a three-step process.

1. Submission of a Scholars Program application.  Completed applications include a résumé and personal statement (to be uploaded within the application), and recommendations from each of two instructors. One recommendation must be from a science or math faculty member at Tougaloo College, and the other one can be from any instructor (including an instructor from your high school). The link to your recommendation form will be automatically emailed to the instructors you specified in the application as soon as you submit the application. All application components must be submitted by January 25, by 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
   
   
2. Verification of ACT (or SAT) Score. Once we receive your application, we will request a copy of your official high school transcript, including ACT (or SAT) scores from the Registrar's Office at Tougaloo College.
   
3. Interview.  Competitive applicants will be invited for an interview in the Spring 2026. 
4. Notification of selected students for the Scholars Program will be in the Spring of 2026.
5. Commencement of scholar activities will start in the summer of 2026 with assisting with the SLAM program.

When you submit your application, an email will be sent to {pleaseProvide59} at {pleaseProvide60} and to {pleaseProvide80} at {pleaseProvide} with a unique link to the recommendation form associated with your application. Please be sure to follow up with your recommenders frequently to ensure that they complete the recommendation form. You will receive an email at {email} when your instructors have submitted their recommendations.

Students who are selected for the Scholars Training and Education Program must adhere to the following requirements:

1.  Scholars MUST complete all four JHSUTEC sponsored courses with a final grade of B or higher:

• NSD 211: Introduction to Public Health and Epidemiology (offered each Fall)
• MAT 208: Biostatistics (offered each Spring)
  
• NSD 311: Research Methods in Public Health and Epidemiology  (offered each Fall; prerequisites are NSD 211 and MAT 208)
  
• NSD 211/SSD 247:  Ethics, Medicine, and Technology (offered every spring)

2. Scholars MUST work with high school students in the SLAM workshops and complete other required JHSUTEC activities during their first summer of training.

3. Scholars MUST participate in a health or biomedical research program/internship/practicum for a minimum of eight (8) weeks during the summers of their second and, if applicable, third year of training. 

4. Scholars MUST attend seminars, professional development workshops, and other activities designated by the JHSUTEC.

5. Scholars MUST maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better to remain in the Scholars Program.

6. Scholars MUST conduct themselves professionally and with integrity at all times.

Failure to meet these requirements will result in disciplinary actions including, but not limited to, deductions in stipend or dismissal from the Scholars Program.

Scholar applicant, please affirm that you understand the requirements of the Scholars Program by responding to the following statement.

The Jackson Heart Study Undergraduate Training & Education Center (JHSUTEC) Scholars Program is a highly competitive program at Tougaloo College.  In addition to attitude and behavior, students are evaluated on their academic performance at the time they apply to the JHSUTEC Scholars Program and throughout their participation in the JHS UTEC Scholars Program (if they are selected for the Scholars Program).

• To be considered for the JHS UTEC Scholars Program, students must have at least a 3.0 GPA.
• If selected for the JHS UTEC Scholars Program, students must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA each semester that they participate in the Scholars Program.

Students must provide written consent for the release of their educational records to the Jackson Heart Study Undergraduate Training and Education Center.