Accordion Content

Even if your educational plans remain unchanged since the last time you applied to the [TSA-]HCA Scholarship, please do not re-submit essays you’ve submitted to us in the past. The Scholarship Committee asks that you use the space provided for your essays to discuss why you hope for, or believe you merit, additional funding. What have you’ve gained from your current educational program, and what do you hope to gain, by continuing your studies?

We ask that you carefully consider and research your Academic Plans before submitting your application. Please be sure that you are eligible to enroll in the accredited program for which you seek scholarship funding, and that you have researched the program to ensure it’s a good fit for you. However, students who have not yet chosen a major are eligible to apply as long as they meet the other 2026 [TSA-]HCA Academic Scholarship criteria. If this describes you, please tell us why you hope to pursue a degree or certification.

Changes made to your Academic Plans after the scholarship deadline are subject to the Scholarship Committee’s approval and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We ask that you carefully consider and research your Academic Plans before submitting your application. Please be sure that you are eligible for the program for which you seek scholarship funding, and that you have researched the educational opportunity to ensure that it is a good fit for you.

The Scholarship Committee will only consider essays that fall within the 250-to-300-word count requirement. One great way to expand on your work is by offering specific details about why your program is a good fit, what you hope to learn in your program, and/or how you believe your program will help prepare you for the future you envision for yourself. For example, if you’ve already told us about why you’re pursuing your major, consider telling us about how you feel you’ll benefit from specific classes or co-curricular opportunities like academic research, hands-on learning, or mentorship. You can also or instead tell us about any new academic, career, or personal, goals you might have, and how your educational plans will help you achieve them.

The Scholarship Committee will only consider essays that fall within the 250-to-300-word count requirement. Please trim your essays down to 300 words maximum to ensure they fit into the text box provided in the application. Here are some helpful tips on how to shorten your essays:

• Eliminate “filler” words and phrases that add little or no information, like “really,” “just,” “basically,” “in conclusion,” and “etc.”
• Eliminate repeated information, as well as any information that isn’t strictly needed to express your ideas or describe your plans.
• Limit the number of adjectives and adverbs you use.
• Avoid long, complicated sentences in favor of clear, simple sentences. We are less interested in your writing skills than we are with understanding your motivation for pursuing higher education.