The Virginia EMS Scholarship Program is managed by the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services providing scholarship awards to current Virginia EMS Providers and those seeking to become EMS providers in the Commonwealth.
The scholarship program supports students who are accepted into an eligible Virginia approved initial certification program–EMR, EMT, Advanced EMT and Paramedic.
The scholarship program is not designed to provide 100% funding for a training program.
How To Apply
Virginia EMS Providers or students seeking to become EMS providers in Virginia will apply for the scholarship program through the Virginia EMS Portal. Students will receive an e-mail notification from the EMS Portal after they have been accepted into an eligible Virginia approved initial certification program. Applicants have 30-days from the official start date of the program in which they are enrolled to apply for a scholarship. Courses of less than 30-days in length have a 10-day application window. Eligibility windows cannot be extended, changed or reset by the Office.
Click here for the Virginia EMS Scholarship Program Quick Guide–which details the application process for students.
Student Eligibility
Student eligibility* is automatically determined by the Virginia EMS Portal and is based on the following eligibility criteria. The student:
- must be a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia;
- shall not have any current Office of EMS imposed enforcement action from the Division of Regulation and Compliance;
- must be enrolled in an eligible Virginia approved initial certification program;
- must have reached the “Age of Majority” in the Commonwealth, otherwise students 16-17 are required authorize their EMS agency to manage their scholarship award on their behalf,
- must have a valid social security number issued by the U.S. Social Security Administration; and
- must have paid tuition for the program in which you were enrolled.
Course Eligibility
Course eligibility* is automatically determined by the Virginia EMS Portal and is based on the following criteria. The course:
- must be a Virginia approved initial certification course;
- the course AND/OR the Education Coordinator who announced the course must be at or above the 16th percentile;
- the 16th percentile is a benchmark used to compare programs and instructors against their peers
- the course AND/OR the Education Coordinator shall not have any current OEMS imposed enforcement actions from the Division of Regulation and Compliance;
- the course AND/OR the Education Coordinator must be listed as an “open” course on the OEMS database allowing for enrollments from the public without discrimination;
- the course (or program) shall charge the same tuition rate for the program to all enrollees
Students will be required to sign a scholarship contract which should be carefully read before submitting the scholarship application.
* Eligibility for the Virginia EMS Scholarship Program will be determined on the start date for the course in which the student is enrolling.
How Award Amounts are Determined
Determining Baseline Funding
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- Tuition costs are calculated based on the tuition rate and number of credit hours it takes to complete each level of EMS training in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS).
- The Office then determines baseline funding by considering several factors to include: 1) how much money will be available during the fiscal year, 2) the number of anticipated applicants, and 3) any system specific training priorities. Staff will then set the maximum percentage of the calculated VCCS tuition that the scholarship program will cover by certification level.
Fiscal Year 2023 Baseline Funding
Baseline funding per certification level is as follows:
| Level | Credit Hours | Credit Hr. $ | Total VCCS Tuition Charges | FY21 Baseline Scholarship Amount |
| EMR | 3 | $154.00 | $462.00 | $115.50 |
| EMT | 8 | $154.00 | $1,232.00 | $862.40 |
| Advanced EMT | 8 | $154.00 | $1,232.00 | $616.00 |
| Paramedic | 44 | $154.00 | $6,776.00 | $3,388.00 |
Determining Additional Funding*
In addition to the baseline funding per certification level, the EMS Portal will look at four (4) Virginia Department of Health stressors, and potentially apply additional funding to the baseline award amount. Using the student/provider’s home zip code, the EMS Portal will then calculate any additional funding based on the application of the following stressors:
- Health Profession Shortage Area Score
- Medically Underserved Area/Population Score
- Locality Fiscal Stress Index Score
- Return to Localities Score
* A student/provider is not guaranteed to receive additional funding if they reside in an locality which has no stressors.
Awardee Expectations
The Awardee becomes immediately responsible for payment in full to the State if they do not meet the following*:
- successful completion of their training program.
- successful testing obtaining Virginia certification at the level of training.
- affiliation with a licensed Virginia EMS agency for a minimum of one (1) year.
- compliance with all applicable Code of Virginia and EMS Regulations as well as the Training Program Administration Manual
- notifying the Office of EMS of any change in legal name, address change or criminal/civil charges within five (5) days of the event.
* For full disclosure, be sure to read the scholarship contract.
Approved Expenses for Scholarship Funding
“The scholarship award amount shall only be used for payment of charges for tuition, fees, or other education expenses as prescribed by the Department. Room, board, travel, research, clerical help, equipment and other expenses that are not required for enrollment in or attendance at an eligible educational institution are not allowable expenses.”
“Other expenses as prescribed by the department” includes the following list of allowable items:
- EMS text books;
- EMS program uniforms/clinical clothing;
- EMS testing fees to include: CTS fees & NREMT certification exam fees;
- Clinical tracking program software licenses to include but not limited to: FISDAP; Platinum Planner
- NREMT cognitive exam preparation software to include but not limited to: FISDAP, EMSTesting.com;
- EMS program related background checks;
- EMS program related physicals and/or inoculations.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following links are to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) for the Virginia EMS Scholarship Program. Please check the FAQ page below before contacting the Office of EMS with questions about the program.
Scholarship Coordinator
The coordinator for the Virginia EMS Scholarship Program is Chad Blosser. He can be reached via e-mail at: chad.blosser@vdh.virginia.gov.