Community Health Alliance opens application for High School Healthcare Scholarships
Community generosity supports Western Montana students pursuing careers in health
January 27, 2026
Missoula, MT –Community Health Alliance has opened applications for its 2026 High School Healthcare Scholarship Program, offering financial support to graduating seniors across Western Montana who plan to pursue post-secondary education in health-related fields.
Established in 1990 through a gift from Missoula resident Gary Seiffert in memory of his late wife, Theresa, the Theresa Seiffert Memorial Scholarship Endowment launched a program that has since supported hundreds of aspiring health professionals. What began as a Missoula County–based scholarship has steadily expanded to serve students in Ravalli County, Lake County, and Mineral County, reflecting Community Health Alliance’s commitment to strengthening the future healthcare workforce throughout the region.
Each year, the program awards scholarships to students who demonstrate academic commitment, a clear interest in health-related careers, and personal qualities that reflect compassion, perseverance, and service to community. Applicants must be graduating high school seniors who reside in Missoula, Ravalli, Lake, or Mineral County and plan to pursue a career in a health-related field such as nursing, medicine, allied health, mental health, or public health.
“We continue to be inspired by the students who apply,” said Kira Huck, Executive Director. “Their commitment to serving others, combined with their academic drive and sense of responsibility to their communities, gives us real confidence in the next generation.”
Over the past 35 years, Community Health Alliance has awarded more than $550,000 in scholarships to 703 recipients. Last year alone, Community Health Alliance awarded $27,000 to 21 students, marking the program’s largest group of recipients in more than a decade.
A recent survey of scholarship recipients from 2015–2025 found that 95 percent have completed or are currently pursuing a degree in a health-related field, and 77 percent of those who have completed their degree are currently practicing in a health-related field. Alumni of the scholarship program have gone on to earn advanced degrees and national recognition for academic excellence, including a Harry S. Truman Scholar finalist and a Goldwater Scholar. Today, they serve communities across the country, with many returning to Montana to work in hospitals, clinics, schools, and public health settings, underscoring the program’s lasting impact on both individual students and the communities they call home.
Applications for the 2026 High School Healthcare Scholarships are due on March 12, 2026.
Full eligibility details and the application are available at communityhealthwmt.org/high-school-healthcare-scholarships.
