Health Education and Leadership (H.E.A.L.) Fund
Requests must be submitted by April 30, 2026 for consideration in the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
The purpose of the HEAL Fund is to alleviate financial barriers to professional development and advancement opportunities for students pursuing careers focused on health. This includes clinical healthcare, mental health, public health, health policy, and health administration, among other health-focused fields.
The Health Education and Leadership Fund (H.E.A.L. Fund) is made possible through a generous endowment from FamilyCare Health. For more than 30 years, FamilyCare Health provided patient-centered health care to Oregonians. FamilyCare Health was the first health plan in Oregon to integrate models of physical and mental health and the first Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) in the tri-county area certified by the Oregon Health Authority. Jeff Heatherington ’65 was the founder, president, and CEO of FamilyCare Health. He is recognized as a healthcare and business leader with an unwavering focus on innovative healthcare strategies, the health of the community, and the well-being of his employees.
Student Eligibility:
In order to be eligible to apply for funding through the H.E.A.L. fund, you must be an enrolled undergraduate student at Willamette University who has demonstrated a commitment to pursuing a career related to health. Students in any academic major, as well as undeclared students, are welcome to apply for funding.
Students who are approved for funding to support future experiences must be an enrolled student in order to receive reimbursement for approved expenses.
Eligible Expenses
You may use this application to request funding for professional development and advancement opportunities including, but not limited to, the following:
- Student memberships to health-related professional organizations
- Subscriptions to the the AAMC MSAR database and other graduate program databases requiring a paid subscription
- Registration fees and test preparation materials for entrance exams including the MCAT, TEAS, OAT, DAT, and GRE
- Registration and travel expenses for conferences on health-related topics
- Expenses related to pursuing training and/or a health-related certification including, but not limited to, training and certification that will prepare you to practice as an EMT, CNA, Community Health Worker (CHW), phlebotomist, medication tech, or medical translator
- Requests for funding to support application fees to graduate programs will be considered for students who are Pell eligible ($500 max). Fee assistance programs are also available for applicants to many health-related graduate programs with financial need. You can find information about funding opportunities and fee assistance programs for a variety of health professions here.
We are not able to offer financial support for internship experiences through the HEAL Fund. Please see Career Development's Summer Internship Funds for support with unpaid or underpaid summer internship opportunities.
Criteria for Selection:
Funding is limited and funding for items like conferences and trainings may be competitive. Please take the time you need to put together a thoughtful and well-written application. Competitive requests will demonstrate how you have explored your interest in a career in healthcare thus far, and how this funding will support your professional growth.
We will prioritize requests submitted by students with demonstrated financial need, first-generation students, and students who have not previously received funding through the H.E.A.L. Fund.
Application Process
- Before submitting a request for funding, we recommend speaking to a health professions advisor to discuss your project and how it relates to your career aspirations.
- Fill out our 2025-26 HEAL Fund Request Form
- For the 2025-26 funding cycle, requests will be reviewed by the HEAL Fund Committee on a monthly basis following September 30, October 31, November 30, January 31, February 28, March 31, and April 30. Funding notifications will be sent by the 14th of the following month.
Please email Claire Hoffman, FamilyCare Pre-Health Director, with any questions: choffman@willamette.edu.