HCAI details $16 million Behavioral Health Scholarship Program: key deadlines, eligibility and service requirements

Health Care Access and Information’s Office of Health Workforce Development on a statewide webinar laid out eligibility, award amounts and application timing for the Behavioral Health Scholarship Program (BHSP), which has $16,000,000 available for the 2025–26 academic year.

"The Behavioral Health Scholarship Program, BHSP, aims to increase the number of trained behavioral health professionals, providing direct care to underserved communities," said Wahida Nawab, grama section chief for Health Workforce Development, HCAI.

The program is intended to expand California’s behavioral health workforce to serve children and youth. HCAI said individual awards will be up to $35,000 for undergraduate students and up to $25,000 for certificate and graduate students; awards will not exceed an applicant’s one‑year cost of attendance.

Why it matters: webinar presenters emphasized that California faces a shortfall of behavioral health providers for children and youth, and BHSP ties funding to a service obligation intended to place clinicians in underserved settings. The program is funded through the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and HCAI state funding.

Key dates and amounts HCAI staff listed the following timetable for the 2025–26 cycle: the online application opened Jan. 2; the application deadline is Feb. 13 at 3:00 p.m.; award notices are anticipated to be sent April 1, 2025; grant execution (signature) is scheduled for May 15; the Scholarship Program Verification (SPV) form is due Aug. 1; grant agreements start Sept. 1; and anticipated release of funds is Nov. 1, 2025.

Eligibility and enrollment Diana Garcia, program officer for BHSP, said applicants must be enrolled in an eligible behavioral‑health certificate or degree program for the 2025–26 academic year. The grant guide lists more than 30 eligible professions; applicants must list one of those professions on their application to be eligible. Applicants who are still awaiting admission decisions may apply, but must submit the signed SPV from their enrolling school by Aug. 1 to remain eligible.

Service obligation and worksite requirements HCAI requires awardees to begin a one‑year service obligation within six months of graduation, providing direct client care at a qualified California worksite. The required minimum is 32 hours per week of direct service; supervising direct‑service providers also counts toward the 32 hours, HCAI policy staff said. Work performed via telehealth may qualify as direct service if it involves direct client care. Awardees must reside in California and work for a California employer during the service obligation.

Application components and documentation The online application has eight sections: general and profile information, contact details, education and professional information, employment history, required documents, and application certification. Required uploads include transcripts, a cost of attendance form, and—if applicable—a conflict of interest letter. The SPV (Scholarship Program Verification) form must be completed and signed by the school registrar or financial aid office and uploaded by Aug. 1; HCAI will not guarantee payment if the SPV is missing.

Evaluation and scoring HCAI described evaluation themes that include income and financial need, experience working with underserved groups, experience with homelessness or child welfare, first‑generation college status, languages other than English, attendance at California community colleges or public universities, and whether the applicant is a prior BHSP grantee. Staff said prior grantees receive a significant scoring advantage. Public (non‑profit) schools receive more points than private schools for scoring purposes.

Payment, tax and compliance notes HCAI said the State Controller’s Office will mail paper checks to grantees and that awardees should ensure HCAI has a current mailing address to avoid delays. HCAI will issue tax forms for the year the check is issued and advised recipients to seek tax advice. Staff warned that breach of the grant agreement—for example, by failing to begin the service obligation—may trigger recovery of funds and interest; HCAI said interest amounts depend on contract terms and circumstances.

Questions and support Presenters said materials (recording and slide deck) will be posted on HCAI’s website within 7–10 business days and advised applicants to read the BHSP grant guide and technical assistance guide before applying. HCAI directed applicants with questions to bhprograms@hcai.ca.gov and gave a telephone contact (916‑326‑3700) as an alternative. Webinar presenters also said staff will contact applicants to resolve document or form issues discovered during review.

What applicants should watch for Applicants should (1) confirm their program and chosen school are on HCAI’s eligibility lists, (2) prepare the SPV with their registrar or financial aid office well before Aug. 1, and (3) verify employer/site eligibility for the post‑graduation service obligation. HCAI staff repeatedly encouraged interested students to apply and noted the program may award full, partial or no funding based on scores and available funds.

Where to apply The 2025–26 online application is available on HCAI’s website; the application window closes Feb. 13 at 3:00 p.m. HCAI said applicants can email bhprograms@hcai.ca.gov for questions.