NEHA/AAS Environmental Health Scholarships

By offering the NEHA/AAS Scholarships to eligible undergraduate and graduate students, we hope to positively contribute to the future of environmental health. The scholarship program aims to encourage early commitment by students to pursue a career in environmental health.

Scholarship Amounts

One undergraduate applicant will be awarded the $2,650 - Dr. Sheila Davidson Pressley scholarship.
One undergraduate applicant will be awarded the $2,650 - Dr. Carolyn Hester Harvey scholarship.
One graduate scholarship will be awarded for $3,750.

Application Process

Applications for 2026 scholarships are due by January 31, 2026.

Apply

Applicants must:

Complete the online application form
Include a letter of support from faculty, your academic transcript (official or unofficial), and current resume
Submit short essay 1: Please provide a short summary of your professional goals in environmental health, including your career plans specific to the practice of environmental health. (maximum 300 words)
Submit short essay 2: What contributions do you anticipate making in environmental health in the next 5 years? (maximum 300 words)

Incomplete applications will not be considered. We recommend having all components ready before beginning the online application.

Please do not mail any items associated with your application directly to us. If you have any questions, reach out to us by emailing support@neha.org.

Evaluation

Scholarship applications will be evaluated on the following:

Submission Material	Weight	Required	Guidance
Attending an EHAC accredited program	2%	No	Applications are welcome from students enrolled in environmental health programs at established, accredited universities; Programs with EHAC accreditation receive additional weighting.
NEHA or NEHA affiliate membership	3%	Yes*	Encouraged for undergraduate applicants; Required for graduate applicants.
Declared major in an Environmental Health discipline	5%	Yes	For information on environmental health and the work of environmental health professionals, please visit www.neha.org/about.
Letter of support from faculty	5%	Yes	For graduate applicants already working in an agency, letters should confirm environmental health-related research or work.
Academic transcript, official or unofficial will be accepted	20%	Yes	Graduate applicants must provide transcripts that include completed graduate-level coursework.
Current resume	20%	Yes	Include your most recent experiences, both paid and volunteer, that are relevant to environmental health or public health.
Short response: What contributions do you anticipate making in environmental health in the next 5 years?	20%	Yes	Judges value responses that show your personal perspective; avoid AI-generated content.
Short response: Description of professional goals, including career plans specific to the practice of environmental health.	25%	Yes	Responses should be written in your own words and reflect your own vision.

*Optional for undergraduate applicants, required for graduate applicants

Eligibility

Undergraduate Eligibility

To be eligible for this scholarship, undergraduate applicants must be:

Enrolled in an accredited undergraduate college or university in the US, US territories or freely associated states
One of the following:
- Currently enrolled in a dedicated and recognized curriculum in environmental health sciences
- Currently enrolled in a program or coursework that qualifies a candidate for entrance to the RS/REHS exam
In junior or senior year of college (completed at least 60 academic credits) in fall 2026 (Awarded scholarships go directly to the school.)
Intend to pursue a career in environmental health within the US, US territories or freely associated states
The undergraduate scholarship is to be used toward the tuition and fees associated with either the junior or senior year of college studies.

Graduate Eligibility

To be eligible for this scholarship, graduate applicants must be:

A member of NEHA or a NEHA affiliate
Currently working in environmental health or intend to pursue a career in environmental health within the US, US territories or freely associated states
Enrolled in an accredited graduate college or university in the US, US territories or freely associated states
Currently enrolled in a dedicated and recognized curriculum in environmental health sciences
Will be enrolled in graduate courses in fall 2026 (Awarded scholarships go directly to the school)
Intend to continue a career in environmental health within the US, US territories or freely associated states
The graduate scholarship is to be used toward tuition and fees associated with graduate studies

Scholarship Background

Along with the American Academy of Sanitarians (AAS), we have established education in environmental health as one of our principal goals. We believe that structured education at the undergraduate and graduate levels is important to an individual's successful professional development in the field.

As a result, our Board of Directors established a scholarship fund in 1984 that began with a gift of $1,000.00 from former NEHA President Dr. A. Harry Bliss, and personal donations from NEHA Board Members. Because of their strong belief in scholarship programs, AAS also made a financial donation to the program, allowing us to increase the number of undergraduate scholarships awarded.

In 1996, NEHA and AAS decided to jointly fund undergraduate and graduate scholarships and call them the NEHA/AAS Scholarships. In 2020, the boards of both organizations voted to name one of the undergraduate scholarships to honor Sheila Davidson Pressley, DrPH, CPH, DAAS, REHS, HHS. In 2021 the second undergraduate scholarship was named in honor of Dr. Carolyn Hester Harvey, PhD, MS, RS, CIH, CHMM, DAAS. These esteemed members served as champions for students and environmental health academics throughout their impressive careers.

Funding for the scholarships is continually obtained from donations, proceeds from association fundraisers, and NEHA/AAS budget commitments.