Portage Health Foundation (PHF) is committed to providing local individuals and students throughout Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties with scholarship opportunities to help them continue their education after high school. Reinvesting money through college scholarships is one way PHF believes it can uphold its Strategic Goals & Objectives, positively affect the health of the region, and attract and retain future healthcare leaders.

Provide a #PHFScholar Update

All PHF Scholars are invited to provide us an update on what they've been up to recently. The update could be as long or as short as you want it to be, and could include anything from graduating from your program, a recent job you've taken, a professional accomplishment, publication or recognition.

Previous Scholarship Opportunities

Joseph B. Kirkish, Ph.D. Phi Kappa Tau Educational Scholarship

Portage Health Foundation (PHF) has established the Joseph B. Kirkish, Ph.D. Phi Kappa Tau Educational Scholarship award for eligible Brothers of the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, Houghton, Michigan / Michigan Technological University Chapter. PHF will award two (2) $2,500 scholarship to members of the fraternity. The scholarship is a one-time award to be expended in the 2023-2024 academic year. The successful recipient will meet the below-referenced criteria and submit their application to PHF who will anonymously review the finalist applications to make an award decision. Applications were due March 17, 2023. 

PHF Scholarships

Portage Health Foundation (PHF) is pleased to announce the following $1,000 scholarship offerings. The scholarships are one-time awards to be expended in the 2023-2024 academic year. The applicant must meet the referenced criteria in the application, and submit their application to PHF Grants Management Committee who will anonymously review the finalist applications to make an award decision. Each scholarship will have one award at the listed public high school in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw or Ontonagon counties. A full list of eligible schools can be found on the application. The student must submit a completed application to the Portage Health Foundation. Applications must be postmarked, emailed or delivered to PHF office no later than March 3, 2023, to be considered. 

Three Scholarships

1. PHF Educational Scholarships - The student must be intending to seek a post-secondary degree or certification in any field of study. 
2. PHF Health Career Scholarship - The student must be intending to seek a post-secondary degree or certification in a health career related field. 
3. PHF-KEDA Career and Technical Scholarship - The student must be intending to be enrolled in a certificate program or an associate degree in a skilled trades or career technical education program. 

Joseph B. Kirkish, Ph.D. Educational Scholarship

Portage Health Foundation (PHF) has established the Joseph B. Kirkish, Ph.D. Educational Scholarship award. PHF will award a $2,500 scholarship to two (2) graduating seniors from the listed public high schools in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw or Ontonagon counties. The scholarship is a one-time award. PHF’s intention is that recipients use the scholarship to help pay for education costs at a post-secondary school of their choosing. The applicant must meet the below-referenced criteria and submit their application to PHF Grants Management Committee who will anonymously review the finalist applications to make an award decision. The student must submit a completed application to the Portage Health Foundation. Applications must be postmarked, emailed or delivered to PHF Office no later than March 3, 2023 to be considered. 

Joseph B. Kirkish, Ph.D. Congregational Educational Scholarship

Portage Health Foundation (PHF) has established the Joseph B. Kirkish, Ph.D. Congregational Educational Scholarship award. PHF will award one (1) $2,5000 scholarship to two graduating high school seniors or currently enrolled college / university students from our service area of Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw or Ontonagon counties. The scholarship is a one-time award to be expended in the 2023-2024 academic year. The successful recipient will meet the referenced criteria and submit their application to PHF who will anonymously review the finalist applications to make an award decision. At the donor’s request, the student must be a congregation member of St. Ignatius Loyola and/or St. Albert the Great Churches located in Houghton, Michigan, and a letter of recommendation from the parish clergy needs to be included with application; The student must submit a completed application to the Portage Health Foundation. Applications must be postmarked, emailed or delivered to PHF Office no later than March 3, 2023 to be considered.

McIntyre Family Educational Scholarship

Portage Health Foundation (PHF) has established the McIntyre Family Educational Scholarship award. PHF will award a $2,000 scholarship to two (2) graduating seniors from Ontonagon High School. The scholarship is a one-time award to be expended in the 2023-2024 academic year. PHF’s intention is that recipients use the scholarship to help pay for education costs at a post-secondary school of their choosing. The applicant must meet the below-referenced criteria and submit their application to PHF Grants Management Committee who will anonymously review the finalist applications to make an award decision. The student must submit a completed application to the Portage Health Foundation. Applications must be postmarked, emailed or delivered to PHF Office no later than March 3, 2023 to be considered. 

Other Scholarship Opportunities

Undergraduate Scholarships at FinnU, GCC, MTU and NMU

PHF offers $30,000 in health-science scholarships to local students who attend Finlandia University, Gogebic Community College or Northern Michigan University. $10,000 per school. Students who are eligible for consideration shall originate from Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw or Ontonagon counties, seek a degree in the health sciences, demonstrate financial need, maintain at least a 2.5 GPA and be enrolled fulltime.

School administrators will review applications and make recipient selections for their respective students. Students should contact their school’s financial aid office for more information. Non-traditional students are encouraged to apply. Many additional opportunities at Michigan Technological University are also available, especially for those from our four-county community. If a student is interested in these scholarships and is attending, or plans to attend, one of those four schools, they are urged to contact the financial aid office at those schools.

Partnership Opportunities

If you are an educational institution interested in creating a scholarship program with us or an individual interested in becoming a scholarship donor, please contact the PHF office at (906) 523-5920 or info@phfgive.com. We are always happy to answer any questions you may have and explore partnership opportunities with you.