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Student Programs and Scholarships

PHR/SPHR Exam Preparation

Twice annually, HRA-NCA conducts a full day of preparation for the PHR and SPHR examinations.  If you are an HR professional or student who is planning to take the PHR or SPHR exam, or have applied for the HRCI exam, have studied for the exam and do not feel prepared, have anxiety about taking the exam, want to brush up on the current content of the exam, or just want to pass this exam, please plan to join us for one of these valuable sessions!  You will learn the current "body of knowledge" approved by HRCI, how to overcome test anxiety, effective strategies to prepare for the exam, proven test-taking tips, how to evaluate your own skill level and improve it, and how to be successful on the HRCI exam.  Join the many others have benefited from this experience!  These events are generally held in May and December.  Check HRA-NCA's events page for more details.

Current Scholarships

HRA-NCA and Nonprofit HR Solutions Scholarship

HRA-NCA has partnered with Nonprofit HR Solutions to create the Nonprofit HR Solutions Scholarship Fund (NPHRSSF).  The newly created fund is designed to provide resources for under-resourced nonprofit HR professionals to increase the HR capacity of their organizations, maintain their professional certifications, and/or continue their education when their organizations lack the funds necessary to do so.  In doing this, HRA-NCA and Nonprofit HR Solutions hope to help increase the human resources capacity of the Washington, DC based nonprofit sector and thereby create an environment where individual organizations and their HR leaders can more effectively respond to the needs of the communities they serve.  NOTE:  ONLY HRA-NCA MEMBERS WHO WORK FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ARE ELIGIBLE.  APPLICATION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 1, 2010.

bullet Click here for a copy of the NPHRSSF Scholarship Brochure.

bullet Click here for a copy of the NPHRSSF Scholarship Application.

HRA-NCA and Catholic University of America Scholarship

HRA-NCA and Catholic University of America (CUA) have a joint partnership which will provide a scholarship to an active member of HRA-NCA pursuing a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). The scholarship covers tuition and SHRM learning materials. The student may use the scholarship to register to attend SHRM courses offered by CUA.  More information on CUA's course offering is available at http://metro.cua.edu/hr. The next scholarship will be awarded in the Fall of 2010.  The deadline for applications is Friday, September 10, 2010.

bullet Click here for the fall 2010 Certification Scholarship Application.

SHRM Scholarships and Research Grants

Another source of scholarship funds is the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Various scholarships and research grants are available and you can learn all about them and associated deadlines through the SHRM Foundation

Student Chapters

Many of the area colleges and universities which offer courses of study in human resource management or related areas have student SHRM chapters. Student chapters are useful to assist students to develop networks, learn from speakers, meet HR practitioners already working in the field, and to prepare for certification exams. To find out your nearest student chapter, call SHRM at (703) 548-3440 or visit them at www.shrm.org.

HRA-NCA has several active student chapters and is affiliated with several local educational institutions.  info@hra-nca.org.

Click here for a list and/or to visit websites geared toward advancement of the HR profession.

We are currently working to help establish additional partnerships and strong student chapters at other local universities. For more information, contact

Affiliate of HR: Society for Human Resource Management 2007 SHRM Superior Merit Award 2006 SHRM Superior Merit Award 2002 Pinnacle Award SHRM Champ