WHERE TO SEARCH FOR OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS

1. World Wide Web. There is a vast amount of financial aid information available on the world wide web. Perhaps the best site to begin with is Mark Kantrowitz's FinAid located at http://www.finaid.org/finaid.html. It is an excellent resource and links to hundreds of other sites such as individual school pages, financial aid eligibility estimators/calculators, debt management services, free scholarship searches, and the US Department of Education.

2. The Norfolk Foundation. The Norfolk Foundation awards approximately five new  Florence Smith Medical Scholarships to students who are long-time residents of the State of Virginia who have been accepted for admission to or are attending one of the three Virginia medical schools. Successful applicants would have attended high school in Virginia and have genuine financial need.  Qualified students should request an application on-line at  www.norfolkfoundation.org or by mailing a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with a letter of interest including the following information: 

  • Where they will attend medical school in the fall
  • The college they attended previously
  • Their hometown

Applications must be completed and returned by March 1, 2005.  The Norfolk Foundation, Scholarship Administrator, One Commercial Place, Suite 1410, Norfolk, Va. 23510-2103.  Phone: (757) 622-7951 FAX: (757) 622-1751

3. Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) published annually by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Available through most pre-medical advisors and college libraries, this publication contains a comprehensive overview of financial aid for medical students and includes descriptions of federal aid programs, requirements of specific medical schools, and a bibliography of additional resource materials.

4. National Medical Fellowships. Minority students (Black Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians and Mainland Puerto Ricans) who need financial aid may request information and applications from National Medical Fellowships, Inc. The deadline for application is August 15 of the year in which aid is requested. Contact: Scholarship Program/ National Medical Fellowships, Inc./ 254 West 31st Street, 7th Floor/ New York, NY 10001/ (212) 714-1007.

5.  Albert Strickler Memorial Fund, Samuel F. and Sara G. Feinman Fund, Ida Foreman Fleisher Fund.  Three scholarships offered bythe Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia for medical school students.  Application and requirements may be found at www.jewishphilly.org .  You may also contact:

Erica Miller
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
2100 Arch Street, Endowments Dept.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 832-0593 phone....(215) 832-0503 fax...jewishphilly.orgweb
 
OTHER POTENTIAL SOURCES OF FINANCIAL AID

Due to limited funding and sometimes restrictive eligibility requirements of Federal, State and Medical School Financial Aid Programs, a student in need of assistance should check out the possibility of obtaining aid from other potential sources. Most colleges and universities provide student aid reference materials in either their financial aid offices or libraries. The following sources may also warrant your investigation.

  • Unions to which you or your parents belong.
  • Employers with scholarship or loan programs for employees and their families.
  • Local churches.
  • Fraternal organizations of which you or your parents are a member.
  • Sororities and fraternities.
  • Local civic organizations.
  • Agencies which administer vocational training and rehabilitation programs.
  • High schools and colleges offering awards for alumni/ae pursuing postgraduate study.
  • Alumni chapters of the medical school that you will attend.
  • Local medical societies (NOTE: your family physician may know if such funds can be made available).
  • County or community hospitals and their auxiliaries.
  • State and tribal programs for Native Americans.

 

NATIONAL MEDICAL FELLOWSHIPS
(For Minority Students)
Need-Based

Description: NMF is the only nationwide, private organization providing financial assistance to male and female medical students of the four under-represented minority groups: Black Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians and Mainland Puerto Ricans. Most awards are granted to first- and second-year medical students who demonstrate need; special merit awards are sometimes given to outstanding juniors and seniors. Awards may range from $500 to $3,000. Although awards are not considered loans, NMF does ask recipients to agree to contribute to the NMF scholarship fund subsequent to medical school in order to help perpetuate their ability to assist needy medical students from these minority groups.

Qualification Requirements: Applicants must be from one of the four under-represented groups described above and must have been accepted by or be attending an accredited school of allopathic or osteopathic medicine in the U.S. Applicants must demonstrate need through a conventional needs analysis.

Application Procedure/Deadlines: Minority students who need financial aid should request an application from: The Scholarship Program; National Medical Fellowships; 254 West 31st Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY l0001. The deadline for applications is May 31 for currently enrolled students and August 31 for new applicants.