Hi everyone, sorry if this is a stupid question, but are there any scholarships to help with tuition for DO schools?
Assuming they are merit based, what do they look for?
Assuming they are merit based, what do they look for?
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Osteopathic scholarships?
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There are many but each school has specific scholarships. Many of the the highest rewarding are based on competitive MCAT and GPA scores while others are based on stellar community service.
I do not know of any scholarships that would take care of an entire year of private-DO tuition. The only one I know of is the rural medicine scholarship by OUHCOM which I believe takes care of your entire tuition for 4 years.
Your school should offer a database. I have seen many scholarships that are $500-$1000. I have not seen anything that will cover your entire tuition. AFAIK, KCUMB is the one school that offers the largest scholarship to their students.
I can only really speak for my school -- which gives out between $2-3 million annually in scholarships. There are many different individual scholarships that are awarded for things like: community service, outstanding academics, specific areas of specialty interest, race, demonstrated leadership, etc. Most are a couple thousand dollars. Since I am at a state school, we also give some scholarships for international and OOS students. As @AlteredScale said, it's pretty school-specific, so check with the schools you're most interested in.
There's no full tuition scholarship at OU.
Yeah, I just found that out but it is a supporting scholarship for the entire 4 years.
I recently had a chance to investigate scholarship opportunities for osteopathic students while doing research for my book, Medical School Scholarships, Grants & Awards: Insider Advice on How To Win Scholarships. Osteopathic schools have really worked hard to increase such opportunities for their students. The amount of support available is not yet where it needs to be but things have improved over the past 5-10 years.
Full tuition scholarships are difficult to come by but there are plenty of partial scholarships available. Some of these are renewable so the money saved can really add up. Even if it's a small monetary award, you can save a good deal when you factor in a reduced loan amount and less interest over the life of the loan.
To begin with, I'd take a look at your school's financial aid website. In addition to merit scholarships, you may see scholarships for service, being from a certain state, intent to practice in a particular region, etc.
I would also look at state and county osteopathic medical societies. Some of these societies also offer scholarship support. Community foundations are another resource.
Of note, not all financial aid websites of osteopathic medical schools are created equal. Some are more robust than others and updated more frequently. It's well worth the effort to see how the financial aid office at your school works, and how students can best stay informed of new opportunities.
In case you're interested in learning more about my book, the first chapter is available for you to read on our website:
http://www.medschoolawards.com/new-blog-1/2014/11/14/welcome-to-medschoolawardscom
You're also welcome to send me a PM with your credentials and background. I'd be happy to point you in the direction of scholarships which I believe you should consider.
Good luck,
Samir Desai
Full tuition scholarships are difficult to come by but there are plenty of partial scholarships available. Some of these are renewable so the money saved can really add up. Even if it's a small monetary award, you can save a good deal when you factor in a reduced loan amount and less interest over the life of the loan.
To begin with, I'd take a look at your school's financial aid website. In addition to merit scholarships, you may see scholarships for service, being from a certain state, intent to practice in a particular region, etc.
I would also look at state and county osteopathic medical societies. Some of these societies also offer scholarship support. Community foundations are another resource.
Of note, not all financial aid websites of osteopathic medical schools are created equal. Some are more robust than others and updated more frequently. It's well worth the effort to see how the financial aid office at your school works, and how students can best stay informed of new opportunities.
In case you're interested in learning more about my book, the first chapter is available for you to read on our website:
http://www.medschoolawards.com/new-blog-1/2014/11/14/welcome-to-medschoolawardscom
You're also welcome to send me a PM with your credentials and background. I'd be happy to point you in the direction of scholarships which I believe you should consider.
Good luck,
Samir Desai
Thanks for all the information.
P.S. -- My school gave all of us a copy of Success in Medical School, which has been great to read through as I advance through my preclinical years.
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If I recall correctly, it's at most 10k per year, which is less than half of tuition for an OH resident.
Ah I didn't know the details of it. That's still pretty substantial.
Have you made a decision as to where you will be going?
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you found Success in Medical School helpful. Best of luck with your efforts to win scholarships.
