Scholarships in vet school?

[Shepherd Lover]

Hi guys! I've looked into scholarship pages on vet school sites and was wondering just how likely it is to actually receive one or to receive any grants? Personal situations would be appreciated if anyone would be willing to share 🙂

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[MnW2014]

Hi guys! I've looked into scholarship pages on vet school sites and was wondering just how likely it is to actually receive one or to receive any grants? Personal situations would be appreciated if anyone would be willing to share 🙂

Hey!!! I'll be a VM1 this year at Mizzou and I got a 7,000 dollar scholarship. So it's not impossible!! However, I have heard that there aren't many offered for VM1's. I think once you get into your second year they have more opportunities. I would apply for everything you can. Good luck! 🙂

 

[Coquette22]

"Likely" is going to vary with what school you go to (some schools give out more than others), what field you're interested in (some fields have more offered), your financial need, your grades, your extracurriculars and your geographic area. I've gotten a few, $1000-$2000 per year, but it's pretty much just a supplement. The full ride scholarships that happen in undergrad almost never happen in vet school.

 

[Shepherd Lover]

Okay thanks for letting me know guys! I have a friend who received 5k in federal grants and I was looking to see if others had similar experiences.

 

[NStarz]

I received a hefty scholarship during undergrad, and then a bit my first year of vet school. I haven't gotten anything since.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I was pretty persistent with looking for scholarship/grant opportunities and was able to get one or two a year. Each one being pretty small. Even then though, the total I got was around $15k I think, plus another $5000 for working over another summer. Helped, but when cost of education is like $250,000 it doesnt seem like much. Being a minority person with a lot of research activity helped boost my chances I think.

 

[WildVet18]

A lot of vet schools give out a handful of few-thousand-dollar-a-year scholarships, and several have larger "recruitment" scholarships for highly qualified applicants. In addition groups like AVMA and Pfizer have scholarships for vet students, but usually not for first years. Definitely look around on the internet and you can find a decent number of scholarships....trying checking your state veterinary medical association, local charity/business scholarships, and organizations related to your specific interest. Also look out side of the field of veterinary medicine....there are a lot of scholarships that can apply to any type of grad school, any medical/scientific field, or to you certain groups of people (religion, ethnic/cultural minority, LGBTQ). The federal government also offers some scholarships and/or loan repayment programs...most people know about the Army scholarship, but there is also the APHIS Saul T. Wilson Internship and the NIH loan forgiveness program. Just apply to as many as possible...if you get a handful of smaller scholarships it can add up! Also look for interest-free loans (I got one from a local trust organization)...you still have to pay them back but any money that doesn't accumulate interest will save you in the long run!

 

[Frozenshades]

A lot of vet schools give out a handful of few-thousand-dollar-a-year scholarships, and several have larger "recruitment" scholarships for highly qualified applicants. In addition groups like AVMA and Pfizer have scholarships for vet students, but usually not for first years. Definitely look around on the internet and you can find a decent number of scholarships....trying checking your state veterinary medical association, local charity/business scholarships, and organizations related to your specific interest. Also look out side of the field of veterinary medicine....there are a lot of scholarships that can apply to any type of grad school, any medical/scientific field, or to you certain groups of people (religion, ethnic/cultural minority, LGBTQ). The federal government also offers some scholarships and/or loan repayment programs...most people know about the Army scholarship, but there is also the APHIS Saul T. Wilson Internship and the NIH loan forgiveness program. Just apply to as many as possible...if you get a handful of smaller scholarships it can add up! Also look for interest-free loans (I got one from a local trust organization)...you still have to pay them back but any money that doesn't accumulate interest will save you in the long run!

I believe the Air Force has one as well; obviously both that and the army one require a big commitment. As does a dual-degree program, but there's pretty good funding opportunities in that sector as well if that's what you're interested in. A lot of companies besides Pfizer, Banfield and pet food come to mind mainly, hire student reps that'll throw several hundred dollars your way for what I've heard is fairly minimal work - not quite a scholarship, but it's money.

Besides doing your own digging once you're in vet school you'll likely get a fair number of emails forwarded from administration about various scholarship opportunities as well.

 

[Cyndia]

In the financial aid email UF sent out, they mentioned that the college gives $1000 a year to all OOS students who maintain a 3.0 or higher. Not really much in the grand scheme of things, but every little bit helps.

 

[pp9]

Bumping-

Question for you guys. Is it worth applying for need-based scholarships if my parents are still claiming me as a dependent for their own benefit (I just found out they were still doing this after I filed my taxes as an independent and now I owe money...)? My school has a lot of need-based scholarships that I want to apply for (each requiring an essay, and I'm not sure what the deal is with reusing an essay 30ish times). I understand that trying is better than not, but has anyone else had to deal with something like this? If my parents are claiming me, does this also affect my FAFSA?

I'm going to sit down with my parents and try to determine why I'm being claimed when I receive no financial support from them, but I need to learn more about what the heck any of it really means first.

 

[jaime244]

What is the earliest I should start applying to scholarships? Like, if I accept a vet school by April 25, should I start applying right on April 26 or is it more like in the fall when I start vet school? I know first years get less scholarship opportunity than later years in vet school.

 

[Caiter92]

Bumping-

Question for you guys. Is it worth applying for need-based scholarships if my parents are still claiming me as a dependent for their own benefit (I just found out they were still doing this after I filed my taxes as an independent and now I owe money...)? My school has a lot of need-based scholarships that I want to apply for (each requiring an essay, and I'm not sure what the deal is with reusing an essay 30ish times). I understand that trying is better than not, but has anyone else had to deal with something like this? If my parents are claiming me, does this also affect my FAFSA?

I'm going to sit down with my parents and try to determine why I'm being claimed when I receive no financial support from them, but I need to learn more about what the heck any of it really means first.

Did you make over $4k in 2015? Because if you did I'm pretty sure your parents can't claim you?

If they haven't filed yet, I would politely but firmly request they do not claim you as you do not meet the requirements for them to. Plus, you need any tax breaks you may get more than them, since you're in school. If you've already filed though, I don't see why they'd claim you. You'll both be audited if they did, and when you show you don't meet the requirements for them to claim you and should have filed as an independent like you did, they'll be screwed.

(Sorry, did not even remotely answer your scholarship question 😛 but that is crappy! Hope you can get it sorted.)

 

[battie]

What is the earliest I should start applying to scholarships? Like, if I accept a vet school by April 25, should I start applying right on April 26 or is it more like in the fall when I start vet school? I know first years get less scholarship opportunity than later years in vet school.

Just pointing out that the deadline for picking a school is April 15, not the 25th. Can't answer your question, but wanted to make sure you knew this or else you might lose any acceptances you receive.

 

[pp9]

Did you make over $4k in 2015? Because if you did I'm pretty sure your parents can't claim you?

If they haven't filed yet, I would politely but firmly request they do not claim you as you do not meet the requirements for them to. Plus, you need any tax breaks you may get more than them, since you're in school. If you've already filed though, I don't see why they'd claim you. You'll both be audited if they did, and when you show you don't meet the requirements for them to claim you and should have filed as an independent like you did, they'll be screwed.

(Sorry, did not even remotely answer your scholarship question 😛 but that is crappy! Hope you can get it sorted.)

I did, that's why I'm trying to figure this out. I don't even call their house my 'primary' home anymore. We haven't filed for this year yet, but my scholarships are due this month. They all require proof of need/authorization to view my financial info. I'll need to look more into it because I don't know why they're calling me a dependent (other than the fact it saves them money).

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Currently accepting applications for a rich sugar-momma. Inquire through PM.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Powerball!!!!

 

[cowgirla]

Currently accepting applications for a rich sugar-momma. Inquire through PM.

Out of curiosity, are photos required, or just a copy of the most recent bank statement?

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Out of curiosity, are photos required, or just a copy of the most recent bank statement?

I discriminate solely on wallet size, not bust size.

 

[Caiter92]

I did, that's why I'm trying to figure this out. I don't even call their house my 'primary' home anymore. We haven't filed for this year yet, but my scholarships are due this month. They all require proof of need/authorization to view my financial info. I'll need to look more into it because I don't know why they're calling me a dependent (other than the fact it saves them money).

That's frustrating, I hope you get it figured out. You clearly don't meet the requirements for them to claim you, so they shouldn't. Good luck!

 

[heyyimhayley]

Bumping-

Question for you guys. Is it worth applying for need-based scholarships if my parents are still claiming me as a dependent for their own benefit (I just found out they were still doing this after I filed my taxes as an independent and now I owe money...)? My school has a lot of need-based scholarships that I want to apply for (each requiring an essay, and I'm not sure what the deal is with reusing an essay 30ish times). I understand that trying is better than not, but has anyone else had to deal with something like this? If my parents are claiming me, does this also affect my FAFSA?

I'm going to sit down with my parents and try to determine why I'm being claimed when I receive no financial support from them, but I need to learn more about what the heck any of it really means first.

This exact situation happened to me last year. I filed independently while he claimed me as a dependent, so something went wrong in the system. When we got our tax returns back, BOTH me and my dad owed money. We paid an accountant to re-run both our taxes (with me independent and him without listing me)... it cost me about 300$ and my tax return was over $2,000, so it definitely was worth it. I would recommend suggesting that to your parents.

 

[pp9]

This exact situation happened to me last year. I filed independently while he claimed me as a dependent, so something went wrong in the system. When we got our tax returns back, BOTH me and my dad owed money. We paid an accountant to re-run both our taxes (with me independent and him without listing me)... it cost me about 300$ and my tax return was over $2,000, so it definitely was worth it. I would recommend suggesting that to your parents.

I'll look into that....thanks!

 

[ktjc216]

Bumping-

Question for you guys. Is it worth applying for need-based scholarships if my parents are still claiming me as a dependent for their own benefit (I just found out they were still doing this after I filed my taxes as an independent and now I owe money...)? My school has a lot of need-based scholarships that I want to apply for (each requiring an essay, and I'm not sure what the deal is with reusing an essay 30ish times). I understand that trying is better than not, but has anyone else had to deal with something like this? If my parents are claiming me, does this also affect my FAFSA?

I'm going to sit down with my parents and try to determine why I'm being claimed when I receive no financial support from them, but I need to learn more about what the heck any of it really means first.

Yes and no. No in the fact that the IRS dependent/independent is different than being dependent/independent for FAFSA, because their definitions are from different laws. For example I am currently dependent on my IRS taxes, yet I'm independent for FAFSA because of vet school. Yes it may affect your FAFSA because certain vet schools will still require you to include your parents income despite being independent. For example Tufts required parental income for their need-based scholarships, but UF did not. So it all depends on your school and how they want your FAFSA to be completed.

 

[CastinSilver]

Not to completely hijack this thread, but I did recently receive a scholarship offer from a school and had a question about it. The scholarship is for 4 years and requires the recipient to maintain a 3.5 GPA or above. From what I've heard on this site, the average GPA in vet school seems to be a LOT lower than in undergrad - how common is it to actually be able to maintain a 3.5 GPA in vet school?

 

[ktjc216]

For me personally it's a lot harder to get good grades. I was an A/B student now I'm mostly Bs and finished my first semester at a 3.04, which is the lowest semester gpa I have ever gotten. At my school most of the class grades are based on only one test so one question missed can easily be the difference between a letter grade. That being said there are classmates of mine who have straight As so it all depends on how well you learn the material and how good of a test taker you are. I am much better at practical exams than written ones so I've generally done better in classes like anatomy. But to put it in perspective my school considers graduating with a gpa of 3.5 or high to be graduating with honors so it may be challenging but certainly not impossible.

 

[BABKAK]

It sounds like people are already applying for applications. Is there a general deadline for first year? I am still waiting to hear about interviews from a school, and certainly haven't decided where I want to go. Is knowing what school you are attending next year necessary for all scholarships?

 

[CastinSilver]

For me personally it's a lot harder to get good grades. I was an A/B student now I'm mostly Bs and finished my first semester at a 3.04, which is the lowest semester gpa I have ever gotten. At my school most of the class grades are based on only one test so one question missed can easily be the difference between a letter grade. That being said there are classmates of mine who have straight As so it all depends on how well you learn the material and how good of a test taker you are. I am much better at practical exams than written ones so I've generally done better in classes like anatomy. But to put it in perspective my school considers graduating with a gpa of 3.5 or high to be graduating with honors so it may be challenging but certainly not impossible.

Thank you for the response! For your classmates who do have a 3.5+, do they seem overly stressed about maintaining that average? Do they still have time for involvement in clubs and organizations? Thanks again 🙂

 

[Sheepforever1]

I would say that it's hard to get straight As, but that maintaining a 3.5 is certainly doable.

 

[ktjc216]

Thank you for the response! For your classmates who do have a 3.5+, do they seem overly stressed about maintaining that average? Do they still have time for involvement in clubs and organizations? Thanks again 🙂

It all depends on the individual, some get good grades with no issues but aren't involved, some do both, and some are very involved and struggle to get As. I find myself in the latter grouping, I would probably get better grades by studying more but I really enjoy being involved in different clubs and gaining hands on experience. I personally think that gaining experience and making connections in vet school is more important than getting straight As, so my ultimate goal is to just pass all my classes. I would like to maintain at least a 3.0 but I'm not going to stress myself out over it because some classes can be really hard. If the scholarship is the only reason that you would be considering that particular school than I personally wouldn't make my decision based on that. Because everyone adjusts to vet school differently and the workload can be a huge adjustment, but its a lot more enjoyable when you don't have to worry about having to get straight As all the time 🙂

 

[Kpowell14]

Not to completely hijack this thread, but I did recently receive a scholarship offer from a school and had a question about it. The scholarship is for 4 years and requires the recipient to maintain a 3.5 GPA or above. From what I've heard on this site, the average GPA in vet school seems to be a LOT lower than in undergrad - how common is it to actually be able to maintain a 3.5 GPA in vet school?

I can tell you that at my school only about the top 20-25 people out of 120 maintain a 3.5 or more. It is certainly doable but definitely requires a lot of dedication to your studies (not saying everyone else isn't dedicated, being a vet student in general requires dedication). Ive had to skip conferences I wanted to go to so that I wasnt gone the weekend before exams, but overall I have lead a decent social life and was a season ticket holder to our football team.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Really depends on the school and the individual. I would contact vet students at that school to see how acchievable it is, as well as admissions and ask what percentage of their students have >3.5.

At some schools it'll be a high percentage. At some schools it'll be lower.

 

[CastinSilver]

Really depends on the school and the individual. I would contact vet students at that school to see how acchievable it is, as well as admissions and ask what percentage of their students have >3.5.

At some schools it'll be a high percentage. At some schools it'll be lower.

Great advice, thank you!