HRSA: Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Program – United States

Deadline: 19 February 2025

Submissions are now open for Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) Program to increase diversity in the health professions and nursing workforce by providing awards to eligible health professions schools for use in awarding scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have financial need, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

Goals

Improving distribution, diversity and supply of primary care providers.
Improving and strengthening the health professions and nursing workforce.
Improving health care access and quality to medically underserved communities (MUCs).

Objectives

Increasing the number of graduates practicing in primary care.
Increased retention of full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups.
Increasing the number of graduates working in MUCs.

Funding Information

Expected total available funding: $51,470,000
Funding range per award: up to $650,000 per year for each health professions program
Expected number and type of awards: Approximately 85 grants
Duration: They plan to fund awards in five 12-month budget periods, for a total 5-year period of performance from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2030. Your request for budget years 2 to 5 cannot exceed your year 1 request.

Eligibility Criteria

You can apply if you are an accredited school of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, podiatric medicine, optometry, veterinary medicine, public health, chiropractic, or allied health, a school offering a graduate program in behavioral and mental health practice, or an entity providing programs for the training of physician assistants.
If otherwise eligible, the following types of domestic organizations may apply:
- Public health professions schools
- Non-profit private health professions schools
- Non-profit health professions schools having a 501(c)(3) IRS status
- Non-profit health professions schools with an IRS status other than 501(c)(3)
- For-profit nursing and physician assistant schools
- Native American tribal governments
- Native American tribal organizations
Student eligibility:
- To receive support under this program, a student must be:
  - Enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at an eligible health professions or nursing school as a full-time student in a program leading to a degree in a health professions or nursing.
  - From a disadvantaged background, which can be met by showing the student is from an economically, educationally or environmentally disadvantaged background.
  - Have a financial need for a scholarship, per the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  - A U.S. citizen or non-citizen national.
  - An individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States.