Financial Aid
Financial Aid is available to all medical students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually. The amount of aid that a student may qualify for is determined by need analysis. Each student’s award is based on need, which is calculated by the Cost of Attendance minus any institutional aid awarded to the student. The Cost of Attendance is designed to help students cover any necessary fees such as tuition, living expenses, etc. associated with their program each year. Most federal aid applicants will be eligible for some form of financial assistance through the federal aid programs regardless of demonstrated financial need.
Students receiving federal aid must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress in their field of study in accordance with standards of the Whiddon College of Medicine to remain eligible.
Loans
Based on a valid FAFSA, federal student aid for Whiddon College of Medicine students includes low-interest Direct Student Loans. Whiddon College of Medicine students may receive a combination of Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS loans depending on their eligibility. These loans accrue interest from the date of disbursement.
The Direct Unsubsidized Loan is awarded to students before Graduate PLUS loans. Students have to accept unsubsidized loans before Graduate PLUS loans on PAWS. Payments on these loans are deferred until six months after graduation. An origination fee is charged by the federal government on the total amount of the loan. For the most current interest rates and origination fees, please visit studentaid.gov. Student loan borrowers must complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling in order for the loans to disburse.
Direct Graduate PLUS Loans are federally sponsored loans for students attending graduate school. With a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, students may borrow up to the full Cost of Attendance, less other financial aid received during the loan period. The student must complete the Graduate PLUS loan application and Master Promissory Note (MPN) at studentaid.gov once the loan has been offered. A credit check is required when applying for this loan.
For information on the Cost of Attendance and other Whiddon College of Medicine financial aid policies, visit Policies and Things to Know from the Office of Financial Aid.
An Emergency Loan Fund is administered by the staff of the Office of Student Affairs. Loans of up to $500 may be obtained for a period of up to 60 days for the purpose of alleviating any unanticipated financial need. There is no interest charged. Applications are available in the Office of Student Affairs.
As soon as the Emergency Loan is received, the student is encouraged to make appropriate financial arrangements with the Associate Director of Financial Aid for repayment. Because of the limited amount of money in the Emergency Loan Fund and the frequent use of it by medical students, it is very important that the payback deadline is met. In the unusual situation where the student believes there is a legitimate reason for being unable to meet the deadline, he or she may petition the Associate Dean for Student Affairs in writing for a short extension.
The Whiddon College of Medicine Collaborative Access, Resources, and Emergency Support Program is for students with emergency financial circumstances to apply for additional funds to assist them. A student can apply for additional emergency funds through the COM CARES program by going online to the CARES webpage.
Scholarships and Awards
The Whiddon College of Medicine is pleased to grant a number of scholarships and awards based on academic performance and financial need. Other foundation-based scholarships are available by independent application based on selective criteria including diverse representation, community residence and a commitment to primary care practice in underserved communities. More information regarding these opportunities is available through the Whiddon College of Medicine Office of Admissions.
In addition to scholarships and various awards, eligible students are elected for significant honors: Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (Alabama Beta Chapter), the Gold Honor Society for Humanism in Medicine, Research Honors and Aequitas Health Equity Medical Honor Society. These honors are based on academic and non-academic criteria including professionalism, leadership attributes, community and school service, and extensive research in a selected science.
Students can earn the following awards related to Continuous Professional Development: the Professional Development Certificate of Honor, the Community Service Certificate of Honor, the Dean’s Award for Life-Long Learning, and the Dean’s Award for Service to the Community.
All incoming freshman medical students are considered for the following scholarships:
- Dean’s Merit Scholarship
- Dean’s Achievement Scholarship
- Crampton Trust Scholarship
- Medical Alumni Association Scholarship
- The Clyde “Sid” Huggins Endowed Scholarship
- The Class of 1976 Medical Alumni Scholarship
- The Class of 1981 Medical Alumni Scholarship
- The Class of 1983 Medical Alumni Scholarship
- The Class of 1984 Medical Alumni Scholarship
- Barbara Corcoran Endowed Award
- The Premedical Scholarship
- Mobile County Foundation for Public Higher Education Scholarship For Excellence
- Samuel J. Strada Endowed Scholarship
College of Medicine Dean’s and Crampton Trust Scholarships may be renewable for each of the four years of medical school. Other renewable scholarships are limited to students who are from specific counties in Alabama (e.g. Turner Trust Scholarship).
Students from Houston, Dale, Henry and Geneva counties are eligible for the W. Hudson and Sarah E. Turner Trust Medical Scholarships.
The Whiddon College of Medicine is deeply appreciative of the generous support of the individuals, organizations and foundations that provide funding for all of these scholarships, awards, and honors:
- Alpha Omega Alpha
- American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Award
- Dr. William James Atkinson, Jr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship
- Ritha Baliga Memorial Women’s Medical Scholarship
- Blue Cross/Blue Shield Scholarships
- L. W. Cave Family Endowed Scholarship
- Ralph B. Chandler Scholarship
- Class of 2013 Student Assistance Award
- Class of 2014 Medical Alumni Endowed Scholarship
- Cooke-Scott Scholarship for Medical Students
- Cope Memorial Scholarship
- John A. Desak Award
- John Donald Memorial Award in Surgery
- Charlotte H. and Samuel Eichold Scholarship
- Department of Emergency Medicine Scholarship
- Excellence in Public Health Award
- Edgar C. Fonde Scholarship
- Drs. Ron and Vicky Franks Endowed Scholarship
- Glasgow-Rubin Achievement Citations
- Mr. and Mrs. Mendel P. Goldstein Memorial Scholarship
- Dr. Richard W. Gurich Memorial Endowed Scholarship
- Dr. Joseph G. Hardin Jr. Memorial Scholarship
- Rodolfo (Rudy) Herrera-Lelerandi MD & Samuel Eichold II MD Scholarship for Education in Global Health
- Drs. Oscar and Winston Jackson Scholarship
- Dr. Robert A. Kreisberg Endowed Award of Excellence
- Henrietta Lacks Memorial Scholarship
- Donna B. Ledet Memorial Scholarship
- Dr. Michael M. Linder Endowed Award
- Adele Mantiply and Gerald Galle Pediatric Endowed Scholarship
- Stephanie A. Marsh Medical Scholarship
- Mark K. McDonald Memorial Scholarship
- William S. McKnight Scholarship
- Medical Alumni Leadership Award
- Medical Society of Mobile County Award
- Merck Award
- Meyer/Anderson Orthopedic Excellence Award
- H.C. Mullins Award in Family Practice
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Award
- The Orthopaedic Excellence Award
- Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics Excellence Award
- Excellence in Psychiatry Award
- Dr. Basel Refai Scholarship
- Regan Robinson-Young Memorial Scholarship
- Robert E. Russell Memorial Scholarship
- Semple Family Endowed Scholarship
- Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Award
- Student National Medical Association
- Daniel F. Sullivan Memorial Scholarship in Pediatrics
- Taylor-Davis Scholarship
- Paul and Shannon Taylor Endowed Scholarship in Primary Care Medicine Fund
- Steven Karl Teplick, M.D., FARC Memorial Award
- Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award
- W. Hudson and Sara E. Turner Trust Medical Scholarship
- Charles W. Urschel Scholarship
- USA Medical Faculty Guild Mendenhall Scholarship
- Thaddeus H. Waterman Scholarship
- Virginia Webb Endowment
- Hollis J. Wiseman Award for Excellence in Pediatrics
- Thomas J. Wool, MD, Endowed Scholarship
- Ralph Denny Wright and Anne G. Wright Memorial Award
Under this program, the student is commissioned a second lieutenant or ensign in the U.S. Army, Air Force or Navy in the inactive reserve. While in the program, the student receives a monthly stipend in addition to all tuition, mandatory fees and related academic expenses. The student incurs an obligation of one year of active commissioned service for each year, or fraction thereof, of program participation or a minimum of three years. Application is made directly to the military services. For more information, please visit their individual websites.
Additional expenses/fees that are incurred by the medical student after the first year include, but are not limited to, the following: USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK licensing examinations, travel to destinations for licensing examinations and residency interviewing.
For additional tips on budgeting, visit AAMC's Managing Your Finances During Medical School.