Scholarship Universe is a scholarship-matching service exclusively for University of Arizona students. When a student logs in, they are asked a series of questions and matched to scholarships based on their answers. Scholarship Universe matches Wildcats to thousands of UA and non-UA opportunities, and can help you apply for and receive scholarship awards quickly and easily.

Current or incoming UA students with a NetID and password can use Scholarship Universe. This includes incoming freshman, transfer, graduate and international students.

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Various donor scholarships are available specifically to current and accepted students at the College of Medicine – Tucson. Please review the scholarship application process for your class year.

Class of 2026 Scholarship Process

How to Apply

Complete your FAFSA. Your medical school application also serves as your scholarship application. No additional application is required.

Who Is Eligible

All entering medical students will be automatically considered for College of Medicine – Tucson scholarships. Scholarships and grants are need-based and priority is given to those who demonstrate financial need and commitment to fulfill the mission of the College of Medicine – Tucson. Awards are limited and competitive. 

Class of 2025 Scholarship Process

How to Renew Scholarship

This application process is only available for renewable scholarship recipients who were offered during the admissions cycle. 

1. Complete your FAFSA
2. Follow the Scholarship Universe guide [PDF] for College of Medicine – Tucson students to complete your profile

Who Is Eligible

All continuing medical students who were offered a renewable scholarship during the admissions cycle. All renewable scholars must submit the Scholarship Universe COM-T application(s) and FAFSA by the designated deadline for the applicable academic year.

Arizona faces alarming physician shortages, especially in primary care professions, and particularly in its rural and urban underserved areas and populations. Arizona’s current shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs) is estimated to be nearly 600 statewide, and workforce projections by the Robert Graham Center indicate that Arizona will need nearly 2,000 additional PCPs by 2030.

The University of Arizona’s Primary Care Physician Scholarship Program was established in 2019 to help address this urgent need for physicians within the state by covering the tuition associated with medical education for those willing, in exchange, to practice primary care in a rural or urban underserved community in Arizona.

Regions or specific populations within those areas that lack adequate health care resources have received at least one federal designation by the Health Resources and Services Administration:

• Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)
• Medically Underserved Area (MUA)
• Medically Underserved Population (MUP)

Scholarship Details

The Primary Care Physician Scholarship Program application is now open for the the incoming class with a priority service deadline of Monday, June 10. The application will only be available to continuing medical students if funds permit after the incoming class cycle; more details soon. There are limited available slots and we cannot guarantee all applicants will be awarded a scholarship. Once fully implemented, the program will cover in-state tuition costs for approximately 100 medical students. Eligible applicants must be enrolled as full-time medical students at the College of Medicine – Tucson. 

The application process is competitive, culminating in selecting recipients who demonstrate a clear and strong interest in practicing a primary care specialty in a rural or underserved regions of Arizona. You must commit to a minimum of 2 years of service with a maximum of 4 years. For more details, review the FAQs.

Definitions for primary care can vary. For the purposes of this scholarship, a “primary care physician” is someone who has successfully completed medical school at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, and completed residency training in one of the following specialties: family medicine, general internal medicine, geriatric medicine, general pediatrics, general surgery, psychiatry, or obstetrics and gynecology.

Have a question? Contact financialaid@medicine.arizona.edu or 520-626-7145 for more information.

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Partnership with College of Medicine – Tucson & Navajo Nation

• The agreement is in effect for six years and then reviewed for renewal
• The fund will provide financial aid and academic support for up to seven Navajo scholars per year, to help them earn a medical degree from the College of Medicine – Tucson or the College of Medicine – Phoenix.
• Current University of Arizona medical students will be eligible for the awards, as will students who are accepted into the Pre-Medical Admissions Pathway (P-MAP) program at the College of Medicine – Tucson, or the Pathway Scholars Program (PSP) at the College of Medicine – Phoenix. Both programs are designed to prepare students from rural and economically challenged parts of Arizona to qualify for entrance to medical school.
• Navajo medical students who receive support from the Navajo Nation Future Physicians’ Scholarship Fund, and earn their medical degrees, will be required to serve the Navajo people for a minimum of five years upon completing their post-MD medical residency programs.
• The University of Arizona medical schools in Tucson and Phoenix will match the scholarship funds provided to students by the Navajo Department of Diné (Navajo) Education.
• Financial assistance will cover tuition.

If you are interested, please send an email to both the College of Medicine – Tucson Admissions Office and Financial Aid Office to confirm the process: admissions@medicine.arizona.edu and financialaid@medicine.arizona.edu

If you receive an external award from a non-UA organization and would like to have the funds placed in your student financial aid account, please follow these steps:

1. Notify the Office of Financial Aid via email at financialaid@medicine.arizona.edu
2. Notify your donor to send the endorsed check to: 

University of Arizona 
Office of Student Financial Aid
PO Box 210066
Tucson, AZ 85721-0066

Make sure to keep a copy of all records and receipts of payments from external scholarships, and thank your donors (Sample Thank you Letter Template).

If you are to receive QTR or any third-party payments, we will coordinate your financial aid awards around these funds. The amount of your financial aid awarded will be reduced. Please tell us if you are anticipating a QTR or other third-party payment.

We automatically offer unsubsidized and GradPlus loans to eligible, currently enrolled medical students who have completed their FAFSA.

Direct Unsubsidized Loan

This loan is federally guaranteed, and it is not based on financial need. Interest accrues from the time the loan is disbursed to the school and is a fixed rate for the life of the loan. Loan origination fees are taken out at the time of disbursement. There are maximum amounts you can receive per school year determined by the number of months you are in school. The cumulative lifetime loan aggregate for the Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan is $224,000. 

The annual limit for the Direct Unsubsidized Loan for all 4 classes is $44,944 (assumption based on not exceeding lifetime loan aggregate of $224,000).

Additionally, the lifetime maximum a student may receive throughout their undergraduate, graduate and medical school career is $224,000 (also includes all Federal Direct or FFELP Subsidized Loans you may have received).

GraduatePLUS Direct Loan

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is made by the U.S. Department of Education to graduate or professional students. Interest accrues from the time the loan is disbursed to the school and is a fixed rate for the life of the loan. Loan origination fees are taken out at the time of disbursement. Graduate PLUS Loans do require the borrower to be credit-worthy.

The Health Professions Student Loan program provides long-term, low-interest loans to full-time, financially needy students to pursue a degree in dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine or veterinary medicine.

The financial aid office will determine the amount of funds students are able to borrow based on demonstrated student need and funds available.

Primary Care Loan
The Primary Care Loan program provides long-term, low-interest loans to full-time, financially needy students to pursue degrees in allopathic or osteopathic medicine.

Loan for Disadvantaged Students
The Loans for Disadvantaged Students program provides long-term, low-interest loans to full-time, financially needy students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue degrees in allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, optometry, podiatric medicine, pharmacy or veterinary medicine.

Application Dates

Opens in October for the 2024/2025 academic year.

Application Instructions

Ensure you log in with your UArizona NetID & Password: 2023-2024 Application for Health Professions Student Loan

• Submit the Application for Health Professions Loans to the College of Medicine – Tucson Financial Aid Office (mail, email or fax)
• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2023-2024 academic year and list the University of Arizona to receive the information (school code: 001083)
• Submit parental financial information as required by one of the following methods:
  • Required: Add parental 2021 tax year financial information to your 2023-2024 FAFSA by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT)
    • Parents can sign electronically using their own FSA ID number, or print, sign and submit a signature page to the Federal Processor
  • If the IRS DRT cannot be used, please contact our office.

If your parents requested a tax extension they must ensure the accuracy of the estimated tax information as they may need to submit corrections to our office with a signed and dated copy of that form.

Health Professions Loan Overview

For more details about the loan, please visit the Health Professions Loan Overview.

Students and Parents Who Did Not File Taxes

If your parents did not file taxes for the 2021 tax year, please complete the 2023-2024 Parent Certificate of Non-Filer and submit with application.

If you did not file taxes for the 2021 tax year, please complete the 2023-2024 Student Certificate of Non-Filer and submit with application.

The following organizations enable students to repay loans, or earn loan forgiveness, in various ways.

Loan Repayment Programs

Arizona Loan Repayment Program: The Arizona Department of Health Services offers loan repayment programs for primary care and rural health care professionals.

Indian Health Service: The Indian Health Service offers loan repayment to health care professionals who commit to two years of service in facilities serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program: The National Institutes of Health offers several loan repayment programs for health professionals whose careers are focused on medical or behavioral research.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness: This program from the U.S. Department of Education offers loan forgiveness to people performing “public service,” such as by working for the government or certain nonprofit organizations. 

National Health Service Corp Loan Repayment Program: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers loan repayment for primary care health care professionals who commit to two years of service in an underserved area within the U.S.

AAMC Loan Repayment/Forgiveness Programs: The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) maintains an extensive list of state and federal loan repayment programs for medical and other health care professionals.

Loan Repayment Tools

AAMC Financial Aid Information: The AAMC provides useful information about financial aid for aspiring, current and past medical students.

• This article on loan repayment options compares different types of repayment plans.
• The loan repayment timeline linked from this page shows recent graduates when they can expect to begin paying their loans, and how much their monthly payments may be.

Loan Repayment Calculator: Estimate your monthly payments with this tool from the U.S. Department of Education. You can either enter approximate loan information, or log in to the site to use your real loan data.

Salaries for Physicians/Health Care Practitioners

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates average salaries for different types of health care practitioners, including physicians. The AAMC also calculates starting salaries for physicians in various specialties.

Private educational loans are offered by private lenders. Eligibility and payments vary from lender to lender.  

Learn More

This state-funded program provides educational loans in the amount of tuition plus up to $20,000 per year to Arizona-resident medical students in accredited osteopathic and allopathic medical colleges in the state who are committed to psychiatry and defined areas of primary care. 

• Applicants must be Arizona residents with evidence of one year of continuous physical presence in the state prior to medical school matriculation and intent to remain in Arizona after their education.
• Applicants must demonstrate a desire to be a full-time physician in Arizona serving the medically underserved.
• Applicants are expected to apply for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) through their university’s Office of Student Financial Aid. Financial need may be a consideration.
• Applicants must complete a program application, residency classification form and write a personal statement sharing how they became interested in medicine and describing their desire to commit to serving the medically underserved in Arizona.

The loan is forgiven for service in an approved area in Arizona as a full-time licensed physician in family practice, general internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, general pediatrics, combined internal medicine and pediatrics, and psychiatry. 

After completion of the residency program, the physician will obtain a medical license and begin the service commitment. The service commitment is a minimum of two years of full-time practice in any of the following locations, as defined in Arizona Revised Statutes §15-1723 and designated by the Arizona Department of Health Services:

1. a rural and medically underserved area of Arizona
2. a medically underserved area of Arizona
3. a medically underserved population of Arizona
4. any Indian reservation that is located in Arizona

If the service commitment is not met, the loan must be repaid in full at 7% interest plus applicable liquidated damages per the terms of the contract.

For an application or more information, please contact:

Sherri McClellan
Program Coordinator
State of Arizona Board of Medical Student Loans
smcclellan@arizona.edu
520-975-7454

The 2024-2025 FAFSA will be available in December 2024! Our office will send updates as the date approaches.

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Complete the following in UAccess Student Center

• Enroll for a minimum of 9 units for Spring 2025
• Review Notices and Holds in UAccess Student Center

Any Notices & Holds

• NOTE: If you do not have a Spring 2025 course that begins on your respective start date, then your financial aid will NOT disburse until 10 days prior to the start of your first enrolled course and a “Fin Aid Disbursement Hold” will be added to your UAccess Student account. You can only prevent this hold by registering for a course that begins with the start of your spring semester. 
• Most “To Do List” or “notices and holds” items can prevent financial aid from disbursing.

Financial Aid disbursements will begin 10 days prior to the start of your first course.

Fall 2025 Disbursement Schedule

Financial aid disbursements occur Monday through Friday during each semester, starting on the first official disbursement day for each class. Before any funds are paid to a student we must check for enrolled units, academic progress, to-do checklist items and other disbursement conditions. All financial aid awards are divided into two equal disbursements paid to the student, half in the fall term and half in the spring term, unless otherwise noted.

• Class of 2028: Week of January 6, 2025
• Class of 2027: Week of January 20, 2025
• Class of 2026: Week of January 6, 2025
• Class of 2025: Week of October 2, 2025

If you do not have a Spring 2025 course that begins on your respective start date, then your financial aid will NOT disburse until 10 days prior to the start of your first enrolled course and a “Fin Aid Disbursement Hold” will be added to your UAccess Student account. This hold will automatically release 10 days prior to your first course. 

Refunds take approximately 3-7 business days to be received after financial aid is disbursed. Learn more about Bursar’s Refund Policies.

Financial Aid Disbursement Overview 

Each student must complete the following prior to disbursement:

• Complete a 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Review Outstanding To-Do List in UAccess Student Center
• Review Outstanding Notices and Holds in UAccess Student Center
• Ensure you are enrolled in at least 9 units for Spring 2025 and enrollment has been posted to UAccess Student Center

Financial Aid Disbursement Requirements

Complete the following in UAccess Student Center:

• Accept your 2025 Aid Year loans
• Confirm you have a minimum of 9 units for Spring 2025
  • Contact Registrar’s Office for further enrollment questions
  • REMINDER: You must be enrolled with dates that span the duration of the Fall 2024 semester or you will be subject to a prorated cost of attendance.

Spring 2025 Term Dates

• Class of 2028: January 6, 2025, to June 20, 2025
• Class of 2027: January 27, 2025, to July 11, 2025
• Class of 2026: January 6, 2025, to June 6, 2025
• Class of 2025: November 4, 2024, to April 25, 2025
• Any Holds in the Notice & Holds section
  • Common holds:
    • Past Due Balance No Adds: prevents enrollment and you must pay any past due balances as your future aid (Spring 2025) cannot cover these charges.
      • Fin Aid Disbursement Hold for Dynamic Dated Module Only Fall: prevents financial aid from disbursing and it will automatically release 10 days prior to the start of your earliest scheduled course in UAccess.
    • Campus Health-Expanded Immunization: prevents enrollment and you must complete the steps within the details of the hold as outlined by Campus Health.
• Clear any To-Do List items

The College of Medicine – Tucson Financial Aid Office confirms that disbursement conditions are met for grants, scholarships, waivers and stipends. We do not approve or deny these awards since they are managed by other organizations.

If you are to receive QTR or any third-party payments, we will coordinate your financial aid awards around these funds. The amount of your financial aid awarded will be reduced. Please tell us if you are anticipating QTR or other third-party payment. 

You do not need to accept any grants or scholarships. These will automatically credit to your bursar account.

You can accept your loans at any time during the academic year as long as the following requirements are met:

• Have filed the FAFSA and been awarded Federal Direct Unsubsidized/GradPlus Loans
• Meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards for financial aid
• Do not have outstanding To-Do items in UAccess

When you accept a loan, the full amount will be split into two disbursements (for the fall and spring semesters).

In UAccess Student complete the following for loan acceptance: 

1. Log into UAccess Student Center and select Financial Aid Summary under the Financial Aid menu.
2. Select the appropriate career using the Change Career button and click the Accept Self-Help Aid button.
   • Click the Select button next to MEDS.
3. Select the appropriate aid year using the Change Year button.
   • 2025 for the 2024-2025 academic year
4. Click the Accept Self-Help Aid button
5. You can elect to accept less than the full amount offered by clicking the Partial Amount button, entering the amount you would like to accept in the Accepted Amount field, and clicking Submit. If you would like to accept the full amount offered, click the Full Amount button and click Submit.
6. Follow the prompts to complete the acceptance process.

If you want financial aid to cover your expenses billed on your bursar’s beyond tuition and fees, you need to grant permissions.

In UAccess Student complete the following:

1. Select Financial Aid Authorization link
2. Click the Grant Permissions button (disable popup blocker temporarily)

First-time UA borrowers must complete the following at www.StudentAid.gov (information will remain valid for 10 years):

1. Master Promissory Note (MPN) for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and a separate MPN is required for Federal Direct Graduate
2. Loan Entrance Counseling (Note: it can require 3-4 business days for the ED transcript to import into UAccess)

U.S. Department of Education Loan Requirements

The FNA, or Financial Needs Analysis form, is a key part of your tribal scholarship application and must be completed each semester or year, depending on your tribe/tribal organization. The form contains information on your Arizona cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room/board, etc.) and the resources (financial aid, estimated family contribution from the FAFSA) you are receiving for the corresponding academic year or semester.

Your tribe or nation will use the FNA to determine your eligibility for their scholarship and/or grant funding. An FNA is usually included in your tribe’s scholarship application. Generally, you must first complete your personal information and sign the FNA form, allowing our office to submit your information.

Submit Financial Need Analysis forms here:

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1. Complete your 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
2. Ensure you’re enrolled in your UAccess Student Center
   • If you do not have enrollment, please contact the College of Medicine – Tucson Student Records Office
3. Complete the Authorization For Release Information Form and submit it to financialaid@medicine.arizona.edu
4. Submit your Tribal Enrollment Verification 
5. Submit your FNA to the College of Medicine – Tucson Financial Aid Office specifying what term or academic year the form is intended for, where to submit the FNA, and the deadline. 

The Tribal Enrollment Verification System is for Native students who are enrolled members of a federally or state-recognized U.S. tribe.

Your tribal enrollment documentation can be requested by a university department or entity as part of your eligibility criteria for institutional funding and/or Arizona residency classification for tuition purposes. This webpage is a one-time, one-stop secure location where you can voluntarily upload your verification document (i.e., Certificate of Indian Blood, Tribal Membership Card, Tribal Enrollment Certificate, etc.), which will be accessible only by authorized University of Arizona personnel.

For more information or questions, contact Professor Tessa Dysart, assistant vice provost of Native American Initiatives, Office of the Provost, at tdysart@arizona.edu or 520-626-3698.