What is Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students?

Download and Print: Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) Fact Sheet (PDF)

This is a federal program under the supervision of HRSA. The Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students program can help students interested in the undergraduate Medical Laboratory Sciences attend the program full-time and graduate with few or no loans to repay. This scholarship can pay up to $35,000 for tuition and fees, living expenses, textbooks, travel to internship sites, and licensing exams for eligible students who are awarded this scholarship. The award cannot exceed the students cost of attendance.

Funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to the CLS program, this program aims to increase the number of graduates working in medically underserved and rural communities.

Who is eligible for Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students?

1. Full-time Student
• Only students accepted to the UTMB Medical Laboratory Sciences Undergraduate Program are eligible for these scholarships.
• Certificate students are not eligible.
2. Enrolled in the full-time program
• Students must be enrolled full-time, a minimum of 12 hours per semester.
• Part-time students are not eligible.
3. Completed FAFSA for the current academic year on-file.  Students must include their parent information on their FAFSA by using the data retrieval tool even if the student is considered independent. Students who do not include their parent's information on their FAFSA will be required to submit the last three (3) years of their parent's taxes to show the student was not claimed as a dependent.  If a student is married, a copy of the marriage license will be required as proof of independence. 
4. Display current economic need based on family and/or student income
5. Meet HRSA's definitions of people who face economic and/or environmental disadvantages in education. Disadvantaged status is can be based on the following information:
• Students come from a family with an annual income below the low-income thresholds, according to family size.
• Student is the first generation in his or her family to attend college.
• Student contributed to the family income while attending elementary and/or high school.

Note: Other information can be used to determine disadvantaged status.  If a student feels they are eligible, it is up to the student to clearly delineate the criteria used to classify they are from a disadvantaged background.

How do I apply?

Students do not need to apply for the SDS Scholarship. The financial aid office will determine eligibility and award the funds accordingly.

Recipient Requirements

There is no post-graduation payback or service requirement. Recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress and complete surveys to document their progress through the program.