Foundation Education Award Scholarship
Offered by The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society
About this scholarship
The Foundation Education Award Scholarship provides one $9,600 award for the 2026-2027 academic year. It is designed for a Pennsylvania medical student who demonstrates economic hardship and a strong, sustained commitment to medically underserved communities through volunteer service, leadership, or advocacy. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must have established Pennsylvania residency for at least 12 months before registering as medical students; residence created only by earlier undergraduate or graduate study does not count. They must attend an accredited Pennsylvania medical school full time. The program permits a student to receive no more than two scholarship awards from the Foundation. The direct solicitation requires a completed application, two nonfamily reference letters, a medical-school enrollment letter on official letterhead, and a photograph for use if the applicant is selected. References must address integrity, interpersonal skills, and potential as a physician, and one must come from a physician or medical-school faculty member. The published directions do not require a separate essay, but the application must document both financial hardship and service to underserved communities. The portal is open from July 1 through September 30, 2026. Applicants are expected to receive the committee’s decision in December.
Eligibility
- Be a United States citizen
- Have been a Pennsylvania resident for at least 12 months before registering as a medical student, excluding time there for prior college study
- Be enrolled full time at an accredited Pennsylvania medical school
- Demonstrate economic hardship
- Show a strong commitment to medically underserved communities through volunteer service, leadership, or advocacy
- Submit two nonfamily reference letters, including one from a physician or medical-school faculty member
- Provide an official enrollment-verification letter and a photograph for use if selected
- Apply by September 30, 2026 and remain within the two-award maximum