Federal grant programs / Department of Health and Human Services

Scholarships for Health Professions Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds (93.925)

Also known as Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$198 million
• Grant awards88
• Typical award$2.6 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$0
• Size rank606 of 1824
• Type of assistanceProject grants

Key findings

• It is the 606th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 42% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 31 states and territories.

What the program funds

The Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program increases 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. The SDS program aims to increase the: 1) number of graduates practicing in primary care, 2) enrollment and retention of full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups, and 3) number of graduates working in medically underserved communities (MUCs). Schools provide scholarships, maintain and operate a program to recruit and retain students from disadvantaged backgrounds that encourages completion of school and service in primary care and in medically underserved communities.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Accredited public or non-profit private schools of medicine, nursing, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, optometry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, allied health, public health, a school offering a graduate program in behavioral and mental health practice, or an entity providing programs for the training of physician assistants. 1) At least 20 percent of the total enrollment (full-time enrolled) of a degree program over three specified academic years period must be students from disadvantaged backgrounds; and 2) At least 20 percent of the total graduates (who were full-time students) of a degree program over three specified academic years period must have been from disadvantaged backgrounds. Faith-based and community-based organizations, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Government and Native American Organizations are eligible to apply if all other eligibility requirements are met.

What the money can and cannot pay for

SDS funds awarded to schools must be used to award full or partial scholarships to eligible students enrolled in health professions programs on a full-time basis. Scholarships may only be expended for tuition expenses, other reasonable educational expenses, and reasonable living expenses incurred while in attendance for the year. The Secretary is required to make available at least 16 percent of the funds to schools that will provide scholarships only for nursing students. The Secretary may not make a grant to a school unless the school is carrying out a program for recruiting and retaining students from disadvantaged backgrounds and has met the eligibility criteria of demonstrating the success of outcome measures. Indirect costs for training awards cannot exceed 8% of modified total direct costs. Student scholarship awards shall equal an amount no less than 50 percent of the student’s annual tuition costs. Student scholarships must not exceed $50,000 per academic year for dental students or $40,000 per academic year for all other health and nursing professionals. The scholarship may not exceed a recipient’s cost of tuition expenses, other reasonable educational expenses and reasonable living expenses incurred in attendance at such school. The scholarship also may not exceed the student’s financial need.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. The recipient must agree to maintain non-federal funding for grant activities at a level which is not less than expenditures for such activities during the fiscal year prior to receiving the award.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

FY 2023; range : $200,000 to $1,000,276 Average est. $600,138 FY 2024 range: $230,000 to $1,000,276 Average est. $609,069 FY 2025 range: $610,000 to 650,000; Average 650,000

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

By state

29 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.