Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS)

For program and eligibility questions:
Tamara Barbee
301.443.6752
SDSProgram@hrsa.gov

For financial and budget questions:
Reginal Baker
301.945.3937
Rbaker@hrsa.gov

Grants.gov contact center:
800.518.4726
support@grants.gov
Self-service knowledge base

HRSA contact center:
877.464.4772
TTY: 877.897.9910
HRSA contact page

System for award management (SAM):
866.606.8220
Federal service desk

The Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program is designed to increase 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 a financial need. The program goal is to strengthen the health professions and nursing workforce by supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are more likely to practice in primary care and in rural and medically vulnerable communities.

Program objectives:

• Increase enrollment and retention of full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Increase the number of graduates practicing in primary care
• Increase the number of graduates working in rural, tribal, and other medically vulnerable communities

A detailed list of program requirements and expectations is provided in the application instructions.

Disadvantaged background is defined as either an economically, educationally, and geographically vulnerable background. Examples include:

• The student graduated from or last attended a high school that has a low overall student average SAT score
• The student graduated from or last attended a high school with either a low percentage of seniors receiving a high school diploma or a low percentage of graduates who attend college during the first year after graduation
• The student graduated from or last attended a high school with low per capita funding
• The student graduated from or last attended a high school where many of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches
• The student is the first generation in his or her family to attend college

Types of eligible applicants:

• Public, state-controlled, and private institutions of higher education
• Native American tribal governments
• Native American tribal organizations

Eligible health professions schools:

• Medicine
• Dentistry
• Veterinary medicine
• Optometry
• Podiatry
• Pharmacy
• Chiropractic medicine
• Graduate behavioral and mental health
  • Clinical psychology
  • Social work
  • Gerontological counseling
  • Marriage and family therapy
  • Mental health counseling
  • Rehabilitation counseling
• Public health
• Health administration
• Allied health
  • Dietetics
  • Audiology
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physical therapy
  • Speech pathology
• Dental hygiene
• Medical laboratory technology
• Radiologic technology
• Nursing
• Midwifery
• Physician Assistant

Award ceiling: $650,000 per year
Number of awards: 80
Project period: 5 years
Total funding available: $51,079,900

Links to the full announcement, application instructions, and the online application process are available through grants.gov.