…Thank you so much for the scholarship I was given. I appreciate the financial support and more than that, admire the dedication to educate and support future doctors that you all possess. (Jessica, MSIII)

The cost of medical education has never been higher and state funding has never been tighter. Few families can fund these educational expenses from personal resources. It is also very difficult for medical students to hold part-time jobs with their demanding schedules. Most medical students must rely on student loans. Currently the average debt of a student graduating from Penn State College of Medicine is $120,000. When their loans enter repayment following the first six months of their residencies, they may have monthly payments as high as $2,000 with starting salaries of almost the same amount.

Today's medical students are our doctors of tomorrow. Scholarships are powerful incentives for attracting talented students to Penn State College of Medicine. Scholarships are used to assist students with financial need and to attract gifted students.

Faculty within Penn State College of Medicine teach, care for patients, conduct promising research and provide information and services to professionals and institutions across the country and throughout the world. These gifted leaders prepare tomorrow's physicians for the medical challenges of the future.

The College of Medicine's faculty rank among the best in the country. The faculty have demonstrated excellence and achieved national recognition in several areas including research on artificial organs, viral carcinogens, retrovirology, pulmonary biology and polyamines. Clinical excellence is recognized in breast cancer treatment, children’s heart diseases and other specialties. Endowed professorships and endowed chairs help to attract and retain these outstanding teachers, researchers and scholars.

Because scholarships, professorships and chairs are endowed, they provide permanent support. With an endowment, the gift principal is never spent. Approximately five percent of the growth and earnings are awarded annually. Named scholarships, professorships and chairs honor donors or organizations and provide enduring recognition. Contact us for more information on scholarships, named funds, or endowments.

These gifts are tax-deductible and may be made outright or pledged over a period of years. It is possible to use planned giving methods-including charitable trusts, gift annuities, and bequests, to fund scholarships. General scholarships and chairs may be established with gifts of $50,000 and above. Professorships may be established with gifts of $1 million and above.