Support Scholarships
Donating in support of scholarships at the University of Illinois College of Medicine can help students realize their dream of a medical education and set them on course to become excellent clinical practitioners, researchers, and healthcare leaders.
You can foster the promising futures of deserving and exceptional students by contributing to an existing scholarship fund or by establishing a new one in your name or the name of somebody you wish to honor.
Scholarships have been nothing short of life-changing for me. The financial burden of medical education can be overwhelming, but scholarship support has alleviated this stress significantly, allowing me to focus wholeheartedly on my studies, clinical rotations, and pursuit of excellence in medicine.
Anna Staudacher, M4, Class of 2024
Recipient of Dr. Ralph E. Beck and Mrs. Joan L. Beck Scholarship
Ways to Support Scholarships Heading link
Endowed Scholarship Funds
Endowments are invested and produce spendable income each year. Establishing an endowed scholarship requires a contribution of $25,000 or more and an agreement signed by the donor and the University of Illinois Foundation (UIF). Gifts can be a one-time payment or paid over a period of time (up to five years). When the endowment is fully funded, scholarship awards can be made.
As an endowed scholarship donor, you will receive annual reports with updates on the fund’s financial performance as well as information about the scholarship recipients.
Current Use Scholarship Funds
When establishing a named scholarship fund for current use, you can immediately see your gift in action. Expendable scholarships are awarded in the same year in which the funds are received or in the following year, depending on the awarding cycle and schedule. These funds last until all principal funds are distributed to students. No further scholarships are awarded unless the gift is renewed.
As a current use scholarship fund donor, you will receive a report with information about the recipient(s) of your scholarship.
Your Gift Can: Heading link
Remove tuition
- Remove tuition as a barrier to a career in medicine.
The total cost of medical school can be up to $352,000 for an in-state UI College of Medicine student and up to $488,000 for an out-of-state student. - Help keep our classrooms filled with the most gifted, motivated, and hardest-working students, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Scholarships enable a broader pool of future leaders to enroll in our programs and contribute to advancing health for everyone.
Allow students
- Allow students to focus on their studies, instead of how they’re going to pay for school.
On average, our students graduate with a debt of $250,000. Many of these students also carry significant pre-medical education debt. This financial burden can weigh heavily on students, distracting from their studies. - Enable graduates to make career choices based on mission and service, not debt repayment.
Scholarships lower barriers for students to enter less lucrative specialties such as primary care or pediatrics. Students can select specialties based on their calling and passion to serve their communities without worrying about incurring insurmountable debt.
Support an Existing Scholarship Fund Heading link
Join other generous donors in supporting one of our existing scholarship funds. Make a gift in any amount to the UI College of Medicine Scholarships Fund to benefit enrolled students with general medical school scholarship support. Or contact us for more information about funds dedicated to providing scholarship support in an area of specific interest to you.
Kahaan Shah was first inspired to become a physician when he witnessed his blind grandfather’s condition begin to deteriorate. As he became closely involved with caring for his grandfather, he was confronted with the difficulties and barriers that immigrant communities face when trying to access healthcare.
Today, Kahaan is an M2 student at UI COM, where he is gaining a premier medical education thanks in part to scholarship support made possible by generous donors. He was the recipient of the Dr. and Mrs. William H. Kaufman Scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year. The scholarship significantly benefited Kahaan, who comes from a low-income background, by reducing the burden and stress of having to take out loans. Now he is on his way to caring for communities that are overlooked.
Kahaan Shah
Recipient of the Dr. and Mrs. William H. Kaufman Scholarship
Contact Us Heading link
Interested in learning more about making a scholarship gift? Please contact the Office of Advancement.