Exclusive PA School Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

About PA school scholarships

Physician assistants are versatile medical professionals that are devoted to providing healthcare for their communities. They can practice in a range of specialty areas and become anything from surgical physician assistants to emergency medicine physician assistants.

Typically, you'll need to have a bachelor's degree and healthcare experience working directly with patients before you can enroll in a physician assistant program. Accredited PA programs will result in a master's degree awarded to the PA student. Completing baccalaureate degree requirements and master's degree requirements are not all that is needed to be a physician assistant. Additional licensing based on a student's state and specialty area might also be required to become a PA.

PA school only lasts around 26 months. This makes becoming a physician assistant great for students who don't want to commit to the lengthy and strenuous schooling required to become a physician but still want to work one-on-one with patients in a clinical setting.

A PA career is seen as a stable choice with the rate of employment of physician assistants expected to grow 31% from 2020 to 2030. Additionally, the median salary for a physician assistant is $121,530 per year, and there are about 12,200 job openings projected each year, making a PA program a lucrative and stable investment.

In 2019, there were 268 accredited PA programs in the United States with a total of 10,439 first-year students across the nation. PA programs awarded 10,197 degrees in 2019.

Students in PA school are mostly female with a gender distribution of 72.1% female and just 27.9% male. PA school also lacks racial diversity as 76.9% of students are White, 7.4% are Asian, 4.6% are Black, and 0.5% are Native American. In 2015, only 9.4% of first-year physician assistant students enrolled at programs in the United States identified as Hispanic. Scholarship opportunities are one important way to increase diversity among physician assistant students.

The rate at which Hispanic and Black students graduate from PA school is less than enrolled PA students of other ethnicities. 90% of Hispanic students graduated compared to 94.2% of Non-Hispanic students. The graduation rate for White students was 94.9% in 2015, and only 85.8% for Black PA students.

The years of schooling required to work as a physician assistant mean extra years of tuition. Like other college costs, the tuition prices for PA programs have been steadily rising. In the 2017-2018 academic year, out-of-state public university students saw a 5.2% increase in tuition to a total program cost of $93,313. In-state enrolled PA students at public universities had an increase of 4.6% to $52,585.

Additionally, these tuition prices don't include the total cost PA students incur for their education. The average cost of additional expenses and fees such as textbooks, parking, and clinical payments is $7,978. The high costs associated with PA school lead many students to turn to state or federal loan programs. This reliance on federal student loans shackles many students with large amounts of student debt.

Are there scholarships for PA school?

There are plenty of scholarships that exist to encourage young PA students to complete their education. Often, the award given by an institution's financial aid department is not enough to cover the full cost of a PA student's educational expenses, so many scholarships exist to cover this gap. PA students do not have to worry about being unable to afford the rising cost of higher education.

How to get a PA school scholarship

When looking for scholarships for physician assistant school, PA students should first go to the financial aid office of their university and see what scholarship opportunities are available. Sometimes your academic institution will have financial aid awards and scholarships that have not been posted elsewhere.

After maximizing their institutional aid, students might still be expected to pay for some remaining costs. Instead of relying on loan programs to make up for this cost, students should begin applying for outside scholarship opportunities. Students can find scholarships for PA school by clicking on any of the links below or going to Bold.org. Bold.org is home to hundreds of scholarships for college students. To apply for one of the many scholarships on Bold students only need to create a free profile.

Scholarship winners are chosen based on a range of different qualities. A scholarship program might award funding to students with the most community service hours or select recipients based on academic merit. No matter where your talents lie, there's sure to be a scholarship that's perfect for you.

Best physician assistant scholarships

PA students in need of financial assistance to support their education should check out the scholarships below. Qualified students can find many scholarships that will help them pursue their physician assistant degrees.

Posh PA Underrepresented Minority Grant

This $3,000 scholarship will support three winners as they pursue PA school. Any underrepresented minority with volunteer experience who's an undergraduate or postgraduate student applying for PA school may apply for this scholarship opportunity.

Additional scholarships for PA students

Physician assistant students should also look at more general scholarships open to students of any major. By applying to a broad range of scholarships PA students can maximize their chances of securing financial assistance for their degree.

Scholarships for students in health professions

Students who wish to work in medical care have many scholarship opportunities open to them. The scholarships below are open to students seeking careers in a variety of health service professions.

1. Noah Jon Markstrom Student Debt Paydown Grant
2. Melaninwhitecoats Podcast Annual Scholarship
3. Noah Jon Markstrom Foundation Scholarship
4. Amber Lott’s Health Heroes Scholarship
5. Dr. Rajesh Aggarwal Scholarship for Scientific Studies

Scholarships for women

Female physician assistant students have many scholarships specifically targeted toward them. Even before enrolling in an accredited PA program, students can find scholarship opportunities to help facilitate their entrance into the PA profession.

1. Feltus Impact Fund Scholarship
2. Linda Hicks Memorial Scholarship
3. Charlotte Emery Memorial Scholarship
4. Empowering Women Through Education Scholarship
5. Surya Education Assistance Scholarship
6. Taylor Coleman’s “More than a Conqueror” Scholarship Award
7. Women’s History Scholarship

Frequently asked questions about PA School scholarships

Do PA schools give scholarships?

Many universities will offer financial aid funding to their students, and scholarships are often a major part of these financial aid awards. PA students should always check with their financial aid office to see what institutional awards are available to them, though you shouldn't solely rely on financial assistance from your university. There are many outside scholarships that give outstanding PA students the means to afford university tuition.

How to apply for scholarships for PA school

Prospective physician assistant students can find PA school scholarships even before they enroll in an accredited PA program. The best place to apply for PA school scholarships is on Bold.org. PA students can click on any of the links above or go straight to Bold.org to find scholarship support that will fund their PA programs.

Before you can begin applying for scholarships on Bold.org you have to create a free profile. To completely fill out this profile, you will have to put in biographical information like what school you attend and what clubs and activities you are a part of. It is also helpful to include a short bio that explains their interests and goals. It's important to include as much information as possible. Some scholarships on Bold will select award recipients based solely on their Bold profile information and more detailed profiles stand out to donors. No-essay, profile-based scholarships can be a time saver for especially busy students as they only need one click to apply.

Some scholarships might require students to write short essays or upload additional application materials like letters of recommendation. This can all be done by simply scrolling to the bottom of the page and attaching the necessary files or writing/pasting text right into the text box.

Applying for scholarships for PA students is easy on Bold.org, so don't let the rising cost of tuition stand in the way of your dreams.

When can I start applying?

You can begin applying for PA scholarships as early as high school. It's best to apply for scholarships as early as possible as there are many scholarship opportunities for high school students. Though college students enrolled in school can still find scholarships to fund their education.

Future and current PA students should take note of specific scholarship deadlines. The earlier you begin preparing your scholarship applications the better you can make them. If you wait too long you risk rushing yourself and submitting subpar applications. For competitive scholarships, it is especially important to put your best foot forward and show that you are a deserving student.

How do I know if I'm eligible for a scholarship?

You'll know if you're eligible for a scholarship by reading through the description. The eligibility requirements will be clearly labeled so students don't have to waste time looking at scholarships they don't qualify for. The specific eligibility requirements will be listed at the top of the page as well as in the description, and if you don't qualify for a scholarship then Bold.org may even block you from applying.

The only general eligibility rule listed for scholarships on Bold.org is that you attend or plan to attend a U.S. college and that you're at least fourteen years old. Beyond that, each scholarship will have its own specific eligibility requirements. A scholarship might look for certain traits in award winners and ask that students demonstrate service, leadership, gratitude, etc.

What do I have to do to apply?

The first step in applying for a scholarship is to create a free account on Bold.org. After that, it depends on the specific scholarship you wish to apply for. Some no-essay scholarships are easy to apply for and only ask students to click "Apply." However, these scholarships are quite competitive, so it's best to apply to a broad range and to consider applying for more niche scholarships as well. Some scholarships that select multiple recipients can increase your chances of being awarded.

Most scholarships will require students to write a short essay in response to a prompt created by the donor. However, if writing isn't your strong suit, there are plenty of scholarships that look at other materials.

Are scholarships counted as income?

Scholarships are not counted as income as long as they cover only your necessary tuition expenses. Bold will send scholarship money directly to your college or university to be applied to direct educational costs, such as tuition, fees, and books. As long as the award does not go directly to the winner and doesn't exceed their total costs, it is generally not counted as income.