Types of Aid

Internal Scholarships

Medical school scholarships available from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM), UCLA campus, and their affiliates are known as internal scholarships. There are many, most of which require no action on the applicant's part other than applying for financial aid. 

We are pleased to announce both the DGSOM Impact and Distinction Scholarship and the DGSOM Scholarship for Excellence, which will begin with our first class of scholars in the fall of 2023.

DGSOM Impact and Distinction Scholarship

The David Geffen School of Medicine Impact and Distinction Scholarship is a medical school scholarship that provides the full cost of attendance for 10 students each year. This includes full in-state tuition, fees, and a living stipend. All applicants are automatically considered through the application and interview process. 

DGSOM Scholarship for Excellence

The David Geffen School of Medicine Scholarship for Excellence provides full in-state tuition and fees, and will be awarded to 50 students yearly. All applicants are automatically considered through the application and interview process. 

These programs will continue the legacy of the David Geffen Medical Scholarships as we conclude the 10-year awarding cycle with our entering scholar class of 2022. The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is grateful for David Geffen's visionary support of the school and his indelible impact on the David Geffen Medical Scholarships recipients.

Leaders of Tomorrow Scholars Program

The UCLA Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship pays full tuition for select students, as well as a one-time $5,000 research stipend. The award, created in 2012 by an anonymous donor and since supported by the school’s alumni and friends, gives aspiring physicians, scientists, and community change agents the gift of pursuing their dreams unburdened by debt. The medical school scholarship is renewed annually for four years based on satisfactory academic performance and participation in program activities. All applicants to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA are automatically considered for the UCLA Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship through the application-and-interview process.

UCLA Philanthropic Scholarships

The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the UCLA campus, and its affiliates have more than 100 medical school scholarships for medical students made possible through the generous support of alumni and friends. Criteria for each award varies; many are based on students' financial needs. We encourage you to apply for financial aid annually by completing the DGSOM Financial Aid Application. Shortly after submitting your financial aid application, you will receive an e-mailed financial aid estimate (provisional award letter) for newly admitted students or a Financial Aid Notification letter for our continuing medical students.

The Dean's Leadership in Health and Science Scholarship

Through the generosity of Irma and Norman Switzer, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA has established the Dean's Leadership in Health and Science Scholarship, which provides full-tuition and stipend support for students to pursue a dual degree program or research opportunity without incurring additional debt. For those pursuing research, the medical school scholarship provides a full-year stipend equivalent to that offered by many external grants of this type; students seeking an additional degree receive this stipend plus full tuition and fees.

The Dean's Leadership in Health and Science Scholarship represents an important step toward our goal of supporting students who wish to supplement their outstanding medical training with complementary activities that channel their passions and enable them to become future leaders in health and science.

Outside Scholarships

Outside or external scholarships supplement your DGSOM/UCLA scholarships and reduce your student loan within your annual financial aid package. Therefore, outside scholarships are a key component in minimizing borrowing and reducing overall medical school loan indebtedness.