The School of Dentistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has been awarded a grant from The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for students pursuing a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. This scholarship program aims to increase the number of graduates practicing primary care, the enrollment and retention of full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the number of graduates working in medically under-served communities.
- What is SDS?
This scholarship program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provides for scholarships to full-time, financially needy health professions students from economically or environmentally disadvantaged backgrounds. The program’s goal is to increase the number of students in health professions to provide care to under-served areas and populations following completion of the student’s degree.
You can find detailed information, guidelines, and the application for the SDS Scholarship here.
- Who is eligible to apply?
All DDS Students that believe they can document their economic or environmentally disadvantaged background, have proof of their US Citizen or Permanent Resident status, and have financial need based on prior calendar year family income. Parental income must be used to determine the student’s eligibility in all cases except in those where the student is at least 24 years old and not listed as a dependent on his or her parent’s income tax for the last 3 years
- When do I apply for SDS?
The application cycle for 2024-2025 will be from October 7th to November 27th, 2024. Submit your completed application and required income and asset information to VSFA@UTHSCSA.EDU.
- How are the funds awarded?
All *completed applications received by the deadline are considered by the School of Dentistry Scholarship Committee. SDS funding is limited and will be awarded until funds are exhausted and not all applicants will receive an award. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that prior recipients of this scholarship will be awarded this year.
For students that have received loans up to the total cost of attendance, the scholarship will replace a portion of those loan funds in order to prevent an over-award of financial aid because regulations state a student’s total financial aid award(s) cannot exceed their cost of attendance budget. Reduced loan funds are returned to your lender and will reduce your balance with the lender.
*A completed application is determined when the application and all required documents are submitted (including requests from Veteran Services and Financial Aid for additional documentation).
- If I receive a full tuition waiver/exemption am I eligible to apply for SDS?
No because this award is intended to assist students with paying their tuition and fees.
- Why do I have to provide my parents’ information?
Veteran Services and Financial Aid is required to request parental data from each applicant that is not considered independent. This information is used to show proof of students’ economically disadvantaged background if their parents have an annual income below a level based on low-income thresholds according to family size as published in the Health and Human Services (HHS) Poverty Guidelines.
- Why do I have to provide tax information?
This HRSA award requires eligibility to be based on income information from the years prior to the application period in order to remain consistent with the Department of Education’s guidelines. For the 2024-25 SDS application, you will be required to submit your 2022 information used to file your 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Why do I have to provide Asset Information?
The information is collected to make an extensive assessment of the student’s need for SDS funding as required by program guidelines.
- What do I submit if my parent(s) file a foreign tax return?
If your parents filed a foreign tax return, please submit a signed copy from the 2022 year along with a translated version into English and conversion of the monetary figures to US Dollars based on the current currency conversion rates.
- What if I consider myself independent from my parents, do I still have to submit parental data?
Parental data will be used to determine a student’s eligibility for economically disadvantaged in all cases except in those where the student is considered independent by being at least 24 years old and has NOT been listed as a dependent on his or her parents’ income tax return for 3 or more years. If you are electing to prove independence from your parents, you must provide IRS tax returns for the last 3 years (2023, 2022, and 2021) showing the student was not claimed as a dependent of his/her parents tax returns, along with valid state-issued identification to prove your age. For more instructions on the required documentation, please see the SDS application and guidelines for the current year.