Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS)

The Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HRSA focuses on improving access to healthcare services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. This funding opportunity is designed to support health professions schools in their efforts to increase the diversity of the healthcare workforce by providing financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program aligns with federal priorities to strengthen healthcare delivery by ensuring that individuals from underserved communities have pathways into professional health careers. The primary purpose of the SDS program is to provide grants to eligible health professions schools so they can offer scholarships to students who demonstrate financial need and come from disadvantaged backgrounds. These scholarships are intended to reduce financial barriers to education in health-related fields, thereby increasing enrollment, retention, and graduation rates among eligible students. The program covers a broad scope of disciplines, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, behavioral and mental health, public health, allied health, and other specialized health professions. Institutions receiving funding are expected to distribute scholarship funds directly to qualifying students in accordance with program guidelines. Funding under this opportunity is provided as discretionary grants, with an estimated total program funding of 51,079,900 dollars and approximately 80 awards expected. Individual awards may be as high as 650,000 dollars. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement associated with this program, allowing institutions to fully utilize federal funds for scholarship support. While a minimum award amount is technically listed, it is not considered a meaningful floor and should be interpreted cautiously. Funds are intended strictly for scholarship purposes and must be used to support eligible students enrolled in approved health professions programs. Eligibility for this funding opportunity is limited to accredited public and private institutions of higher education, including state-controlled schools and tribal colleges or universities. Eligible applicants must operate health professions programs in specified disciplines such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, allied health, public health, and behavioral health fields. The program explicitly includes tribal organizations and federally recognized tribal governments that meet the criteria. Pre-professional tracks such as pre-nursing or pre-midwifery are not eligible, and only students enrolled in qualifying degree programs may receive scholarship support. The application process for this opportunity is expected to follow standard federal grant submission procedures through Grants.gov. Applicants must prepare and submit a complete electronic application package by the stated deadline. While specific application components are not detailed in the forecast notice, applicants can anticipate requirements such as institutional information, program descriptions, budget justifications, and documentation demonstrating eligibility and capacity to administer scholarships. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date to be considered. The timeline for this funding opportunity indicates that it is currently in forecast status, with an estimated posting date of May 12, 2026, and an application deadline of June 12, 2026. Awards are expected to be made by August 1, 2026, with a project start date of September 1, 2026. This suggests a relatively short turnaround between application submission and award decisions. The program does not explicitly state whether it recurs annually, but given its structure and historical precedent, it may follow a recurring cycle. Interested applicants should monitor official HRSA communications for updates and confirm final application details once the full notice of funding opportunity is released. For additional information or inquiries, applicants may contact the program representative listed in the notice. The contact provided is Tamara Barbee, who can be reached via phone at 301-443-5273 or by email at SDSProgram@hrsa.gov. As this is a forecasted opportunity, applicants are encouraged to prepare in advance and review eligibility requirements carefully to ensure readiness when the official application period opens.