Published February 01, 2022
By Alyssa Suderman
Pursuing a degree in pharmacy is an immensely powerful investment for your future. Although it might seem expensive, you will be opening up the door to a wide variety of professional opportunities that can provide you with higher salaries. Now, one great way to help pay for college is through pharmacy school scholarships. Typically, scholarships are merit-based, but they can also be based upon financial need. The best part is that scholarships do not need to be repaid, which means that you won’t be racking up thousands of dollars in student loans. Instead of spending what can seem like an endless amount of years paying off your student debt, pharmacy degree scholarships are your golden ticket to financial freedom. Here are the top 10 scholarships for full time students pursuing a pharmacy degree program:
One of the top scholarships for pharmacy students is the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). It is an Air Force scholarship that allows you to attend medical school at a deep discount in exchange for active service. During this time, you will spend 45 days on active duty with the Air Force. Upon graduation, you will dedicate one year of active duty for each year that you received a scholarship. All winners are required to serve a minimum of three years.
Winners receive a whole list of benefits. One of the most rewarding benefits is that your entire tuition at a US medical school of your choice will be paid for. In addition, you will receive an annual salary of $32,000, which includes a monthly stipend of over $2,400. There is also a $20,000 signing bonus!
In order to be eligible, you must:
In general, scholarships for pharmacy school students are competitive, so the earlier you apply the better. The best place to start with your application is to get in contact with a recruiter.
Another great pharmacy school scholarship is the Tylenol Future Care Scholarship, which aims to reward high-achieving students pursuing a PharmD. This organization wants to help current graduate students excel in their future medical field/industry career.
If selected as a recipient for this award, you will earn either a $10,000 or $5,000 fund. Ten $10,000 scholarships and 25 $5,000 scholarships are awarded each year. But remember, if you win, this is a one-time award. However, if you were not selected as the recipient, you can certainly apply again next year.
Qualified applicants must meet the following requirements:
The application for this scholarship opens at the beginning of May and closes at the beginning of July. Semifinalists will be contacted in July, and the deadline to complete the semifinalist application is in August. Award winners will be contacted at the end of August. The award fund will be issued to the student’s institution by the beginning of October.
The American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) First Year Graduate Scholarship aims to provide Phi Lambda Sigma members to pursue a PharmD at an accredited university. Phi Lambda Sigma is an international pharmacy leadership society.
The lucky winner of this pharmacy scholarship will receive a one-time $7,500 award.
Qualified applicants should meet the requirements below:
Applications are due May 15th. If chosen as the recipient, you will receive your funds in two equal installments on September 1st and February 1st.
The First Year Graduate Fellowship fund is awarded to a high-achieving pharmacy student with clear goals in mind. The Rho Chi Honor Society aims to encourage intellectual leadership among pharmacy students.
The winner of this fellowship will earn a one-time $7,500 reward.
In order to be considered for this scholarship, you must:
All applications are due May 1st. If chosen as the recipient, the award will be paid in two installments on September 1st and May 1st.
CVS Health and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) have partnered together to create the national CVS Health Minority Scholarship. There will be 5 scholarships for underrepresented pharmacy students enrolled in a PharmD program at an accredited university for the upcoming academic year.
This scholarship program awards funds in the amount of $7,000! This is a non-renewable award.
In order to qualify for this minority scholarship for pharmacy, an applicant must:
For this particular scholarship, the deadline for submitting applications is typically the middle of June. Applications will be reviewed by August, and the winners will be contacted by September. Shortly after the Fall semester begins, the award will be applied to the student’s account.
The Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) scholarship is merit-based, and is tailored for students in the medical, dental, and/or pharmaceutical field. It intends to help students achieve their goals within the healthcare industry.
This pharmacy degree scholarship winner will earn a one-time $5,000 reward!
Since this is strictly a merit-based scholarship, there aren’t any restrictions on who can and can’t apply, other than being enrolled in a US accredited institution.
The application opens on September 1st and closes on March 15th.
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Foundation Presidential Scholarship works towards advancing independent community pharmacy by providing pharmacy school scholarships to students.
Award winners will receive a one-time $5,000 fund that can be used for any educational expenses. A minimum of five winners will be chosen.
All applicants should be prepared to provide/show the following:
The application opens up in December and will close in March of the following year.
The Pharmacists Mutual Community Pharmacy Scholarship targets students interested in smaller, community pharmacies based in underserved areas.
20 $2,500 scholarships for pharmacy students are issued annually. These are one-time funds.
Eligible applicants must:
This pharmacy scholarship accepts applications between October 1st to December 1st.
An additional NCPA pharmacy school scholarship, Partners in Pharmacy Scholarship, provides financial support to pharmacy students. It aims to recognize students for outstanding academic achievements, community service, and a strong commitment to the pharmaceutical industry.
The winner will receive a one-time check in the amount of $2,000. Further, the recipient is expected to be present at the NCPA Annual Convention, which means that you will also be given a $300 travel stipend to help pay for travel expenses. The travel stipend is something that most scholarships for pharmacy students do not provide, so it is a great benefit!
Qualified applicants should possess and provide:
This scholarship opens up in December and will close around March of the following year.
The American Pharmacists’ Association (APhA) Foundation conducts research projects to discover new ways for pharmacists to improve upon patient healthcare experiences. This foundation aims to help aspiring pharmacists produce better patient results in the pharmaceutical industry.
The APhA Foundation offers multiple different scholarships for pharmacy students to explore. One particular scholarship is the APhA Foundation Scholarship, which offers one $1,000 scholarship. It is also a one-time fund.
The general eligibility requirements include:
The application deadlines vary for each scholarship, but they are all annual, recurring scholarships. Don’t worry too much if you missed the deadline for this particular academic year, because you can most likely apply again for the next cycle.
Researching your own university’s financial aid programs is a great first step in the scholarship-searching process. Most universities offer their own merit-based scholarships and programs for students. For example, at the University of Wyoming, there are multiple different scholarships offered to Wyoming residents, non-residents, transfer students, and international students.
Two other resources you can use as a supplement in your scholarship search are the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and grants. Depending upon your parents’ socioeconomic status, you can save lots of money when applying for the FAFSA. Another good supplement to scholarships is a grant. Grants tend to be need-based, while scholarships tend to be merit-based.
Now that you know about some of the top scholarships for pharmacy students, it’s time to apply. You want to ensure that your application stands out from the crowd. Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your scholarship application/essay:
Scholarships for pharmacy students are highly rewarding. However, it can be discouraging to receive those “Unfortunately, we have decided to move forward with other applicants…” emails. But let me tell you, when you finally receive the “Congratulations! You have been selected as the recipient for the scholarship…” email, you will feel so fulfilled knowing that all of your hard work has paid off. Believe it or not, many students tend to talk themselves out of applying for scholarships because they feel as though they are competing against hundreds of other applicants. This means that if you apply for a scholarship, you have a great chance of winning because so many others already gave up before even trying. So go ahead, submit your application, and see what happens. Your golden ticket to financial freedom awaits.
