Scholarship Opportunities

Diversity Scholarships

Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston Scholarship

The Gaston Scholars Program was established in 1999 in honor of Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston, a distinguished alumnus of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Gaston was the second African-American woman to achieve the rank of assistant surgeon general and rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, and the first African-American woman to direct a Public Health Service Bureau.

This program was created to provide scholarships for admitted students at the College of Medicine who come from groups that traditionally have been underrepresented in the community of physicians and who have expressed an interest in practicing in a location that traditionally has been medically underserved. 


Dr. Lucy Oxley Scholarship

In 2008, Kenneth Davis, MD, and his wife, Johnie, created the Lucy Oxley, MD, African American Medical Student Scholarship at the College of Medicine. Oxley was the first African-American to earn a medical degree at the UC College of Medicine. The Oxley Scholarship is an endowment fund within the Marilyn Hughes Gaston Scholars Program at the College of Medicine.

The Thompson Whittington Scholarship

The Thompson Whittington Scholarship is offered to medical students with diverse backgrounds with a strong potential for academic excellence who demonstrate financial need.

Peter and Sandy Stern Diversity Scholarships

In order to support the efforts to establish a more diverse student population, the scholarship is provided to medical students with diverse backgrounds, who have served underserved communities or overcome adversity who demonstrate financial need.

The Alvin H. and Alva Jean Crawford Scholarship

This one-time scholarship is offered annually to one medical student with a diverse background who demonstrates a need for financial assistance. 

Cincinnati Medical Association Scholarships

The ODEI is honored to partner with the Cincinnati Medical Association to support our medical students.

The Cincinnati Medical Association (CMA) Scholarship Fund is an endowed fund that awards an annual scholarship to medical students who demonstrate financial need, diverse background and strong potential for academic excellence.

The CMA also provides additional scholarships to UC College of Medicine students through its annual scholarship gala.

Need-based Scholarships

Need-based scholarships are awarded to medical students who demonstrate need before they are awarded institutional need-based loans. All students who submit parental information are automatically considered for these scholarships.

The scholarships will be awarded to as many students as possible depending on the availability of funds.

Merit Scholarships

Merit scholarships are awarded to entering medical students and provide financial assistance to medical students based on high academic achievement in undergraduate study.

All students accepted by the College of Medicine are automatically considered for merit scholarships, which are renewed annually if the recipient remains in good academic standing.