GIVING THE GIFT OF A SCHOLARSHIP

HUMAA gave its first scholarship to a Howard University College of Medicine student of $550 during the 1957-58 academic year. Since then, HUMAA has provided more than $100,000 annually in student scholarships. Despite this, talented and deserving students are admitted every year who are unable to enroll or struggle to maintain their financial commitments because of the high cost of attendance, fees and living expenses. Tuition for the current academic year is $44,150, but when living expenses (room, board, insurance) are added to the equation, the true cost of attendance is approximately $71,215 a year.

94.8% of Howard’s medical students receive some form of financial aid, and yet too many Howard medical student graduate with nearly $200,000 in education related debt (exclusive of whatever debt they might have carried over from their undergraduate training). While cost is not always the deciding factor, it is a frequently cited obstacle.

This is an especially acute issue when it comes to African-American students’ enrollment in medical school. In 2004, African-American students represented about 7.4 percent of all the students enrolled in medical schools, compared to just 7 percent in 2011.

Providing additional student support is the HUMAA’s number one fundraising priority. Investing in student support makes it possible to attract the best and the brightest. Investing in tomorrow’s physicians will improve the health and well-being of people all over the world. By giving the gift of a scholarship, whether it is creating a new opportunity or helping to maintain an existing one, your generosity enables HUMAA to provide a significant level of support for all of our students. Donors who endow scholarships make an enduring difference in the lives of students.

For more information regarding gifts to HUMAA scholarships, please contact Simone Joye Eford, Executive Director at (202) 803-2989 or director@humaa.com