Scholarships

UMHS believes that all education should be affordable and that students should have access to enough financial aid to cover their full cost of attendance. With that in mind, the university has decided to substantially increase the award amounts for the scholarships listed below. In some cases, we have doubled the amount from previous years. Over the last 5 years, we have awarded close to 3 million dollars in scholarships. We know that finances are a major concern for students, but by maintaining affordable tuition, providing scholarships, and offering payment plans and student loans, students can achieve their dream of becoming physicians without a significant amount of debt.

Merit scholarships

The Founder’s, President's, and Provost's scholarships are merit-based awards provided to qualified students as new matriculates. Awards granted under these programs are based on the academic strengths demonstrated in each student’s application for admission. All accepted students are considered for these scholarships.

Awards granted under these programs are applicable towards tuition for the Basic Science semesters attended on the St. Kitts campus. A comprehensive review of the accepted student's admissions file is conducted to determine award amounts. We weigh each student's cumulative GPA, as well as GPAs for all premedical coursework, advanced biology coursework, and graduate and medical school coursework. Award recipients will be notified via email. The terms of each award will be outlined in the award letter.

Founder’s Scholarship ($14,000 Total)

This scholarship was developed in memory of our founder, Dr. Robert Ross. As a leader in medical education, he spent a lifetime in helping thousands of students achieve their dream of becoming a physician. He was a pioneer in establishing one of the first Caribbean medical schools in 1978. In establishing UMHS, Dr. Ross had unlimited resources to build one of the most state-of-the-art campuses in the Caribbean. He maintained the highest academic standards and spared no expense in providing students with the resources and faculty they needed to succeed.

To qualify, students must maintain at a minimum an undergraduate GPA of 3.76 or higher. In addition, the university will also consider several other variables including Science GPA, and MCAT scores, and may request a personal statement.

Award amount is $3500/term or $2800/term for students in the EBS program.

President’s Scholarship ($11,000 Total)

This scholarship was developed in recognition of President Warren Ross who has committed his entire life to helping students achieve their dream of becoming a physician. President Ross has over 45 years of experience in academic medicine and was intimately involved in developing virtually every aspect of UMHS. His goal was to develop a modern state-of-the-art medical that was comparable to medical schools in the United States. By maintaining a small school environment, he was able to provide students with a personalized education with the learning resources and faculty that they need to succeed. Under his leadership, UMHS has obtained multiple state approvals and accreditations. One of our accreditors, ACCM, has adopted the US standards of accreditation and is recognized by the US Department of Education through NCFMEA. Students have excelled academically and are performing exceptionally well on the licensing examination. As further evidence of our commitment to student success, 90% of our first-time applicants obtained a residency.

To qualify for the president’s scholarship, students must maintain at a minimum an undergraduate GPA of 3.51 to 3.75. The university will also consider several other variables including Science GPA, and MCAT Scores, and may request a personal statement.

Award amount is $2750/term or $2200/term for students in the EBS program.

Provost Scholarship ($10,000 Total)

The Provost Scholarship was developed in recognition of Dr. David Graham and his commitment to providing UMHS with an outstanding medical education while maintaining the highest academic standards.

Dr. David Graham qualified in 1977 from the Liverpool Medical School at the University of Liverpool in the UK. He trained in many of the hospitals in the northwest of England, including the Royal Liverpool University Teaching Hospital, and also, in the University Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada.

He carried out research in several areas of Respiratory Medicine producing papers and presenting at the American Thoracic Society. An extended piece of research led to the award of a Postgraduate Degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) by the University of Liverpool.

In 1999, he was appointed as the Postgraduate Dean for the Mersey Deanery and was responsible for the development and delivery of training for over 2200 junior doctors in the hospitals across Merseyside.

In 2008, he became a Professor of Medical Education at the University of Liverpool and soon afterward, also became Dean of the Liverpool Medical School. As Dean of the Medical School, he was responsible for both the Teaching Programs for 1500 medical students and the five Research Schools.

To qualify, students must maintain an undergraduate GPA of 3.25 to 3.5. In addition, the university will also consider several other variables including Science GPA, and MCAT Scores, and may request a personal statement.

Award amount is $2500/term or $2000/term for students in the EBS program.

Dr. William Thurman Scholarship for Academic Excellence

Our late founding Provost, Dr. William Thurman, made an enormous contribution to the creation and development of UMHS. His spirit of professionalism along with a clear student-centered approach lives on and is part of the UMHS ethos. Dr. Thurman loved medicine and always inspired students to achieve greatness.

To honor his memory and lasting impact on our University, the Board of Trustees has established the Dr. William Thurman Scholarship for Academic Excellence. This scholarship will be awarded to exemplary students who demonstrate academic excellence during their clinical semesters (semesters 6-10).

Award recipients stand to receive up to $1,000 per semester.

To qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.80 for an award toward any clinical semester
Achieve a minimum of 75 on the first attempt of all NBME Core Shelf exams, for an award toward semesters 7, 8, and 9
Be in good academic standing for an award toward any clinical semester
Earn a score of 240 or higher on a first attempt at USMLE Step 1 for a semester 6 award
Earn a score of 240 or higher on the first attempt at USMLE Step 2 CK for a semester 10 award

In addition to the per-semester awards, the scholarship fund also grants an additional $2,500 award to the Valedictorian at graduation. There is no application necessary. Students’ academic records will be reviewed upon receipt of each NBME and USMLE Score. Any award granted will be applied to the appropriate semester.

For questions, contact Dr. Brijette Sena, Associate Dean of Academic Administration.

ARP Scholarship

UMHS is very proud of the students who have completed the Accelerated Review Program. As an incentive to excel in this program, we have developed a new merit-based scholarship to reward our high achievers. Students who have completed ARP can also qualify for a Basic Science Scholarship. This will be a merit-based scholarship reliant on the student’s academic performance in ARP.

Students who have maintained a B or greater in ARP will automatically qualify for the scholarship.

Students in the four-semester Basic Sciences program will receive $2,250 per semester, while those in the five-semester Extended Basic Sciences program will receive $1,800 per semester—each resulting in a total award of $9,000.

ARP graduates entering into the medical school program will be considered for the other university scholarships automatically. Students who qualify will be considered for the scholarship offering the largest amount of funding. This scholarship will be effective September 2023. Students currently enrolled in the May ARP class and all subsequent classes will qualify. For further details about qualifying please contact the Financial Aid Department.

St. Kitts Scholarship

In concert with the Kittitian Government, UMHS offers two significant scholarships to citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Students interested in applying should contact the Human Resource Management Department, Office of the Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis.

Veterans scholarship

We are proud to offer the Robert Ross Veterans Scholarship. This is a need-and-merit-based scholarship that is available to veterans, servicemen, and servicewomen during Basic Science semesters. Students may be eligible for up to $1,000 per semester. Students interested in the program should contact the Office of Financial Aid for further details.

Third-party scholarships

The White Coat Investor Scholarship provides several awards based on total funds raised. You must have a valid US Social Security Number to apply.

Scholarship options for UMHS students