Pharmacy Scholarships

• Pharmacy scholarships help fund the education of students studying a number of disciplines that fall under the general heading of "pharmacy," not simply students studying to be pharmacists at the local pharmacy. Areas of study funded by pharmacy scholarships include pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacology and toxicology, pharmaceutical research, and pharmacy practice and administration. Scholarships exist at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
  
  

What Is Covered

• The extent of what a pharmacy scholarship covers depends upon the individual award. Hundreds, if not thousands, of these scholarships exist throughout the United States. Small scholarships, available in amounts of $1,000 or less, help students purchase items like textbooks and supplies or mitigate the cost of tuition to a small extent. Large scholarships, available in amounts of $10,000 or more, pay a much larger portion of students' required costs. Many scholarships come in discretionary amounts -- amounts decided by the awarding agency. Discretionary scholarships could provide assistance ranging from a few hundred dollars to full tuition coverage.
  
  

Pharmacy Scholarship Providers

• Pharmacy scholarships come from a number of sources. Most schools with pharmacy programs provide an array of scholarships to their students. As of 2011, Washington State University, for instance, awards pharmacy students approximately $230,000 in scholarships annually, many of them endowed.
  
  Endowed scholarship funds come from individuals or organizations that make large donations. Kmart endows pharmacy scholarships at 19 schools throughout the United States, including the universities of Wisconsin, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wyoming and Virginia.
  
  Various professional and educational organizations also award pharmacy scholarships. These include the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education Scholarships and Fellowships, National Community Pharmacist Association Foundation, and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation.
  
  

Pharmacy Scholarship Eligibility

• Scholarship eligibility differs for each award. Some scholarships provide assistance based on financial need. In such instances, the awarding agency considers the financial resources available to the applicant, including expected family contribution. Other scholarships provide assistance based on merit. These scholarships consider high school academic record, scores on tests such as the SAT or ACT, and the quality of application materials such as essays. Myriad other pharmacy scholarship types exist, including those awarded to residents of particular states, to students who display leadership qualities and to students who intend to enter particular professions, such as working in a hospital pharmacy.