Cost, Financial Aid & Scholarships

One of the Most Important Investments You Will Ever Make

The costs of medical education are indeed high; therefore, careful planning and fiscal management are essential to meet your future obligations. Our goal is to help you become an informed borrower and to provide a comprehensive system of financial assistance services. Our intent is to provide not only dollar support but also financial counseling and debt management planning services as well.

The WVSOM Financial Aid Philosophy statement suggests, we "expect that students will make every effort to finance their education". The Financial Aid Office will try to assist you with financing issues. Since scholarship and grant moneys are extremely limited, most students must secure outside educational loans to finance their education.

You should remember that a loan is not a gift or grant - it must be repaid.

Educational debt management is essential. We encourage you to learn some basic budgeting techniques, to learn to cut costs and possibly to learn to live with less. We encourage you to seek ways to creatively finance your education.

Is It Worth It?

The high student loan debt of medical school graduates has been a hot topic in the news recently. It may reassure you to know that the default rate for WVSOM students over the past three years has remained below 1%. Not only are WVSOM graduates paying off their student loan debt on time, but WVSOM graduates continue to be in high demand among residency programs. Below you can see the residency match information for the most recent classes of graduates.

WVSOM Match Data

For additional information on the success rates of our students, please review our graduate data which also covers board exam pass rates. 

Average Student Debt

Four Year Cohort Default Rates

Applying for Financial Aid

WVSOM uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as the official needs analysis document. The FAFSA along with the WVSOM Financial Aid Application must be filed yearly.

Loan Programs

• Unsubsidized Stafford: A non-need based loan for up to $42,722. Interest rate is fixed at 6.54% and interest accrues from the date of the first loan disbursement. The loan fee is 1.057%.
• Graduate Plus Loan: Federally insured loan at a fixed rate of 7.54% interest. Loan fee of 4.228%. Interest accrues from the date of the first disbursement. Eligibility is up to the budget maximum less other aid.

Additional information on these loan programs is available through the Federal Student Aid website.

Scholarships

A variety of scholarship opportunities are available to WVSOM students. The Director of Financial Aid provides information to those students who meet the specific scholarship requirements. You can also visit our Scholarship webpage for additional information. 

• Institutional and Privately Funded Scholarships: A limited number of scholarships are available through WVSOM
• Veterans Administration: Students who are eligible for VA benefits should contact their Regional VA Office or the WVSOM Registrar's Office
• Health Professions Scholarship Program: Full scholarships awarded through a branch of the armed forces. Contact your local Armed Forces recruiter for more information
• Federal Work Study: Campus-based, federally-funded program, which allows students to work during the summer and part-time during the academic year. There is a community service component to this program.
• Scholarships Promoted through AACOM: Each year, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine shares information about scholarship opportunities.