As with all Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine financial aid, incoming and continuing medical students who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, undocumented or DACA are eligible to apply for the program. M.D./Ph.D. and international medical students have separate funding sources to support their medical education at Johns Hopkins, and are not covered by this program. If extenuating circumstances arise, a student completing the M.D. portion of their dual degree can contact the Office of Financial Aid to explore additional funding possibilities.

To determine financial need, M.D. students must complete the CSS Profile application for institutional scholarship funding (parental information required). Additional information on how to apply is available on the Office of Financial Aid website.

If you miss the December 15 deadline, we encourage you to submit your CSS Profile and tax materials as soon as possible to be considered for institutional scholarships.

In the fall of 2024, Johns Hopkins began offering free tuition for students pursuing a medical degree who come from families with total incomes below $300,000 per year, and free tuition plus coverage of living expenses and fees for students who come from families with total incomes below $175,000 per year. Families with total incomes above $300,000 may qualify for other federal and institutional need-based aid outside of this program.

 

When calculating your family’s total income, we look at your total financial picture, which can include:

• Wages and other taxable income reported on your federal tax return, including amounts reflected in Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
• Untaxed income, including contributions to employer-sponsored retirement plans
• Business or rental property losses
• Investment losses
• Depreciation related to real estate holdings
• Business distributions and other business-related payments
• Social Security benefits
• Other sources of income

Scholarship eligibility is not determined by the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) alone. Our institutional methodology considers the family’s total income, including both taxed and untaxed income, as well as other financial information reported as part of the financial aid application process. As a result, a family whose AGI falls within the published threshold may not qualify for scholarship support or may receive an award that differs from expectations. For more information about how total family income is calculated and how assets may affect eligibility, please see the FAQs, "How is total income calculated?" and “What are typical assets and how might they affect financial aid?”

At the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, we consider a family’s total income (taxed and untaxed) and assets. Significant family assets relative to income level will be factored into the eligibility determination for need-based aid. For more information, please refer to the eligibility requirements on the  financial aid website.

We consider resources such as:

• Cash, and money in checking and savings accounts
• Investments (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, educational funds, etc.)
• Any real estate owned besides the primary home
• The value of any businesses owned

What we don’t consider:

• Equity in the primary home
• Retirement accounts like 401(k)s, 403(b)s, IRAs, and other formal retirement plans

If your family has assets significantly above what is typical for your income level, this may impact your eligibility for financial aid.

Each of your parents will submit a CSS Profile and tax documents as part of your financial aid application. We’ll use the financial information from both parents to assess your eligibility for our financial aid program.

For families with total incomes above $300,000, we calculate the expected contribution using your financial aid application. If there is demonstrated financial need, you may be eligible for some institutional scholarship support.

The full cost of attendance award includes all direct costs and indirect costs as outlined on the school of medicine financial aid cost of attendance webpage. Direct costs (billed directly by Johns Hopkins) include tuition, health/dental insurance, student activity fee, imaging fee, matriculation fee and health services fee. Indirect costs (not billed by Johns Hopkins) include books, supplies, living expenses, transportation, personal expenses and the United States Medical Licensing Exam.

The portion of the aid package for direct costs will be applied to charges on student accounts. The portion of the aid package for indirect costs will be paid out to students in two equal installments — half in the fall and half in the spring. The funds will be directly deposited into the students’ personal bank accounts. The amount is based on the estimated cost of living in Baltimore City, as determined by surveys of current students.

Recipients of a full tuition award will not be responsible for tuition, and should see in their award letter the exact amount of tuition that is covered.

Students will be responsible for their health insurance, student activity fees, imaging fees and indirect costs associated with housing, books, supplies and transportation, as outlined on the financial aid cost of attendance webpage.

Scholarships and grants that cover tuition, fees and required course materials (books and supplies) are not taxable. However, any scholarship support that exceeds these amounts in a given calendar year, such as those used for living expenses, transportation or personal expenses, is considered taxable income by the IRS. It’s important for students to keep records of their expenses and consult with a tax adviser to understand their specific tax obligations.

We expect most families will qualify for a consistent level of support each year. If family income decreases, the student may see an increase in support. Only in rare situations, in which there is an extraordinary increase in family resources, might the level of support decrease.

Families (parents, current students and spouses) will need to submit tax documents annually to the Office of Financial Aid for continued eligibility. The Office of Financial Aid will provide detailed instructions in the spring semester each year to those students who must submit tax documents.  The annual federal tax requirement is only applicable to full cost of attendance and full tuition recipients.

Families will not have to resubmit the CSS Profile every year because awards will be automatically renewed and adjusted to reflect the new cost of attendance and tuition rate. (Please see the answer to “Is my award guaranteed?” for exceptions to the autorenewal/adjustment policy.)

Yes, award amounts will change to reflect changes to the tuition rate and the total cost of attendance. The award tiers provide full tuition and full cost of attendance; as these costs increase, a student’s award would also increase to reflect the new amount. Any current student who is not in these two award brackets but was eligible for need-based aid will see an increase in their award to reflect any change in the increase to tuition or other fees, to offset rising costs and to avoid the value of their financial aid award diminishing over time.

Veterans and dependents receiving VA benefits are still eligible for our need-based aid program. We will coordinate your VA benefits with your financial aid so they work together. Your aid offer might be adjusted to account for benefits you are already receiving. The goal is to fully support you without duplicating coverage while still meeting your financial need.

Other external funding, such as outside scholarships or AmeriCorps, may reduce your institutional aid, as your total financial aid cannot exceed your cost of attendance.

You may contact the Office of Financial Aid to learn how external funding may affect your eligibility.
 

No. This gift has been made available for academic year 2024–25 and future academic years only. All prior expenses students incurred with their Johns Hopkins medical education are the student’s responsibility.

No, a student who is unable to complete the program would not need to pay back the award. However, students who withdraw in the middle of the semester from the school of medicine are subject to the tuition refund policy. 

Students who are approved for a leave of absence (LOA), or Advanced Studies Program Status (ASPS), will have their scholarship placed on hold. Upon return, the Office of Financial Aid will confirm continued eligibility and may request updated tax documents and/or a new CSS Profile, as determined by the length of the leave. Students returning during the summer term will have their scholarship reinstated for the fall term. Institutional scholarships are not available in the summer term.

Scholarship recipients are capped at eight semesters of funding. A scholarship recipient with extenuating circumstances may appeal to the Office of Financial Aid for additional scholarship support; however, the determinations are made on a case-by-case basis.

Students who feel that the level of funding support they received is not reflective of their current financial circumstances should contact the Office of Financial Aid. You may need to complete a new CSS Profile application for institutional scholarship funding (parental information required).

Family financial circumstances can change. To ensure a consistent level of need-based support to students, the school of medicine financial aid team requires families (parents, current students and spouses) of full cost of attendance and full tuition awards to submit annual tax returns. If extenuating circumstances arise, students should contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Yes. Students who want to apply for aid for the first time should visit the Office of Financial Aid website to learn about the application process. To determine financial need, students need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for federal funding and the CSS Profile application for institutional scholarship funding (parental information required).

While international medical students may be considered for need-based financial aid, they are not eligible for income-based awards. We calculate the expected contribution using your financial aid application. If there is demonstrated financial need, you may be eligible for some institutional scholarship support. 

Students in the M.D./Ph.D. program have specific funding sources through the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to support dual degree education that already meet the cost of attendance. If extenuating circumstances arise, a student completing the M.D. portion of their dual degree can contact the Office of Financial Aid to explore additional funding possibilities.