Medical Student Aid Society Fund
The Medical Student Aid Society (MSAS) was incorporated in Pennsylvania in December 1950 with the purpose of assisting two aid-worthy medical students and to encourage and advance medical education by providing and establishing scholarships awards.
Students will complete an application form in order to be considered for the interest-free loan. The deadline for the submission of applications will be February 15.
Questions? Contact scholarships@jewishphilanthropies.org.
Students are eligible to receive up to $5,000 in each academic year.
Now accepting Interest Free Loan Applications.
Completed application and supporting documentation must be submitted by February 15 to receive an interest-free loan for the upcoming academic year beginning in July/August.
Notification of awards will be made in March.
History
The Medical Student Aid Society (MSAS) was incorporated in Pennsylvania in December 1950 with the purpose of assisting two aid-worthy medical students and to encourage and advance medical education by providing and establishing scholarships awards.
When it originated, assistance included direct financial assistance and financial assistance for housing to in-need and deserving members of the medical profession.
The MSAS was sponsored by the Phi Lambda Kappa professional medical fraternity which was founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 1907 and developed into a prominent national fraternity comprised of dozens of chapters and members numbering in the tens of thousands.
As part of a planned consolidation of Jewish medical fraternities nationally, the fraternity evolved through consolidation, becoming the “Eastern Branch” of an expanded Phi Lambda Kappa by adding Aleph Yodh He, a national fraternity formed in 1908.
When Dr. Harold Levy became director of the MSAS, he expanded the organization’s financial resources. Dr. Levy also created a partnership with the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo, focusing and limiting the mission to awarding interest-free loans to students at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
After Dr. Levy’s passing in 2019, MSAS was dissolved as an independent not-for-profit corporation and merged into the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies in 2020.
The Foundation is proud to continue Dr. Harold Levy’s legacy, the Phi Lambda Kappa professional medical fraternity, and the MSAS through continuation of the interest-free loan program and administration of the MSAS Fund, a restricted fund at the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies.
The Medical Student Aid Society Fund in collaboration with The Jacobs School of Medicine awards interest-free loans for the benefit of second, third, and fourth-year medical students attending Jacobs Medical School.
Eligibility & Guidelines
Eligibility Criteria
- Successful completion of one full academic year at an accredited medical school
- Second, third, or fourth-year medical student attending the Jacobs School of Medicine at the University at Buffalo
- Excellence in Academic performance
- Documented financial need
- Academic program must lead to a Medical Doctor’s degree
- Questions? Contact the Foundation, info@jewishphilanthropies.org.
Documentation Requirements
Before you begin your application, please gather the following materials which will need to be submitted as a PDF or JPG.
Financial Aid Forms & Supporting Documentation
- Student Aid Report (SAR) which is obtained upon completion and processing of your FAFSA
- Financial Aid Award Letter from University at Buffalo – Jacobs School of Medicine
- Verification of Income. Acceptable documents include individual/family tax returns (the first two pages of Form 1040 or the first three pages of Form 1040-SR), and/or W-2/1099 forms.
Academic Transcripts
- Graduate/Professional students: all undergraduate transcripts along with those from post-baccalaureate study obtained through the Registrar/Student Records Office.
Questions? Contact scholarships@jewishphilanthropies.org.
The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies would be honored to assist you and your family in preserving your legacy through the education of future generations.