Adolescent and Young Adult Scholarship Program

The Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program Scholarship is designed to provide funding to support the educational goals of MD Anderson patients and survivors.

Applications will be accepted for the 2025-2026 academic year from April 1-May 4, 2025 (application will close May 4, 2025 at 11:59PM). Access the scholarship application here.

Awardees will be notified via email by June 1, 2025.

Application Criteria

To apply, you must:

• Be a high school senior, high school graduate or GED recipient.
• Be a current or past patient who received cancer treatment at MD Anderson.
• Be between the ages of 16-39.
• Be enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in an accredited trade, undergraduate or graduate school.
• Submit proof of registration for classes. Proof of acceptance will be accepted in lieu of proof of registration for incoming freshmen.
• Submit an official transcript that includes grades from the most recent semester. If it is not possible to get an official transcript electronically, a copy of the official transcript can be uploaded by the patient.
• Submit two letters of recommendation. Letters can be written by a variety of people (teachers, coaches, community leaders, etc.) but should not be from relatives or MD Anderson employees. Recommendation letters should tell us about the person and why he or she would be a good candidate for this scholarship. Letters must include the writer’s name, address and telephone number, and should be from the current calendar year.
• Submit a 300-500 word essay describing how cancer has impacted your life and how this scholarship would contribute to your life goals.
• Plan to obtain 18 hours across 2 semesters (15 hours if one of the two semesters is a summer semester).
• Maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average.
• Complete and sign the scholarship application by the stated scholarship deadline. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.
• Not have previously received an AYA Scholarship at MD Anderson (previously called the Pediatric College Scholarship).

Selection process

Applicants are evaluated based on application, grade point average, quality of essays and quality of recommendations. Applications are reviewed and evaluated by the MD Anderson AYA Scholarship Committee. Scholarships are awarded on an objective basis and incomplete applications will not be considered.

If you have any questions, contact Heather DeRousse, AYA vocational counselor, at hmderous@mdanderson.org.