I'm first-gen, pre-med, and trying to figure out how to pay for college without driving my family into debt. My parents can't help — they don't even know what FAFSA is. Every scholarship website I find seems sketchy or wants money to apply. I'm so overwhelmed I've just... stopped looking. 
A 2026 Texas policy report found that "38 percent of Texas young adults report that their pay does not cover basic living expenses" . That's me. I work 20 hours a week and still can't afford rent, books, and food. If I don't find scholarships, I don't know how I'll make it.
Here's what I've learned from searching:
Start with your university's financial aid office. They often have scholarships that don't get advertised widely. One friend got a $5,000 scholarship she never would have found because it was buried on the website.
Look for scholarships tied to your identity or background. First-gen scholarships, Hispanic scholarships, rural scholarships — these often have fewer applicants than general scholarships. The Texas First Generation Scholarship Program is one example.
Check professional organizations. The Texas Medical Association has scholarships for students interested in healthcare. Local medical societies sometimes have smaller awards too.
Don't ignore small scholarships. $500 here, $1,000 there — it adds up. And they're often less competitive.
Ask your professors. Seriously. One of my professors mentioned a scholarship in class that I never would have found online. Apply for everything you qualify for.
The report also mentioned that young Texans face "some of the country's highest uninsured rates, provider shortages, financial instability" . There are scholarships specifically for students committed to serving underserved communities in Texas — that could be a good angle.
For other first-gen pre-med students: how did you figure this out? What resources actually helped? Where should I be looking that I'm probably missing? I need a roadmap because right now I'm just wandering in the dark.
A 2026 Texas policy report found that "38 percent of Texas young adults report that their pay does not cover basic living expenses" . That's me. I work 20 hours a week and still can't afford rent, books, and food. If I don't find scholarships, I don't know how I'll make it.
Here's what I've learned from searching:
Start with your university's financial aid office. They often have scholarships that don't get advertised widely. One friend got a $5,000 scholarship she never would have found because it was buried on the website.
Look for scholarships tied to your identity or background. First-gen scholarships, Hispanic scholarships, rural scholarships — these often have fewer applicants than general scholarships. The Texas First Generation Scholarship Program is one example.
Check professional organizations. The Texas Medical Association has scholarships for students interested in healthcare. Local medical societies sometimes have smaller awards too.
Don't ignore small scholarships. $500 here, $1,000 there — it adds up. And they're often less competitive.
Ask your professors. Seriously. One of my professors mentioned a scholarship in class that I never would have found online. Apply for everything you qualify for.
The report also mentioned that young Texans face "some of the country's highest uninsured rates, provider shortages, financial instability" . There are scholarships specifically for students committed to serving underserved communities in Texas — that could be a good angle.
For other first-gen pre-med students: how did you figure this out? What resources actually helped? Where should I be looking that I'm probably missing? I need a roadmap because right now I'm just wandering in the dark.
