Tuition and Aid
Cost of Attendance: Tuition, Fees & Expenses
The total cost of attending Penn Vet includes tuition, fees, and estimated expenses for books, supplies, and room and board. There are also miscellaneous costs for such things as personal items, loan origination fees, and health insurance premiums. (Health insurance is mandatory for all Penn Vet students.)
All students, whether recently admitted or currently enrolled, should create a workable budget for tuition and educational fees, as well as living expenses and other costs incurred during their time as students.
Below you will find a table of tuition, fees, and estimated expenses by academic year for current classes.
Educational Budgets (2024–2025)
Residency Requirements
- Students may borrow funding up to their educational budget as determined by their state of residency.
- Fees and expenses for PA residents and non-PA resident students are the same.
- The PA resident subsidy accounts for the differences in the budgets.
Tuition and Fees — Billed Expenses
| Class Year | First | Second | Third | Fourth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $63,834 | $63,674 | $63,834 | $63,834 |
| Fees | $6,030 | $6,030 | $6,030 | $6,522 |
| PSIP | $4,412 | $4,412 | $4,412 | $4,412 |
| Total (non-PA resident) | $74,276 | $74,276 | $74,276 | $74,766 |
| Total (PA resident) | $64,276 | $64,276 | $64,276 | $64,766 |
Estimated Non-Billed Expenses
| Class Year | First | Second | Third | Fourth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food and Housing | $18,360 | $18,360 | $16,320 | $24,480 |
| Computer | $2,000 | |||
| Transportation/Clinical Rotations | $1,882 | $1,882 | $5,938 | $6,800 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,500 | $1,500 | $1,208 | $1,812 |
| Miscellaneous | $2,008 | $2,008 | $1,784 | $2,676 |
| Total Non-Billed Expenses | $25,750 | $23,750 | $25,250 | $35,768 |
Total Billed and Estimated Non-Billed Expenses
| Class Year | First | Second | Third | Fourth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-PA Resident | $100,026 | $98,026 | $99,526 | $110,534 |
| PA Resident | $90,026 | $88,026 | $89,526 | $100,534 |
Financial Aid
We at Penn Vet understand that affording your education can seem daunting. We are committed to helping you every step of the way — through budget plans, loan applications, the latest scholarship information, and more. Friends and alumni of Penn Vet play key roles in supporting student scholarship aid to help reducing our students’ debt.
Federal Loans
We advise you to apply for a federal student loan as soon as you have accepted Penn Vet’s offer for admission. There are three types of educational loans for which you may apply:
Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan
All United States citizens and eligible non-citizens who have completed the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online and been accepted to veterinary school are eligible to receive up to $40,500 each year.
Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan
This is a supplemental federal loan that can be used for any remaining educational expenses. Because the Grad PLUS is a credit-based loan you should review your credit report and resolve any issues before submitting your application. Adverse credit could prevent you from securing this loan. Penn Vet cannot offer financial assistance to replace this loan.
- CSS Profile — Please ensure you use the school code 2947 for PennVet School. Access the application at https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/. There is a $25 fee to complete the CSS Profile.
- 2024-25 FAFSA — The new FAFSA is now available for 2024-2025. Access the application at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
- Parent 2022 Federal Tax Returns — Submit the 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ that your parents filed in 2022 with all schedules and pages. Parents who live in a different country will need to submit earning statements translated to English. Submit these using the SRFS Secure Document Upload Portal.
- Student 2022 Federal Tax Returns — Submit the 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ that you, the student, filed in 2022 with all schedules and pages. If you did not file a tax return in 2022, you must submit the Non Tax-Filer Form. Submit these using the SRFS Secure Document Upload Portal.
Penn Vet Scholarships
School-based scholarship funding is limited. Most Penn Vet students finance their veterinary education primarily through loans. There are some exceptions, however, which are outlined below. Please read through these to see if any might be right for you.
Recruitment Scholarships
We use Recruitment Scholarships to attract exceptionally qualified students who will play important roles at Penn Vet and, later, in the veterinary profession. We award these scholarships to applicants who: show great potential for veterinary school; have plans for the future that they have begun to realize; and take a global approach to the practice of veterinary medicine. We seek students who will add diversity to their class, our school, and Penn; come from normally unrepresented regions of the U.S. or the world; have different cultural backgrounds; and demonstrate unusual or atypical interests.While grades are important, these are not the only deciding factors in the selection process for these awards, which are used to secure highly academically capable students and ones we otherwise might not attract. Email admissions@vet.upenn.edu for more information.
Opportunity Scholarships
Opportunity scholarships of $32,000 ($8,000 per academic year) are available for matriculated first-year students. Award recipients are selected based on academic merit and interests, extracurricular activities and financial need during the second semester of the student”s first year. Winners of these scholarships are also paired with mentors who work closely with them all during their years at Penn Vet.
Merit Scholarships
Continuing students are eligible for annual Merit Scholarships, which are made possible by generous donations from the Penn Vet community. The frequency and number of these scholarships depends on available funding. The minimum award amount for each one is currently $5,000. Contact our office for more information.
Outside Scholarship Resources
This list can be used as a starting point. The best way to keep up with scholarships and deadlines is to follow these and other clubs & organizations on social media.
AAVMC & AVMA
- Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
- American Veterinary Medical Foundation
Areas of Study
- American Kennel Club Veterinary Outreach Scholarship
- American Association of Swine Veterinarians
- American Association of Avian Pathologists
Corporations
Private Foundations
- William Goldman Foundation Scholarship- Applications are mailed to the the Students Affairs Office each year and students will be notified
- Dorothy Havemeyer Foundation
State Organizations
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association- Animal CarePA
- New Jersey Veterinary Foundation
- Vermont Veterinary Medical Association Foundation, Inc.
- The New Hampshire Veterinary Medical Association
- The Maine Veterinary Education Foundation (MVEF)
USDA
- Saul T. Wilson, Jr., Scholarship Program (STWJS)
- Adel A. Malak Scholarship
The FAFSA
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
All students MUST submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form between January 1 and May 1 each year at: www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA Code for the University of Pennsylvania is 003378. A FAFSA must be completed and filed every year in order to receive Federal Direct Loans.
Meet Nichole Davis Moore
Director of Scholarships &
Financial Aid
Nichole can help you navigate the at-times confusing landscape of financing your education. She’s part of your Penn Vet Admissions team!
(215) 898-4840
Private Loans
For more detailed information about Graduate/Professional loans, review Penn’s Student Financial Services webpage.
Stay Organized
Staying organized with your financial resources is critical to your success and peace of mind while you are a student at Penn Vet and beyond.
Because paperwork for financial aid takes at least eight weeks to process, you should start on it just as soon as you’ve accepted a place in the class.
When completing your FAFSA, use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool for ease, accuracy, and to minimize processing delays. Additionally, research housing costs and other expenses in the Philadelphia area, and speak with current students to understand what you can reasonably expect to pay for rent and other living costs. If you haven’t already, start tracking your current spending and create a budget using the many available budgeting tools.
Finally, begin researching outside sources of grant funding through various veterinary organizations like AVMF and this general guide (PDF).
Budget
Paying for Your Education
All students, whether recently admitted or currently enrolled, should create a workable budget for tuition and educational fees, as well as living expenses and other costs incurred during their time as students.