Optometry Grant Loan Program
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)
$5,000 a year for Virginia residents in Doctor of Optometry programs, forgiven by practicing optometry in Virginia for two years per award.
- How much
- $5,000 per year
- Who qualifies
- Virginia domicile for at least one full year; full-time in an approved optometry (O.D.) program at an accredited U.S. school; service: two years of full-time optometry practice in Virginia per promissory note.
- For grad students
- For optometry students
- When to apply
- Open now Rolling, first-come first-served; renewal packets get priority if submitted by June 1 before the academic year.
- How to apply
- Complete the Optometry Grant Loan Application and Master Promissory Note from SCHEV's page and submit it with the required documents to SCHEV as early as possible (first-come, first-served)
- What you'll need
- state application
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (schev.edu) and page 2
The details
For students domiciled in Virginia at least one year who enroll full-time in an accredited optometry program (O.D.) at an approved U.S. school (the list includes about two dozen colleges, e.g. Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus, Southern College of Optometry, SUNY, NOVA Southeastern). Award: $5,000 per year unless otherwise authorized, in one disbursement, not to exceed financial need when combined with other gift aid. Selected first-come, first-served. Renewable for up to two more years (priority if the renewal packet arrives by June 1). Recipients sign a promissory note and must work full-time as an optometrist in Virginia for two years for each note signed; otherwise it is repaid. Withdrawing after census makes the award refundable to SCHEV.
More money from Virginia
- Virginia Space Grant Undergraduate STEM Research ScholarshipUp to $8,500 per year
- Virginia Space Grant Graduate STEM Research Fellowship$6,000 per year
- Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG)Up to $5,250 per year for undergraduates (2026-27 maximum); $5,000 for eligible graduate health-professions students; higher at Hampton and Virginia Union
- Two-Year College Transfer Grant (CTG)Up to $1,000 per year base; plus up to $1,000 STEM-N bonus; plus $1,000 incentive at NSU, ODU, Radford, UVA Wise, VCU and VSU
- Granville P. Meade Scholarship$2,000 per year for four years (most recent cycle)
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.