2026-2027 Cost of Attendance

It is the goal of the GW SMHS Program Financial Aid Office to provide you with the information necessary to make good choices in financing your medical school education. Our office offers a number of programs to assist you in financing your education, including institutional gift aid, merit and need-based scholarships, as well as participating in Federal Direct, HRSA, and institutional loan programs, and assisting students in obtaining private loans. GW SMHS Program Financial Aid will only certify loans to the total cost of attendance (COA) less any institutional aid, outside scholarships or other outside resources (e.g. AmeriCorps Segal Awards). Costs that may affect the COA are listed below the table.

Financial aid budgets are intended as a guide to reflect a student's AVERAGE cost of attendance; they do not imply the availability of financial aid funds. Please note that tuition rates and total COA figures are subject to change at any time. Some figures do not represent actual costs, they only serve as a general framework for your personal budget. If you borrow the full budget from financial aid you will incur considerable debt and may not be able to secure resources to complete your education, should you experience adverse credit. If you spend more in one budget category, you may need to spend less in another. Therefore, students are strongly encouraged to be mindful of their spending and to try to live below the budget.

The Financial Aid Office will divide each figure by two to represent the allowance for either the fall or spring semesters. M2 and M3 year students should please note that the National Board Exam fees are divided in half over both semesters.

2026-2027 Standard Cost of Attendance (Budgets) for Each Class Year of Students 

2026-2027 Regional Medical Center Standard Cost of Attendance

1. The Tuition category is tuition only for full-time students. Students who have less than full-time hours (9 credit hours) in any semester should review the Tuition and Fee Schedule for the SMHS. The COA is subject to change based on less than full-time hours. 

2. University Fees are assessed to all students registered on-campus.  These fees are comprised of the Student Government Association and MD Activity Fees. The Student Government Association Fee is $3.00/credit to a maximum of $45.00/semester for all medical students. The Activity Fee is $390/yr. (for 1st year students), $310/yr. (for 2nd year students), $170/yr. (for 3rd and 4th year students). Additionally, 1st year students are charged a $50 orientation fee and a $260 USMLE Step 1 study fee.  2nd Year students are also charged a $260 USMLE Step 1 study fee.           

3. Most books are available free through the Himmelfarb Library. However, M1 students have a $280 budget for Sketchy DDX. Students who require paper books should contact Dean Goldberg. Students with this requirement will be able to obtain a cost of attendance adjustment and loan eligibility.  M3 students have a $560 book budget to purchase USMLE step 2 study materials.                

4. Instrument costs for 1st year students include dissecting equipment and clinical instruments and the cost of a required notebook computer. The MD Program requires you to have a laptop computer and provides the required specifications for all laptop computers that will run the necessary software here. Your laptop must be able to run Examsoft software. Because it is a requirement for MS1 students to have a laptop. The laptop budget of $1650 is included in your cost of attendance.  Please be aware that this is a one-time allowance.  The allowance is for a computer/laptop, a monitor, and peripherals.                                   

5. The total living expenses is the monthly budget multiplied by the number of months in the academic year; it is provided as a guide. Students are expected to manage resources within the total budget according to their discretion.                                    

6. The Health Care Allowance includes approximately $4,000 for mandatory health insurance and is split unequally per term (subject to change). Please contact the Student Health Center for waiver information.

7. Loan fees are budgeted based on the average loan origination fee of students in the last academic year, 2025-2026. The fee is 1.057% on a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and 4.228% on a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan. Please note: students may not request an adjustment to the COA based on actual loan fees.                        

Increases to the Standard Cost of Attendance (COA) 

We are unable to increase the COA for any budget allowances not indicated below other than transportation based on clinical rotation location and/or extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Requests for increased federal aid eligibility must be made by April 15, 2026 by submitting a Cost of Attendance Adjustment Form with any required documentation. Please include your GWID on each document and in your email.

Deadline for requests: April 15, 2026 unless otherwise noted

Note: All requests for an increase to the COA must include the documentation mentioned for each category and a signed Cost of Attendance Adjustment Form, which may be found on the forms page. All documentation and the Cost of Attendance Adjustment Form must be submitted four weeks prior to the end of any semester, unless otherwise noted. Requests made after the last day of exams will be processed in the first week of the following semester.

Residency interview costs are included in the budget for 4th year students. Fourth year students who have financial aid ‘up to cost of attendance' and are still short of funds due to these expenses should contact the Financial Aid Office concerning the Fourth Year Residency Travel Allowance Request Form. The deadline to submit all documentation is March 15, 2027. This includes away rotations. Students may receive additional funding for up to 12 weeks of elective away rotations. Note: students may only receive funding for the required 26 weeks of electives in the degree program and no more. Please review the Fourth Year Residency Travel Allowance Request Form.

Dependent care costs. For the purpose of determining financial need for federal programs, Congress has mandated that only those costs associated with the student's education be considered. Within the methodology for determining need, Congress has included an income protection allowance for dependents which is subtracted from the student's income. This allowance thereby reduces the expected contribution from the student's household. This allowance is based on national averages. On a case-by-case basis, where the family's available income is less than the income protection allowance, an addition to the standard budget of a 'dependent care allowance' to reflect costs of food and shelter for dependents may be appropriate. The bottom line is: federal student loans are for student educational expenses only. For married students, the responsibility for childcare is split, and the student may only apply for an increase of 50% of reasonable costs. If the spouse is a stay-at-home parent, no increase will be made. Appeals may be made for a dependent spouse with challenges that do not allow them to care for their children. Documentation as to the actual cost will be required. Students should complete a Cost of Attendance Adjustment form.

Disability Accommodation Expenses. For a student with a disability, an allowance for expenses related to the student’s disability. These expenses may include, but are not limited to: special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably incurred and not provided by other agencies. Approvals for disability accommodation adjustments to the cost of attendance need to be originated from GW DSS, including the specific accommodation items and services that were purchased.  Approvals from DSS need to be submitted four weeks prior to the end of the academic year. The letter must be submitted with a Cost of Attendance Adjustment form, signed and dated letters from DSS, your physician and all documentation associated with the costs (i.e. receipts, explanation of benefit letters from your insurance provider, an itemized Excel spreadsheet with each item purchased listed including: the date of purchase, item purchased and if the receipt is associated with another document being submitted).

Other expenses. We may consider other educationally-related expenses on a case-by-case basis. If you have an expense that does not meet the guidelines stated above, please contact our office for consideration in person or email us at: medfinan [at] gwu [dot] edu (medfinan[at]gwu[dot]edu)

MD/MPH Program Cost of Attendance (COA) 

Summer 2026 and Fall/Spring 2026-2027

For M3 and M4 MD/MPH borrowers: Any student who has already been enrolled for 10 or more months during the 2025-2026 Academic Year is not eligible to receive federal loans to finance the summer session only. You may be eligible for federal loans of up to $20,500, split fall and spring, if you have not exceeded the $200,000 graduate debt lifetime limit. You may need to obtain a private student loan to cover the remaining cost of attendance. 

Please review the Summer Addendum form to initiate the financial aid process by July 30. You may also review the Burgess Loan Application that will be sent via email and apply by May 15. 

Please note that students may not increase their cost of attendance for residency interview travel during the MPH portion of this program.  Instead, students are advised to look for Residency and Relocation Loan products from a private lender. Students may request an increase for all other categories as described above. Requests for increased federal aid eligibility must be made by April 15, 2025 by submitting a Loan Adjustment Request Form with any required documentation.

This budget is set with the assumption that students will register 10 credit hours in the fall and 10 credit hours in the spring.  Any difference in registration will cause a change in this allowance.  Please note that credit hours in this program are charged at a rate of $1,800.

MD/Public Health Certificate. Students who wish to pursue the MD Public Health Certificate must complete 15 credit hours, 10 of those within the School of Public Health. Credit hour fees for certificate students are $1,440 each.  Each credit hour carries a $3 Student Association fee.

(2026-2027 Cost of Attendance TBD)