Dr. Marie E. Zakrzewski Medical Scholarship

• citizens and legal permanent residents of the United States;
• must be of Polish descent;
• female resident of the state of Massachusetts;
• must be entering first, second or third year of studies towards an M.D. degree;
• GPA of 3.0 or higher is required;
• female candidates residing in New England will be considered if no eligible Massachusetts candidates apply.

Only one member per immediate family may receive a tuition scholarship during any given academic year. Awards are limited to only two tuition scholarships per individual during the period of their studies.

Prior winners of the Dr. Marie E. Zakrzewski Medical Scholarship may apply for funding under the KF Tuition Scholarship program.

Selection is based on application completeness, recommendation of teachers and professors, academic excellence and achievements, applicant’s interests, motivation, the applicant’s essay, involvement in the Polish American community. Financial need is taken into consideration.

First preference is given to female residents of the state of Massachusetts. Qualified residents of New England are considered if no first preference candidates apply. Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis.

A complete application includes the following materials:

• A – Scholarship Application and Financial Information Form
• B – Statement of Purpose/essay
• C – Admission Letter, if applicable
• D – Proof of Polish Ancestry
• E-  Photo
• F – Curriculum Vitae
• G – Official Transcripts
• H- Two Letters of Recommendations
• I – $40 non-refundable application fee

Notes Regarding Supporting Documents:

• A –  See the Click Here to Apply button below for application forms.  Submit a completed Financial Information Form. Candidates entering medical school please include budgetary figures for the top three schools you are most likely to attend .
• B – Submit a Statement of Purpose.  In your statement of purpose discuss your major and specialization, if any as well as relevant academic and extracurricular activities as well as your short and long term goals. Your statement will be three pages, double spaced.  Include your full name, ZAK24 and page numbers on each page of your statement.
• C – Submit official transcripts of studies. 3 academic years are required (through 2021), for example, a current second year student of medicine is required to submit official transcripts for first year of medical studies plus senior and junior year of undergraduate studies (1 year of medical studies + 2 years undergraduate studies).
  • An official transcript is one that is sent by the university or school directly to the Kosciuszko Foundation.  An official transcript is usually printed on official transcript paper and bears the embossed or raised seal of the university or school as well as the date and the registrar’s signature.  Official transcripts are usually sent in a sealed envelope and include the registrar’s signature stamped across the seal of the envelope;
  • The Foundation can accept a hard copy transcript from a student/candidate only when the official transcript remains in the original unopened, sealed envelope;
  • Electronic transcripts are accepted and are considered official if delivered securely through an organization authorized by your university and e-mailed directly to the Foundation.  The Foundation accepts electronic transcripts from Transcript Network by Credentials Solutions, LLC; Transcript Services at Parchment; Credentials eScrip-Safe  and from the National Student Clearinghouse.
• D – Two letters of recommendation are required.  Letters must be written on university letterhead and come from professors or teachers with whom you have studied recently.  The Foundation can accept letters via USPS or via e-mail, however, recommendation letters must come directly from the professor or school office, not from the student. A non-academic letter of recommendation will be accepted as an optional 3rd letter of support.  The optional letter may be submitted on your behalf by an employer or supervisor, leader or officer of an organization with whom you are affiliated or other person who can speak to relevant activities, abilities and or suitability for scholarship funding.  Recommenders who wish to submit letters via e-mail are asked to to save their documents as as ZAK24-Candidate’s Last Name-First Name-LOR-Prof’s Last name.
• E – Submit a copy of your letter of admission.  This requirement is only for students who are entering medical school in academic year Fall 2024/Spring 2025.  Admission letters are accepted through May 31st. 
• F – Submit proof of Polish ancestry.  Use copies of documents such as birth certificates, passports, naturalization papers and other official documents to trace your lineage to the ancestor who was born in Poland. Highlight relevant names and arrange the documents in chronological order.  Save all your documents to one file and save the file according to the file naming convention listed below.  One line of descent is needed to prove Polish heritage.  If the above described  documentation is not available, a letter from a prominent member of the community verifying Polish ancestry will be accepted.  Letters from relatives are not official documents and will not be accepted;  
• G – Submit a photo of yourself, which is suitable for publication in the  Kosciuszko Foundation’s Newsletter. A passport-style photo (headshot) is suggested.
• H – Submit your Curriculum Vitae. Include  awards, achievements, participation in clubs, activities, Polish clubs, etc.  
•  I – Submit the $40 non-refundable application fee.

• your essay, proof of ancestry, photo, CV.
• green card and naturalization certificate numbers (non-citizens)
•  high school and college start and end dates, degrees/expected degrees, graduation dates/expected dates of graduation

Additional notes: 

• Use the following file naming convention for all supporting documents: ZAK24-Your Last Name-Your First Name-Description of  File Contents.  Descriptions may include Financial Information Form (FIF); Financial Info; Essay; Admission-BU (include university initials); Heritage;  Ancestry; Photo; CV and similar descriptive terms;
• Acceptable file formats for documents include .doc, .docx, and .pdf
• Acceptable file formats for photos include .png, .jpg, and .jpeg
• If you feel that you qualify for more than one of our scholarships, include a note with your checklist and inform us of the scholarships for which you’d like to be considered.  Apply only once – we will consider you for any Kosciuszko Foundation scholarships for which you qualify.
•  We will contact you via e-mail or phone if questions arise or if clarification is needed – please respond promptly.
• Incomplete application will not receive consideration.
• Set aside enough time to complete the on-line form without taking a break.  You will not be able to save your answers and return to complete the form at a later time.

Documents to submit on-line:
A1- Application form
B- Personal Statement/Essay
F- Proof of Polish descent
G- PhotoH- Curriculum Vitae 

Documents to submit via USPS or e-mail:
A2- Financial Information Form
C- Official Transcripts
D- Letters of Recommendation
E- Medical School Admission letters
I- $40 application fee (USPS only) if payment is made by check.

Submit hard copy materials to:
Grants Department
Kosciuszko Foundation, Inc.
15 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065

Submit questions and supporting materials to:
E-mail: tuitionscholarships@thekf.org
Phone:  (212) 734-2130 ext. 412