Candace Mast Veterinary Medicine Scholarship Application Guide 2026–2027: Requirements & Deadline (USA)

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Overview

The Candace Mast Veterinary Medicine Scholarship Fund was established in 2014 through the East Tennessee Foundation specifically to support female students studying veterinary medicine. It’s a $4,000, one-year award, and the Foundation explicitly encourages past recipients to reapply each year rather than assuming the scholarship automatically renews.

Differentiating fact: several currently-ranking scholarship listings cite outdated figures for this award — some list the value at $3,000 and give a standalone February 15 deadline. The East Tennessee Foundation’s own current page shows the award is now $4,000, and there is no separate, dedicated application form with its own deadline at all. Instead, applicants apply through ETF’s shared Common Application, open annually from December 15 through March 15, which simultaneously considers applicants for the Candace Mast Scholarship alongside many of the Foundation’s other scholarship funds.

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Nationality & Residency Requirements

To meet the Candace Mast Veterinary Medicine Scholarship US citizen requirement, applicants must be US citizens. Beyond citizenship, applicants must be residents connected to the East Tennessee Foundation’s 25-county service area in East Tennessee — the Foundation’s community-based scholarship model ties eligibility to that specific regional footprint rather than statewide or national residency.

Academic & GPA Eligibility Requirements

The Candace Mast Veterinary Medicine Scholarship GPA requirement is a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA. Beyond that academic threshold, applicants must meet several specific program and career-path criteria:

• Applicant must be newly-accepted or currently enrolled in a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program.
• Applicant must be attending either the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, or Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine — no other veterinary school qualifies.
• Applicant must be a female student, consistent with the scholarship’s founding purpose.
• Applicant must demonstrate financial need.
• Applicant must be committed to a career path in clinical (not research) veterinary medicine — this is a specific and non-negotiable distinction, since the scholarship is not intended for students pursuing veterinary research careers.

Application Materials Needed

Because this scholarship runs through ETF’s shared application system, the required materials align with the Foundation’s Common Application process:

1. Completed East Tennessee Foundation Common Application, submitted online within the December 15 – March 15 window.
2. Proof of DVM program acceptance or current enrollment at UT Knoxville or Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine.
3. Academic transcript(s), confirming your undergraduate GPA meets the 3.0 minimum.
4. Documentation supporting demonstrated financial need.
5. A statement or supporting information confirming your intended clinical veterinary career path, since the scholarship specifically excludes research-track applicants.

Step-by-Step How to Apply

1. Confirm your eligibility — US citizenship, residency connection to the ETF 25-county service area, female applicant status, a 3.0+ undergraduate GPA, and acceptance to or enrollment in the DVM program at UT Knoxville or Lincoln Memorial University.
2. Visit the East Tennessee Foundation’s “Apply for Scholarships” page to access the Common Application, rather than searching for a scholarship-specific form.
3. Complete the Common Application in full between December 15 and March 15 — applying earlier within that window is generally advisable, since the application also feeds into consideration for the Foundation’s other scholarship funds.
4. Submit your transcripts and proof of DVM program status.
5. Clearly document your financial need and your commitment to clinical (not research) veterinary medicine, since both are explicit, separately evaluated eligibility criteria.
6. If you’ve received this scholarship before, reapply through the same Common Application the following year — the Foundation does not treat it as automatically renewing.
7. Watch for notification from the East Tennessee Foundation after the March 15 window closes and applications are reviewed.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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