BENEFACTOR REPORT

Dr. Joseph K. Hurd Jr. and Jean C. Hurd Scholarship Fund

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George Q. Daley, MD, PhD
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine

June 2026
George Q. Daley, MD, PhD

Dear Dr. & Mrs. Hurd,

Sincerely,

Our financial aid program reflects our core belief that cost should never be a barrier to attending Harvard Medical School. And, with thanks to support from donors and alumni like you, we can welcome outstanding students regardless of their financial means and enable them to begin their training with purpose and focus. 

Harvard Medical School is proud to offer one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country. In fiscal year 2025, we awarded $31.2 million in MD financial aid, placing HMS sixth nationally in total MD scholarship funding awarded. Seventy-one percent of our MD students receive aid, with an average annual scholarship of $61,758, and half of our scholarship recipients qualify for our Middle Income Initiative, which adjusts the parental contribution expected from HMS families with the greatest financial need. Your support is essential to maintaining this level of aid and directing resources to those with the greatest need.

Even in a current challenging financial environment, with uncertain federal support, we remain steadfast in our commitment to financial aid. With your partnership, we can continue to prioritize access and opportunity for outstanding students.

Financial aid does more than ease financial pressure—it enables our students to fully engage in their education, research, and clinical experiences, and to pursue careers guided by impact and service rather than by financial constraints. Thank you for your dedication to Harvard Medical School and for your longtime support that helps to educate and inspire the next generation of physicians and physician-scientists.  

It is a great pleasure to share with you this report on the Dr. Joseph K. Hurd Jr. and Jean C. Hurd Scholarship Fund at Harvard Medical School. Philanthropic support has made a tremendous difference in our students’ lives and in the future of medicine, and this fund, named in your honor, exemplifies the important impact of financial aid at Harvard Medical School.

cc: Mr. Jason H. Hurd and Mr. Joseph K. Hurd III​

Alvin Zou

Dr. Joseph K. Hurd Jr. and Jean C. Hurd Scholarship Fund

Pathways, Class of 2029

Path to Medicine

Alvin grew up in a low‑income immigrant household that relied on public support and became the first in his family to navigate the United States education system. He spent his early years in Fuzhou, China, and then grew up in Queens, New York, which sharpened his awareness of how social and economic forces shape health. These experiences inspired him to pursue medicine and a career serving patients and families.

Training & Development

Alvin graduated from MIT with training in chemical‑biological engineering, computer science, and molecular biology. He tutored adults in English and citizenship, eventually serving as a co‑leader of the program, and took on leadership roles in E33, a student lighting and production group.  To gain clinical experience, he volunteered in orthopedic surgery recovery at the Hospital for Special Surgery, in a pediatric intensive care and chemotherapy infusion center at Massachusetts General Hospital, and as an adult inpatient volunteer with NYC Health.

Access & Opportunity

Financial aid makes Alvin's medical education possible and allows him to focus on research, service, and clinical learning without the constant pressure of financial insecurity.

BA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2025)

Your support of financial aid ensures that the world’s most promising students can attend Harvard Medical School, regardless of their financial means. In turn, these students, representing a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives go on to become innovators and leaders in the field of medicine. HMS is proud to have one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country.

 Thank you

We could not do this without you.

Class of 2029

HST

165

Students

PATHWAYS

135

30

15 students are pursuing both an MD and a PhD (MD-PhD)

14%

From groups historically underrepresented in medicine

62

Colleges

31

U.S. States

09

Countries

The Impact of Financial Aid

Average annual scholarship

$61,758

Qualify for the HMS Middle Income Initiative, which adjusts the parental contribution expected for HMS families with the greatest financial need.

50%

Come from a family whose annual income is $50,000 or less

1 in 5

Receive financial aid

71%

Student Beneficiary

The Impact

Office of Alumni Affairs and Development


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