Help paying for a cremation
Donating a body to a medical school can remove most costs. After study, the school arranges cremation.
Whole body donation to a medical school
Some schools return the ashes to the family. Others scatter or bury them together. Ask before you decide.
Most programs allow no viewing or funeral with the body present. A memorial service without the body is always possible.
The wait is long. Programs keep the body for one to two years before cremation.
Any program can turn down a body at the time of death. Common reasons are an autopsy, organ donation, some infections, recent surgery, trauma or weight. If that happens, the family must make other plans and pay for them. Please keep a backup plan.
Some programs need forms signed before death. Others let next of kin donate afterward.
Remember to also ask about Social Security and VA burial benefits. See our separate guides.
| Program | State | Cremation included | Ashes returned to family | Cost to family | Notes | Official URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAMS Anatomical Gift Program | AR | Yes. Arkansas licensed crematory. | Yes, if requested. Otherwise buried at Forest Hills Cemetery, Alexander. | No program cost. A funeral home may charge for pickup and cold storage if death is at home or where there is no morgue. | Next of kin can donate after death. | https://medicine.uams.edu/neuroscience/frequentlyaskedquestions/ |
| OU Health Willed Body Program | OK | Yes. Crematory approved by the State Anatomical Board. | Can be returned to survivors, or scattered or buried by the program. | Not stated on the pages we read. Survivors pay for any obituary. | Out of state deaths not accepted. Body kept about two years on average. | https://medicine.ouhsc.edu/faculty/office-of-medical-education/willed-body-program/instructions-for-donors |
| OSU Center for Health Sciences Body Donor Program (Tulsa) | OK | Yes. | Returned to relatives or friends, or scattered in a flower garden. | None within 120 miles of Tulsa. Beyond that, family pays embalming and transport. | Must be accepted before death. One to two years before cremation. | https://medicine.okstate.edu/academics/anatomy-cell-biology/body-donor-program |
| University of Missouri Gift of Body Program (Columbia) | MO | Yes. The university pays. | Yes, returned or interred at the university's expense. | Family pays transport, funeral director fees and the death certificate filing. | Enrollment forms needed. Weight limit about 200 lbs. | https://medicine.missouri.edu/departments/pathology-and-anatomical-sciences/gift-of-body |
| Washington University Body Donor Program (St. Louis) | MO | Yes. | No. Scattered at the Tyson Research Center near Eureka. | No program fee. The funeral home bills for its services. | Form must be on file before death. Donation after death without it may or may not be possible. | https://bodydonorprogram.wustl.edu/FAQ/ |
| Saint Louis University Gift Body Program | MO | Yes. | No. Buried together at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery, St. Louis. | Transportation only. | Donor must sign forms personally before a notary. | https://www.slu.edu/medicine/medical-education/case/gift-body-program.php |
| A.T. Still University (ATSU-KCOM) Gift of Body Program (Kirksville) | MO | Yes. | Yes, if requested. Otherwise buried at Forest-Llewellyn Cemetery. | Family asked to pay embalming and transport. ATSU will pay reasonable costs if a burden, arranged in advance. | Next of kin can donate. About two years. | https://www.atsu.edu/kirksville-college-of-osteopathic-medicine/community/gift-of-body |
| Kansas City University Gift Body Program | MO | Yes. | Yes, if desired, by registered mail. Or interment at Park Lawn Cemetery. | University pays transport in Greater Kansas City. Family pays outside 100 miles. | Next of kin can donate. 12 to 18 months, two years at most. | https://www.kansascity.edu/give/gift-body-program/gift-body-faqs |
Sources: UAMS Anatomical Gift Program, FAQ; OU Health Willed Body Program, Instructions for Donors; OSU Center for Health Sciences, Body Donor Program; University of Missouri, Gift of Body; Washington University Body Donor Program, FAQ; Saint Louis University, Gift Body Program; A.T. Still University, KCOM Gift of Body Program; Kansas City University, Gift Body FAQs
County help as a last resort
Some counties pay for a basic cremation when there is no money and no one else can pay. These programs are strict and differ from county to county.
Clay County, Missouri is one example. It calls its program a last resort. The person who died must have qualified for public assistance, and the county chooses the funeral home.
Call your county government or public administrator to ask what is available where you live.
Source: Clay County (MO) Public Administrator, Indigent Cremation Program
Deaths caused by a declared disaster
If a death is tied to a federally declared disaster, FEMA may help with funeral costs. FEMA asks families in that situation to apply for disaster assistance.
Source: FEMA, Assistance with funerals? (last updated Feb 5, 2020)
Keeping costs low
Direct cremation is the lowest cost cremation. The Funeral Consumers Alliance calls $700 to $1,400 a reasonable price, depending on the region. [EST]
You do not have to buy an urn. The plain container from the crematory is fine for keeping, burial or shipping.
Common questions
Is there free cremation for low income families?
Whole body donation to a medical school can cover cremation. Some counties also offer a last resort cremation for people who qualified for public assistance. Rules vary.
Will we get the ashes back after body donation?
It depends on the school. UAMS, OU, OSU, Mizzou, ATSU and KCU can return ashes. Washington University scatters them, and Saint Louis University buries them together.
Is body donation completely free?
Not always. Several programs ask the family to pay transport or a funeral home's fees. OSU charges nothing within 120 miles of Tulsa. Ask each program.
Can a medical school turn down a donation?
Yes. Programs can decline for reasons like autopsy, infection, trauma, recent surgery or weight. The family then needs another plan.
What is indigent cremation?
It is a basic cremation paid by a county when no one can pay. Clay County, Missouri, for example, calls its program a last resort and checks public assistance eligibility.