There are far more physical therapy scholarships available than you may think. This website, provides an exhaustive list of all of the scholarship opportunities open to you. It also provides you with information on the amount that you can receive through that scholarship and on the deadline by which you must apply for the scholarship. It is a very up to date resource and an excellent place to begin your search for a physical therapy scholarship.
There are a number of different sources that you can appeal to for scholarships. These include specific physical therapy schools such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of North Carolina. If you have a specific school in mind it may be a good idea to enquire as to whether or not that school offers any scholarship programs that you may be able to benefit from. Physical therapy associations, such as The American Physical Therapy Association and The Texas Physical Therapy Association, are also great places to look as these associations often offer very good scholarships specifically aimed at physical therapy students. Various foundations, such as The Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions and the Tylenol Scholarship Fund, also offer scholarship opportunities.
Physical Therapy Scholarships List
General Scholarships
There are a number of general scholarships that anyone who would like to be a physical therapist can apply for. The most well-known ones are mentioned here. The comprehensive list is very long, but well worth your time and effort to consider all of the options that you are eligible for as this will increase your chances. When reading through the examples below remember that they are far from being your only choices as there are many other options for you to choose from.
American Academy Of Physical Therapy Scholarship
The American Academy of Physical Therapy Scholarship is open to students who are already enrolled in a physical therapist training program. The program has to be appropriately accredited in order for you to receive the scholarship. The program must be accredited by:
- The American Academy of Physical Therapy, or
- It must be a candidate for accreditation
Successful candidates need to show their dedication to helping other by participating in:
- Internships
- Clinics
- Community projects
In addition to participation in one or more of the above, your scholastic achievement will also be taken into consideration. The maximum scholarship amount for this scholarship is $500.
American Physical Therapy Association Scholarship Program
This foundation provides scholarships to physical therapy students every year. There are a number of different scholarships offered by the foundation. Some examples include:
- The Florence P. Kendall Doctoral Scholarships worth $5,000 each
- The Promotion of Doctoral Studies Scholarships which can be as high as $7,500 or $15,000
American Occupational Therapy Foundation Scholarship Program
To qualify for this scholarship you must be a full-time student in an occupational therapy or occupational therapy assistant program. To be eligible you must:
- Possess outstanding academic achievement
- Become a member of the AOTF
- Submit two references
- Submit a program director’s statement
The association offers more than 50 scholarships ranging in value from $500 to $1500. You can apply for more than one scholarship, but you will only be awarded one if you are successful.
The Tylenol Scholarship Fund
The Tylenol Scholarship Fund consists of a total amount of $25000 and is for students who plan to work in the healthcare industry. This is made up of:
- 150 grants that are worth $1,000 each
- 20 scholarships worth $5,000 each
Both undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students in the domain of physical therapy can apply for assistance from this fund.
Texas Physical Therapy Association Scholarship Program
This scholarship program offers physical therapy scholarship to two types of students:
- Students at the Master’s or PhD level
- Physical therapists who are already licensed but are still continuing their further studies
The scholarship amount depends on several factors and can range from anything between $2000 and $7000.
The Association Of Schools Of Allied Health Professions Scholarship Program
This scholarship program is there for all physical therapy students who are enrolled in a school belonging to the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professionals (ASHAP). To find out what schools belong to the association, please visit this website. To qualify:
- You must complete at least one semester of coursework
- You must submit an application form
- You must submit your resume
- You must submit a nomination letter endorsed by the ASAHP institutional representative
- You must submit a short statement explaining your choice of career
The award amount is about $1000.
Colleges Specific Scholarships
Many colleges offer college specific scholarships. These are well worth considering as well. The website given in the previous section also contains information about these scholarships. Two of the more popular examples, namely the Caroline, Clara, Charles, and Mildred Harper Scholarship from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Charlotte Money Beatty Memorial Scholarship from the University of North Carolina, are mentioned below to illustrate this point.
Caroline, Clara, Charles, And Mildred Harper Scholarship (University Of Wisconsin-Madison)
This scholarship, offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, awards two female Physical Therapy students in their first year of schooling with $1,200. This is a scholarship aimed at sophomores. In order to qualify for this you must:
- Be female
- Pass the requirements of outstanding academic standing
- Show proof of financial need
Charlotte Money Beatty Memorial Scholarship (University Of North Carolina)
This scholarship, which is offered by the University of North Carolina, was created in loving memory of Charlotte Money Beatty. The scholarship is aimed at the following students in descending order of importance:
- Minority students, and
- Students expressing a desire to pursue a career in pediatric physical therapy
Scholarship Scams
There are a number of things that you should be on the lookout for when applying for scholarships. There are unfortunately a number of people out there who will try to trick you out of your money by offering fake scholarship opportunities. The main things that you should look out for include:
- The ‘organization’ offering the scholarship does not provide a telephone number
- There is no proof that anyone has won the scholarship in the past
- The scholarship search service claims that it has influence over a scholarship sponsor
- The scholarship opportunity requires you to pay a fee
- You are notified of the scholarship by phone rather than by mail
- The scholarship has exceptional endorsement claims: do some research to make sure that they are being honest on that point
- The scholarship sponsor becomes angry and abusive when you speak with them
- The scholarship is awarded on a first come first served basis
- The scholarship website claims that you are guaranteed to win a scholarship
- The scholarship program uses a California or Florida address: these are seen as more legitimate by the general public for some reason so scams use these addresses. Obviously there are genuine California and Florida scholarships, so you will have to tread carefully.
- The scholarship is offered by a newly formed company
- The scholarship sponsor requests your personal financial information
- The scholarship claims to be form a federal agency – again do your research carefully in this regard
- The scholarship searcher claims that they will apply for the scholarship for you
- The scholarship sponsor claims that you have won a scholarship that you never applied for
- The scholarship website or application form contains basic spelling and grammar errors
- The scholarship sponsor contacts you before you contact them
- The scholarship search company claims to have a very high success rate
- The scholarship fund does not have a business address but only a P.O Box
- The scholarship fund requires you to pay additional fees for things like postage
- The scholarship fund claims that everyone is eligible to apply for the scholarship: most scholarship funds are looking for very specific candidates
- The scholarship program claims to be a non-profit organization
- The scholarship program claims that a large number of scholarships went unclaimed in the previous year
Tips For Finding The Best Scholarships
The first thing that you should do when looking for the best physical therapy scholarships is to visit this website. It simply cannot be stressed enough how important this website is. In addition you could consider buying a scholarship book that contains all of the information you need on the different scholarships available.
Speak to someone who already has a very good idea about what scholarship opportunities are available. Try your career counselor at your school or the financial aid office at your university. These people know what the options are and can give you good advice based on their experience.
Get in touch with the community organizations and civic groups n your area as these groups often raise money specifically to help students who stand out. Local businesses often also give out scholarships to top achievers in their area, so make sure you are aware of these options.
Get in touch with the physical therapy professional associations and find out from the source what your options are. You will look good for taking the initiative to contact them yourself. Pave the way by enquiring as to how you would go about joining the association.
Find out form your specific college what its scholarship opportunities entail. Often schools have scholarship opportunities that are not widely advertised. They also tend to have very narrow criteria for application, so you will be up against less competition.
If you or your parents belong to an employer’s union see if the union has any scholarship options going. You may be surprised at how often you can get aid in this way.
Last but not least you should search the local newspapers for advertisements for scholarship opportunities regularly.
The Benefits Of Scholarships
There are a number of benefits to receiving a scholarship. For one thing it will get you recognition. If you have a received a scholarship it means that academically you shone and stood out above the many other candidates that also applied. This will always look good on a resume. This is another of the great benefits of a scholarship. They can make your resume shine and stand out from other applicants when it comes time to start applying for jobs. This extra edge could make all the difference in terms of whether or not you reach your career goals. This will also enhance your self-esteem and give you the confidence to continue achieving at a high level from thereon out. The obvious benefit is that you will be given monetary assistance. In some cases scholarship money is paid directly to you and not to your school. This is great if you do not need the funds to pay for your actual education. The money can go into other expenses associated with university. This will free up any money you get from other sources, such as a part-time job, for your own entertainment and enjoyment. If you win a scholarship it may increase your chances of getting into the best universities. As mentioned previously a scholarship shows that you stand out from the crowd academically. There are many schools out there that are specifically looking for students who are top achievers to add to their school. A scholarship can basically open many doors for you.
Those people who have decided on a career as a physical therapist are in luck as there are a number of physical therapy scholarships available. Often students who state that they cannot find or qualify for a scholarship are simply not aware of all of their options. An exhaustive examination of every option is necessary if you are to find the best opportunities for you.