Scholarships for Massage Schools
What is a massage scholarship?
A massage therapy scholarship is a type of financial aid available to people looking to attend college. It differs from a student loan in that you do not have to repay a scholarship. Scholarships are given by federal and state governments, colleges, private organizations or charities. The basis for granting scholarships varies.
- Need based scholarships - These scholarships look primarily at your income level to determine eligibility.
- Merit based scholarships - Scholarships in this category are based on academic achievement, athletic or artistic ability, or other accomplishments. Private organizations and schools frequently offer these.
- Student specific scholarships - This type of scholarship targets certain groups of people based on specific qualifications that may include ethnicity, gender, family, and medical conditions.
- Career specific scholarships - Students interested in a particular field of study, such as massage, will want to look at this type of funding.
Where can massage school scholarships be found?
You may be pleasantly surprised to know that there are many scholarships available for those who are interested in massage therapy. A few examples are:
- The Spa Foundation - This organization offers scholarships for massage and other spa technicians and are interested in helping students succeed after graduation.
- The Cortiva Institute - This school offers a $1,000 Founders Scholarship as well as a $500 Presidents Scholarship.
- Bastyr University - Located near Seattle, Washington, this school offers a Licensed Massage Therapists Scholarship of $1,500 to students who qualify.
For more information on financial aid there are several websites where prospective students can search for massage scholarships. Here are just a few:
- Collegeboard.com - After completing a short questionnaire, this site will search over 2,300 sources for potential scholarship matches for you.
- Imagine America Scholarship Program - This site offers the Adult Student Scholarship Award to people over age 21.
- The Sallie Mae Funds Scholarship Program - Search this site for general scholarships and well as student-specific scholarships.
- College-scholarships.com - You can easily search for schools by state and zip code at this site.
- Fastweb.com - This site requires registration, but it is free and allows you to search their database of 1.3 million scholarships.
How do I qualify?
- Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form at the www.fafsa.ed.gov Web site.
- Most massage scholarships have strict deadlines. Be sure to have all of your paperwork, essays, and other requirements in on time.
- It is recommended that you start your search at least a year before you would like to begin massage school.
- Qualifications for massage school scholarships vary and you need to contact the school or organization offering the scholarship to be sure of the requirements.
