If physical therapy is the therapy for the aching body, what is the therapy for a budget about to ache from an expensive education program for a degree in Physical Therapy?

Today, students of Physical Therapy have to take a path quite different from the one taken by their predecessors some years back. A Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy has been phased out in most schools. Students of today must get a four-year college degree in another program first before they can become physical therapists by entering a program for a Master's degree or a higher PhD in Physical Therapy.

This Physical Therapy path is taxing- physically, mentally, financially. However, a scholarship for a degree in physical therapy is the best therapy. A scholarship is something absolutely free, you do not have to pay for it sooner or later. The only payment that you probably have to extend is for the debt of gratitude to the scholarship sponsor. But a thank you costs not even a penny.

There are available scholarships that can help striving physical therapy students. Many scholarships come from organizations like some physical therapy associations. Each state has a physical therapy association of its own. Students may inquire for information on scholarship grants at the associations of their respective states.

The American Physical Therapy Association

The association provides annual scholarships through their foundation. Some students taking up their studies in the post-doctoral level may obtain scholarships. Those who are geared towards a career in the academe for Physical Therapy may vie for The Florence P. Kendall Doctoral Scholarships. The awards are worth $5,000 each. The Promotion of Doctoral Studies Scholarships also has a type for a scholarship as high as $7,500 and another type for a scholarship as high as $15,000.

The Texas Physical Therapy Association

The association's foundation awards annual scholarships worth from $2,000 up to $7,000. The scholarships are given to deserving Physical Therapy students in the Master's or PhD level and also to physical therapists who are already licensed but are still continuing their further studies.

Scholarships may also come from foundations and other funding support groups. The organizations or the church to where you belong may be the answer to your scholarship quest. There may also be foundations existing in your local area, county, and state that support the education of the residents of the area.

Organizations Offering Scholarships

The Allied Health Professions has its association of schools offering two programs of scholarship for students studying in a program accredited by the allied health. The Secretary's Award is the name of the first program and the other one is named the Scholarship of Excellence Award. Physical Therapy is among the recognized courses for scholarship grants.

The International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons, an interdenominational Christian organization operating in Canada and the United States, is another good Samaritan. The organization works on some missionary projects that include hospitals and youth programs. Several financial awards are offered every year for the organization’s Health Careers Scholarship Program. Students studying in health-related courses including the program of Physical Therapy may be granted scholarships each amounting to $1,000.

The Tylenol Scholarship Fund has a well of $250,000 as a fund for scholarships to health care students. 150 total number of grants that are worth $1,000 and 20 scholarship slots of $5,000 each are to be distributed to qualified undergraduate and also post-baccalaureate students including those in the program of Physical Therapy.

The Hawaii Community Foundation has scholarships in various disciplines, health care included. Every scholarship has requirements of its own. Some scholarships, like the Dr. Alvin & Monica Saake Foundation Scholarship and the Paulina L. Sorg Scholarship among others, are specifically for Physical Therapy students.

Universities with Scholarships for Pharmacy Majors

Colleges and universities offering the physical therapy program also have scholarship programs for qualified students. Physical Therapy students enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison can obtain scholarship awards from the university itself.

Some scholarships are for freshmen and sophomore students. The Caroline, Clara, Charles and Mildred Harper Scholarship awards two female Physical Therapy students in their first year of schooling with $1,200 each after passing the requirements of outstanding academic standing and showing proofs of financial need.

The Barbara Ellen Gerlich-Hoefeyzer Scholarship is an $800 worth of scholarship for freshmen and sophomore physical therapy students who show proofs of financial need, excellent academic achievements, and signs of potential leadership in the community of Physical Therapy.

The Margaret Kohli Scholarship is for Physical Therapy students who are in the last year of their studies. The $2,000 worth of scholarship calls for excellent academic achievement, leadership and community service, and a path towards an academic career in Physical Therapy.

A scholarship is not only a solution to your financial concern, it is also a holistic approach to your life as a physical therapy student.