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Scholarships
Top physical therapy scholarships for you
Find scholarships for physical therapy majors that can help you pay for college.
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Scholarships for physical therapy majors
Rizing Tide Crest Scholarship
Due: 5/31/26
$14,000
Rizing Tide will annually award the Crest scholarship to students who are pursuing a physical therapy degree and who come from an underrepresented racial and/or ethnic background (self-identifying as BIPOC). Applicants must be a student entering their first or second year of a DPT program (with their second year beginning no sooner than June 1, 2023); or be an active first-year student; or be a student entering a PTA-to-DPT bridge program. They must have been accepted into a CAPTE-accredited ...
Rizing Tide Surge Scholarship
Due: 10/6/26
$10,000
Each year, Rizing Tide will award three Surge scholarships to graduating physical therapy students or licensed physical therapists who are entering an ABPTRFE-certified residency program and who come from an underrepresented racial and/or ethnic background. Each recipient will receive a one-time payment which will be paid directly to the residency program provider and may be used to cover any residency expenses. To be eligible, applicants must have graduated from a CAPTE-accredited physical t...
Mary McMillan Scholarship Award
Due: 12/1/26
|No min. GPA Required
|No Transcripts Required
Varies
The Mary McMillan Scholarship Award acknowledges and honors outstanding physical therapist and physical therapist assistant students who are nearing the completion of their respective programs of study. The scholarship program contributes to the growth of physical therapy as a profession by recognizing individuals with superior capabilities. Nominees for this award must be physical therapist students or physical therapist assistant students who are current members in good standing of the asso...
DAR Occupational/Physical Therapy Scholarship
Due: 1/31/27
|No min. GPA Required
$5,000
The Occupational/Physical Therapy Scholarship is awarded to two students who are in financial need and have been accepted or are attending an accredited school of occupational or physical therapy (including art or music therapy). A letter of acceptance into the program or the transcript noting the applicant is enrolled in the program must be included with the application.
Bonita Kraft Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Scholarship
Due: 2/20/27
|No min. GPA Required
|No Transcripts Required
$5,000
The Bonita Kraft Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Scholarship will support an occupational therapist doctoral candidate in pursuing research in the areas of mental health and serious mental illness. The scholarship will be an important tool for an outstanding emerging OT scientist to acquire their degree and help increase the visibility of occupational therapy in mental health for adults. Applicants must be an occupational therapist enrolled in a research doctoral program (PhD, ScD, DrPH...
Dr. Gary Kielhofner Doctoral Research Scholarship in Occupational Therapy
Due: 2/20/27
|No min. GPA Required
|No Transcripts Required
$5,000
The Dr. Gary Kielhofner Doctoral Research Scholarship in Occupational Therapy is dedicated to establishing a research agenda to impact the advancement of science for the field of occupational therapy through investigation/development of: (A) Models/approaches addressing social justice, human volition, or methods to bridge the gaps between research and practice; (B) Extensions of theoretical foundations of occupational therapy, including client-centered, occupation-based innovations; (C) and/o...
Dr. A. Jean Ayres Occupational Therapy Doctoral Candidate Research Scholarship
Due: 2/20/27
|No min. GPA Required
|No Transcripts Required
$5,000
The Dr. A. Jean Ayres Occupational Therapy Doctoral Candidate Research Scholarship has been created in recognition of Dr. Ayres as the originator of sensory integration theory and her significant contributions to the practice of occupational therapy and child development. This scholarship will support an emerging OT scientist conducting research in sensory integration and sensory processing pursuant to their dissertation plan, or another study focused on sensory integration and processing, to...
Raymond H. Stetson Scholarship in Phonetics and Speech Science
Due: 3/23/27
|No min. GPA Required
$33,000
The Raymond H. Stetson Scholarship established a grant to the Acoustical Society Foundation in 1998. It honors the memory of Professor Raymond H. Stetson, a pioneer investigator in phonetics and speech science. The scholarship may be used for graduate study and research in scientific areas related to the field of phonetics and speech production. The award for each scholarship consists of a $30,000 stipend plus up to $3,000 in travel expenses for one academic year to attend meetings of the Acoustical Society of America. Research areas to be supported, in preferential order, are: (A) Motor speech production: Motor coordination of speech organs; Kinematics of speech articulation; Aerodynamics of speech production; and/or Combined acoustic/kinematic modeling of speech. (B) Phonetics: Linguistic issues related to speech production; Articulatory phonology, experimental phonology Bio-developmental factors in speech; Neural function for speech communication; and/or Infant/child development for speech communication. The completed application form, copies of transcripts of university graduate study, a personal statement, a current curriculum vitae, and a research paper should be submitted in one complete PDF document. The two letters of recommendation required should be submitted via email separately. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Acoustical Society of America for more information.
Leo and Gabriella Beranek Scholarship in Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control
Due: 3/23/27
|No min. GPA Required
$30,000
The Leo and Gabriella Scholarship in Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control has been established through a generous donation by Leo and Gabriella Beranek to the Acoustical Society of America to support graduate study in the fields of architectural acoustics and noise control. A scholarship is awarded each year to a student who is enrolled in any university that offers a graduate degree program in architectural acoustics or noise control. Qualification for the scholarship requires submission of an application form with description of a planned course of study including the reasons why this field of study is being pursued. Three reference letters shall also be provided from persons familiar with the student's work. One letter shall be from the student's graduate advisor or major professor. At least one of the other two letters shall be from a full member or Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America. Membership in ASA is not required for scholarship application. The recipient of the scholarship will be that individual who, through personal qualifications and a proposed research experience, is judged to exhibit the highest potential for performing research benefiting some aspect of the science of sound and promoting its usefulness to society. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Acoustical Society of America for more information.
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What are physical therapy scholarships?
Physical therapy scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for physical therapy students. Scholarships for physical therapy majors can help students access higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach because of financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for physical therapy scholarships
Before you apply for physical therapy scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements to see if you qualify. These may include:
- Minimum GPA
- Community service experience
- U.S. citizenship
- Plans to attend an accredited program
- Leadership skills
- FAFSA® submission
Scholarship requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Keep searching for scholarships that best match your qualifications.
Are physical therapy scholarships worth my time?
If you want to get as much free money as you can for your education, then yes! You’ll find some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for, while others require more time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply for scholarships that require work (like writing an essay) which means you could have better odds of winning if you apply for one of those.
Pro tip: Don’t pass up on physical therapy scholarships that have smaller award amounts. ($) There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find physical therapy scholarships?
From your school to national organizations, there are so many places to find physical therapy scholarships that can help you pay for college.
Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search engines, like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”
Scholly Scholarships
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Easily search through thousands of college scholarships based on your background, major, state you live in, and more.
Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
What types of physical therapy scholarships are available?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the FAFSA®. To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Want more tips to up your chances of winning? Check out our scholarship guide for everything you need to know about finding and winning scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for physical therapy scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
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