Service scholarships are available from the New York City Board of Education for both first and second year students. This service scholarship pays for one year of tuition in exchange for eighteen months of service after graduation as an Occupational Therapist in a public school at the regular salary. These service scholarships are renewable for the second year of study. Information and applications may be obtained by telephoning the Board of Education at (718) 935-4766.
In addition, some hospitals offer scholarships to second year students enrolled in Occupational Therapy degree programs in exchange for service with full salary upon graduation. Awards range from $2,500 to $7,000 per year. Students may want to investigate opportunities for service scholarships in hospitals in their home localities.
Financial aid may also be available through private foundations and organizations. Scholarships and loans (interest-free or at a low interest rate) are sometimes offered to graduate students interested in obtaining a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Many awards are given based on academic achievement, religious affiliations, ethnic or racial heritage, community activities, career plans, parent's employers or union membership, and membership in civic or fraternal groups. Below is a list of organizations that have awarded aid to our students in the past.
|
| The National Association of Business Clubs P.O. Box 5127, High Point, North Carolina 27262. Awards are made to students training in various fields of corrective therapy including Occupational Therapy. Deadline: April 15th prior to enrollment. |
| The Schechter Foundation 10 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1011, New York, NY 10020. Scholarship awards. Apply April-June prior to enrollment. |
| Jewish Foundation for Education of Women 330 West 58th Street, New York, NY 10019. Scholarships and/or loans. Deadline: January 31. |
| Leopold Schepp Foundation 551 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2525, New York, NY 10176 Scholarship awards. Deadline: December 31st. |
| Civitan International Foundation P.O. Box 130744, Birmingham, AL 35213-0744. Scholarship awards. Deadline: March 1st. |
| International Order of The Kings Daughters and Sons Mrs. Merle Raber, Health Careers Director, 6024 East Chicago Road, Jonesville, MI 49250 Scholarship awards. Deadline: April 1st. |
| American Occupational Therapy Foundation, Scholarship Selection Panel, 4720 Montgomery Lane, PO Box 3120, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. Various Scholarships for both entry-level and post professional master’s students, as well as the New York State Occupational Therapy Award. Deadline: December 1st. |
| Hattie M. Strong Foundation 1625 Eye Street, NW, Suite 705, Washington, D.C. 20006. Interest-free loans for students in their final year of study. Deadline: March 31st. |
|
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Mrs. Rudolph J. Seifert, DAR Scholarship Committee, 4692 Cypress Drive, Brunswick, OH 44212. Scholarship awards. Deadline: September 1st. |
| The Bill Raskob Foundation P.O. Box 4019, Wilmington, DE 19807. Interest-free loans. Deadline: May 1st. |
| American Mensa Education and Research Foundation Scholarship Chairman, 3437 West 7th Street, Suite #264, Fort Worth, Texas 76107, Deadline: January 31st. |
| National Hispanic Scholarship Fund P.O. Box 748, San Francisco, CA 94101. Scholarship awards. Deadline: September. |
|
Japanese American Citizens League National Scholarship 1765 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94115. Scholarship awards. Deadline: April 1st. |
|
General Foundation of Womens Clubs Contact the Womens Club in your community. |
| The Roothbert Fund 475 Riverside Drive, Room 252, New York, NY 10115, Attention: The Secretary. Scholarship awards. Deadline: March 1st. |
|
If you have access to the World Wide Web, it may be worthwhile to browse for information at this sites: |
| American Occupational Therapy Association Scholarships and Financial Aid at http://www.apta.org/scholarships.html |
|
FinAid! The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid at http://www.finaid.org/ |
|
FastWeb (Financial Aid Search through the Web) http://www.fastweb.com/ |
| CollegeNet at http://www.collegenet.com/mach25/ |
| SallieMae Online Scholarship Service at http://scholarships.salliemae.com/ |
| College Board Scholarship Search at http://www.apta.org/scholarships.html |
|
