Massage therapists with disabilities may qualify for scholarships from Exceptional Nurse, a resource for nursing students and nurses with disabilities created by pediatric nurse practitioner Donna Maheady. Exceptional Nurse offers a number of scholarships ranging in award amounts from $250 to $500 to students with disabilities going to school to become nurses. Applicants must complete the online application form and submit with it three recommendation letters from nonrelatives; an essay describing her desire to become a nurse and how her disability will affect being a nurse; official high school or college transcripts; and a medical verification of disability form.
Several of the scholarships offered by Exceptional Nurse have other specific requirements. For instance, the Bruno Rolando Scholarship Award is $250 awarded to a nursing student with a disability with preference given to a student who is employed at a veteran's hospital. Applications for all awards must be submitted to the scholarship committee by June 1.
Massage therapists heading back to nursing school who are minorities may qualify for a scholarship from the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities. (HACU) Scholarships are awarded to graduate and undergraduate students attending a college or university that is a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. The deadline for applying is usually in May of the year prior to the school year for which you desire a scholarship; check the website for details. To qualify for any of the HACU awards, applicants must show financial need, must attend a college or university that is a member of HACU and submit an enrollment verification form along with an official transcript.
The two scholarships offered for nursing students by the HACU are $2,000 and $2,500, and both scholarships have specific criteria that must be met. Applicants seeking the $2,500 Aetna Nursing Scholarship must be full-time or part-time nursing students with minimum 3.0 GPA. Also, Aetna scholarship recipients are required to attend the HACU's Annual Conference Student Track in San Diego, Calif. to be honored as Aetna Scholars. Applicants seeking the $2,000 United Health Foundation HACU Scholarship must be a full-time or part-time nursing student with minimum 3.0 GPA, submit a professional resume and take part in a scholarship survey.
Massage therapists heading back to school for nursing may also want to look into the Best Nursing Degree "Back to School" Nursing Scholarship. The deadline for applying is usually in April of the year prior to the school year for which you desire a scholarship; check the website for current dates. The scholarship program administered by Scholarship America awarded $2,500 this year to each of two nursing students.