Alternative medicine has grown in popularity over the recent years and consequently the number of alternative medicine practitioners is on the rise.
Like traditional medicine, the skills and techniques applied in alternative medicine require training and education. For many people however, acquiring an education is expensive.
Luckily, there are many institutions and organizations who now offer scholarships to students interested in pursuing the study of alternative medicine like acupuncture. Companies that offer health products related to acupuncture provide grants and scholarships in order to increase the number of practitioners in the field.
Associations composed of alternative medicine practitioners also provide support for students who wish to study their art and thus increase their ranks.
Here are some of the readily available grants and scholarships for acupuncturists…
Table of Contents
American Specialty Health
American Specialty Health awards scholarships worth up to $7,500 to acupuncture students who have full time enrollment in an accredited institution with a grade point average of 3.0.
American Foundation of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Scholarships
The American Foundation of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine offers scholarships in the American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, an educational institution in Houston, Texas which is dedicated to Oriental medicine. Scholarships are offered each year and are available even to new students who file their applications before the deadline.
Academic Achievement Award Scholarship
In Portland, Oregon, the National College of Natural Medicine offers the Academic Achievement Award Scholarship to new students for the first three terms of his chosen course. The recipient will be chosen based on the applicants’ application letters and essay. Students of the college who show leadership skills, remarkable community service and an above average scholastic record will be considered for the $3000 Founders Scholarship.
A student in his third or fourth year in the college who shows exceptional scholastic performance may be awarded with the Wise Woman Herbals Scholarship worth $1000.
Yo San Scholarship / Master Ni Scholarship
In Los Angeles, California, the Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine offers at least two scholarships. One is the Yo San Scholarship worth $1,500, for full-time new students who already have a prior Bachelor’s degree with a 3.75 upwards grade point average.
Another is the Master Ni Scholarship which is given to students who perform well in the university and have also performed well in past educational experiences. The recipient must also show characteristic zeal to forward the study of holistic medicine.
Dr. Michael and Marlene Nissenblatt Scholarship
Another scholarship is the Dr. Michael and Marlene Nissenblatt Scholarship is offered to students in their first or second year studying the fields of acupuncture and other fields like herbology and traditional Chinese medicine.
These students must aim to incorporate a humanized or personal touch to their future practice in order to apply for the said scholarship.
This scholarship pays $2,000 and is available to graduates of New Jersey high schools. You can download an application for this scholarship by clicking here.
Herbal Time Scholarship / Jade Dragon Scholarship / Nuherbs Scholarship
The Pacific College’s School of Acupuncture in partnership with Nuherbs Co. offer several different scholarships…
The Herbal Time Scholarship is awarded to outstanding students of the Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine. Each year, a qualified student is awarded $1,500.
Another student with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better will receive the Jade Dragon Scholarship worth $1,000.
The Nuherbs Scholarship worth $2,000 is awarded to another qualified student. Nuherbs Co. offers the same scholarships in other ACAOM (Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) accredited schools.
Federal and State Grants
Although not specifically for acupuncture, Federal grants like the Pell grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity grant can be applied toward almost any properly accredited program.
These grants are “needs-based” which means they are given out on the basis of financial wherewithal. Because the Federal and State grants are the most generous, we recommend you submit an application to see if you apply for funding.
It’s easy, just fill out and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This application is also used by state authorities to determine your eligibility for any applicable state grants as well.
Summation
Scholarships and grants for this field of study have greatly helped in encouraging people to pursue this career path and increasing the number of qualified professionals who engage in holistic medicine and traditional Oriental medicine in the United States. As a result, more and more people are turning to more natural ways of treatment.
Sourcing Post Secondary Funding
Some helpful information to help you fund your scholastic journey…
