A career as a veterinary technician can be quite fulfilling. You spend most of your days caring for animals, nursing them back to good health, and putting a smile on the faces of numerous pet owners.
But before achieving all that, you must obtain proper training and education at a respectable institution. Thankfully, a handful of scholarships and grants nationwide make this possible even when you need more financial capability.
Below we look at some of the most notable of these scholarships and what you need to know before you can apply for them.
NAVTA Scholarship Programs
The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) is one of the foremost veterinary organizations in the country, with its certification program.
The organization also provides two scholarships of $1000 every year to students pursuing a degree in veterinary technology.
To qualify, they must be enrolled in a school accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Students must also be a member of NAVTA.
Oxbow Scholarship
The Oxbow scholarship is managed by Oxbow Animal Health, a company offering top-notch nutritional products for animals since 1980.
The scholarship isn’t limited to veterinary technicians alone but to all aspiring professionals in fields where you work with animals, either companion or exotic.
Naturally, veterinary technicians qualify by this definition and can receive up to $500 in grants.
Veterinary Scholarship Trust of New England Grant
Students studying veterinary technology in Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire should consider applying for the Veterinary Scholarship Trust of New England Grant. To qualify, they must submit their applications through mail to the Veterinary Scholarship Trust of New England.
Apart from the location, the only prerequisite is that they must enroll in programs accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
Laurie Page-Peck Scholarship
The Laurie Page-Peck scholarship is available to veterinary technicians, with the caveat that they must be willing to specialize in zoology. You should consider applying for this scholarship if you fall into this category.
The Association of Zoo Veterinary Technicians created the scholarship to provide financial aid and encourage more students to specialize in zoo animals.
Students who qualify receive a grant of around $1000 which can then be put towards their veterinary training program. Students must submit proof of training through transcripts and a scientific essay.
Sue Busch Memorial Award
The Pet Care Trust awards the Sue Busch Memorial Award to three veterinary technician trainees in the United States. Eligible students must be currently enrolled in a veterinary program.
They must also be in their final year and be interested in specializing in pet-related veterinary services. The exact amount awarded in grants varies from year to year.
AKC and Hartz Veterinarian Technician Scholarship
A relatively new scholarship, the AKC and Hartz Veterinarian Technician Scholarship is a product of two entities coming together - the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Hartz Mountain Corporation.
Students who qualify for the scholarship receive between $1000 to $2000 each, which they may use to enroll in an approved program. Students must be willing to study full-time in an AVMA-approved program to qualify.
Walkin’ Pets Veterinarian and Rehab Vet Tech Scholarship
In 2021, a group of pet owners who had to euthanize their dogs due to frequent seizures joined forces to establish a fund to support the care of elderly, disabled, and injured pets.
Apart from their work helping to provide direct assistive care, the organization also has a grant program to help advance medicine and technology that can help prolong and improve animal health and prevent premature deaths.
Students of veterinary technology with a passion for end-of-life issues related to pets may apply for this scholarship program by writing a strong essay on the subject.
Those who qualify will receive a grant of up to $1500.
Federal Pell Grants
The Federal Pell Grants are grants the federal government offers to students needing financial aid to complete their education. To qualify for this grant, you must prove that you need financial help by providing copies of your parent’s tax returns.
The grant offers each qualified student at most $5,000, which they may spend on books, supplies, and tuition, among other study-related things.
The Gladys Carol Scholarship Program
Another scholarship run by a non-profit organization, the Gladys Carol Scholarship program, offers a scholarship of $5,000 separated over two years. The scholarship is available to students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Veterinary technicians also qualify. To be accepted, students must currently study in the United States, be enrolled full-time in an accredited university, and have a minimum CGPA of 3.75.
Sheep Heritage Foundation Memorial Scholarship
Last but not least on our list of notable scholarships for veterinary technicians is the Sheep Heritage Foundation Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is the brainchild of the Sheep Industry Association, an organization representing sheep producers in the U.S.
Since the scholarship is available to any sheep-related study, of which veterinary technology is one, it is a viable option for veterinary technicians looking to graduate school.
The individual grant amount currently stands at $3,000.
