Discover the Online Vet Tech Schools with Financial Aid

School Spotlights: Online Vet Tech Schools Accepting Financial Aid

With an increasing number of schools offering vet tech programs online, finding the right program for you can take time and research. One of the most important aspects of this search is to review financial aid support opportunities. Most schools have a financial aid office that can help students find funding for their education through several options, including their own scholarships or ones offered by groups and businesses.

There is also the potential for other options such as installment payment plans, and state- or federal-based financial grants or loans. Most of these sources need forms to complete the process, and you may need to demonstrate financial need or academic excellence to receive them.

Here are three examples of vet tech schools and the potential financial assistance they can provide.

Top Scholarships for Vet Tech Students

As the cost of higher education rises, many students look to scholarships as a necessity to finance their veterinary technician educations. Since scholarships don’t need to be paid back like loans, there are awards you can count on to knock down the tuition total before and after you graduate.

There are tons of great scholarship programs available from professional organizations, foundations, regional groups, and colleges themselves. Award amounts vary, with some renewing each year and others presented as one-time awards. Below is list of scholarships to which vet tech students can apply but be sure to research others to find the ones best for you.

AVTA Scholarships

The Alabama Veterinary Technician Association (AVTA) features two Compassionate Care Scholarships for vet tech students who reside in Alabama, although there are many other regional and national scholarships listed on its page. These include other scholarships directly from the AVTA’s medical foundation as well as affiliated business and organizations.

• Amount: The Compassionate Care scholarship is $5,000

Alice Villalobos Student Essay Award

The Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics (SVME) provides an annual award to a college or university student who writes a winning essay. The honored work can be on a subject that discusses ethical concerns relevant to veterinary medicine. The writer of the winning essay also is paid travel expenses to present it at the SVME’s annual meeting.

• Amount: $1,000

John D. Spurling Scholarship

The American Kennel Club’s Humane Fund provides scholarships to full-time vet tech students with an interest in working with dogs. There are a total of five Spurling scholarships given every year. People who apply need to supply transcripts, show experience with responsible pet ownership, and send two recommendation letters.

• Amount: $2,000

Kelly Stadler Animal Lovers Memorial Scholarship

Associate- and bachelor-degree level vet tech students enrolled at St. Petersburg College can apply for this scholarship by submitting an essay on why they want to pursue these studies. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Tuition, books, and fees can all be covered with the Stadler scholarship.

• Amount: $750

Laurie-Page-Peck Scholarship

The scholarship sponsored by the Association of Zoo Veterinary Technicians (AZVT) is for students in accredited vet tech programs. To qualify for the scholarship, students must write an essay that centers on zoo veterinary topics, and topics must be approved by the AZVT first.

• Amount: $1,500

New Hampshire Vet Tech Scholarship

The New Hampshire Veterinary Technician Association (NHVTA) provides scholarships to full-time vet tech students who are permanent residents of the state. Applicants need to join the NHVTA and write a 500-700 essay that details why becoming a vet tech was important and how they feel about a future career.

• Amount: $1,000

Oxbow Animal Health Scholarships

This pet food and supply business gives out four different scholarships each year to students who are in the veterinary medicine and animal health fields. There is a High School Scholarship open to Nebraska students, an Undergraduate Scholarship for current college students, and specific ones for vet tech and vet medicine students.

• Amount: $500 per scholarship

Pre-Vet and General Animal Husbandry Education Scholarships

Golden Meadows, a dog breeding company in California, provides $1,000 scholarships to students attending accredited programs who can write a 1,000-word essay on one of their yearly advertised topics. The winner must be a U.S. undergraduate student who is majoring in a vet science or animal husbandry field.

• Amount: $1,000

Paw Prosper Student of Veterinary Medicine Scholarship

This scholarship is part of Paw Prosper’s effort to encourage people to work in veterinary medicine. The Student of Veterinary Medicine scholarship is essay-driven and is open to any undergraduate or graduate student in the U.S. or Canada studying in the field with a minimum 2.5 GPA.

• Amount: $1,000 for each scholarship

Tuition For Vet Tech Scholarship

This award is given yearly during National Veterinary Tech Week (second week of October) by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. To apply, students must submit a transcript with a 3.0 GPA or higher, provide letters of recommendation, and write an essay about the field.

• Amount: $2,500

Answering Common Questions

With all the information out there on vet tech programs and how they help your career journey, you are bound to have questions about how to get the most funding possible to cover tuition and maybe other costs. Here’s a look at some common questions.

Does FAFSA cover vet tech school?

It depends. Most colleges and universities accept federal student aid, but some schools have their own system of financial aid and won’t accept FAFSA. To be eligible, students must annually fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before they can take advantage of federal grants, work-study programs, and loans. Funds are disbursed on a rolling basis, so learners should submit their applications as soon as possible. Many schools use the information provided on the FAFSA to award programmatic and institutional grants, so it is well worth it to complete the form. Note that the FAFSA includes non-interest loans as well as grant and scholarship money.

How can I get vet tech school paid for?

There are many avenues to find financial aid for vet tech students, including the scholarships listed above (and even more besides that list). Other sources for securing funding include private student loans, state-based financial aid, and the FAFSA route to federal financial aid detailed in the question above this one. There are also schools that help you out by not requiring a full up-front payment before attending classes. Installment plans, often sparing you high interest, are something to ask your college or university about as you navigate ways to pay for your education.

Does financial aid cover vet school?

You may not be able to cover the entire amount with just the financial aid programs out there, but you can definitely make a sizable dent in the total tuition and fees. Federal financial aid options include loans, work-study programs, and grants, while some state governments and local organizations offer scholarships to people from that area. Some colleges and universities also have their own scholarship and grant programs, and even offer their own loans specifically for veterinary students. A visit to the financial aid office of your institution is a must to learn more.

How do most people pay for vet tech school?

This probably isn’t the answer you want, but it’s “all of the above.” It’s the combination of sources that seems to be the formula to receive the most financial aid as a vet tech student. It’s not a surprise, too, that the sources students go to first are the ones they don’t have to pay back: grants and scholarships. Plus, those sources go beyond the government and include private companies and sometimes the learning institutions themselves. After that, it’s often student loans that are used as a last resort to fill in the gaps, since those do have to be returned.

Beyond Scholarships: Other Ways to Fund Your Vet Tech Education

While scholarships from varied sources are a great source for securing vital funding, students need to remember several other forms of financial aid that are out there and can be effective to help pay for college. Below is a look at the most common of those financial aid types.

Grants

The main difference between a scholarship and a grant is simple: grants are based on financial need, while scholarships are based on merit. They do come in all shapes and sizes like scholarships, though, and vet tech students can look toward the federal and state government, veterinary-related businesses, and learning or professional organizations to find the ones they are most likely to earn. The financial aid office of your college or university can steer you toward those.

Federal Financial Aid

Federal financial aid options include loans, work-study programs, and grants. Again, this is where the FAFSA will come into play, as it will show which options are suited toward a vet tech education. Among the most common sources are the Stafford loan program with no interest accrual while in school, PLUS loans taken out by parents of dependent students, and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Pell Grant program for exceptional financial need.

Installment Payment Plans

Rather than requiring a single full payment at the beginning of the program, some vet tech program schools provide plans to spread out program costs. At Penn Foster College, for example, students can make installment payments of as little as $69 per month. The way to have these arranged is to discuss it with the financial aid office of your school or university and see what is offered as opposed to other funding sources.

Private Student Loans

This is the source will make an occasional appearance in the news headlines. Private loans are from credit unions, banks, and private lenders. The credit union option might be one in particular if you are a vet tech student that is staying in your area. Students often get a break on interest if they go with the smaller but more community oriented financial institutions. It’s important to note that you might need a co-signer for a private loan.