Online Vet Tech Schools with Financial Aid: Finding a Program

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 lots of time and effort. One of the most important tasks of your program search is to find potential financial aid opportunities.

Most schools have financial aid offices where you can get detailed information and advice on funding options, including both in-house and external scholarships and grants.

There are other possible options as well, such as installment payment plans, and state- and federal-based loans. Most of these sources require filling out an application, 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 help finance their veterinary technician educations. Scholarships are particularly popular since they are not paid back, making them essentially “free money” that can be used to knock down total program costs.

There are tons of great scholarships available from professional organizations, foundations, regional groups, and colleges themselves. Award amounts and eligibility requirements vary from program to program, so it’s important to consider carefully which scholarships you’ll want to take the time and effort applying for.

Here are a number of top scholarships currently open to vet tech students:

AVTA Scholarships

The Alabama Veterinary Technician Association (AVTA) offers two Compassionate Care Scholarships for vet tech students who reside in Alabama. The AVTA website additionally lists many regional and national scholarships including ones directly from the AVTA’s medical foundation and others from affiliated businesses and organizations.

• Amount: $5,000 (Compassionate Care Scholarship)

SVME Alice Villalobos Student Essay Award

The Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics (SVME) provides an annual award to a college or university student who submits a winning essay on a subject that discusses ethical concerns relevant to veterinary medicine. Along with the cash award, the winner is paid an additional $1,000 for travel expenses to present their essay at the SVME’s annual meeting.

• Amount: $1,000 (plus $1,000 for travel expenses)

John D. Spurling Scholarships

The American Kennel Club’s Humane Fund provides five scholarships annually to full-time vet tech students with an interest in working with dogs. Applicants must supply transcripts, show experience with responsible pet ownership, and submit two recommendation letters.

• Amount: $2,000

Kelly Stadler Animal Lovers Memorial Scholarship

Associate- and bachelor-degree level vet tech students with a minimum 3.0 GPA enrolled at St. Petersburg College can apply for this scholarship by submitting an essay on why they want to pursue vet tech studies. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA. The award covers the costs of tuition, books, and fees.

• Amount: $750

Laurie-Page-Peck Scholarship

Sponsored by the Association of Zoo Veterinary Technicians (AZVT), this scholarship funds the travel expenses of the awardee to attend the Association’s annual conference. The scholarship is awarded to the applicant who writes the winning scientific paper to be presented at the conference.

• Amount: Up to $2,000

New Hampshire Vet Tech Scholarship

The New Hampshire Veterinary Technician Association (NHVTA) provides scholarships to current vet techs interested in pursuing a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) designation. Open to NHVTA members who are permanent residents of New Hampshire and submit a 500-700 essay.

• Amount: $1,000

Oxbow Animal Health Scholarships

This pet food and supply business sponsors four different scholarships each year to students in the veterinary medicine and animal health fields, including:

• High School Scholarship open to Nebraska students
• Undergraduate Scholarship for current college students
• One scholarship each for vet tech and vet medicine students

Applications for all four awards can be found on the website.

• Amount: $500 per scholarship

Paw Prosper Student of Veterinary Medicine Scholarships

Paw Prosper offers two scholarships annually to encourage and inspire persons seeking a career in veterinary medicine or related field. This essay-driven award is open to any undergraduate or graduate student in the U.S. or Canada with a minimum 2.5 GPA.

• Amount: $1,000

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. Eligibility requires a minimum 3.0 GPA, letters of recommendation, and a 500-word essay on a given topic.

• Amount: $2,500

Answering Common Questions

Notwithstanding all of the information out there on vet tech programs and how they help your career journey, you are bound to have lots of questions about funding your education. Here are the answers to five questions often asked by prospective vet tech students:

Does federal student aid cover vet tech school?

It depends. Most colleges and universities accept federal student aid, but some schools with their own systems of financial aid do not.

To be eligible for federal student aid resources (loans, grants, work-study, etc.) at vet tech schools that do accept them, you must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Funds are disbursed on a rolling basis, so it is to your advantage to submit your FAFSA as soon as possible.

Also, 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 even if not seeking federal student aid.

How can I get vet tech school paid for?

There are many resources you can tap into to obtain funding for your vet tech education, including scholarships like those listed above. Other major sources include:

• Federal student financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, work-study)
• State-based financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans)
• Private loans
• Veterans benefits
• Employer tuition reimbursement

Will financial aid cover all vet tech program costs?

You may not be able to cover the entire amount of your vet tech education through financial aid, but you can definitely make a sizable dent in your total bill. The key is to combine as many funding types and sources as possible. Remember, you’re not limited the number of awards you can receive.

How do most people pay for vet tech school?

The simple answer is: “all of the above.” Again, it’s all about the combination of resources.

It’s no surprise, though, that most students have a preference order when it comes to financial aid types, with scholarships and grants topping the preference list. This is, of course, because scholarships and grants are not paid back.

After that, student preferences vary for the most part. But the bottom of the list slot is almost always occupied by student loans, and that’s because loans must be paid back, and with interest.

Beyond Scholarships: Other Ways to Fund Your Vet Tech Education

While scholarships from varied sources are great for securing vital funding, students need to remember the several other forms of financial aid out there. Below is a look at the most common of those forms:

Grants

The main difference between scholarships and grants is that most scholarships are awarded based on merit while most grants are awarded based on financial need. Grants, like scholarships, come in all shapes and sizes and are provided by a wide range of sources, such as:

• Federal government
• State governments
• Professional associations and organizations
• Special interest groups
• Healthcare companies
• Individual donors

The best place to start your grant search is at your school’s financial aid office.

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 federal sources are:

• Stafford Loans: with no interest accrual while in school
• PLUS Loans: taken out by parents of dependent students
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
• Pell Grants: for exceptional financial need

Installment Payment Plans

Rather than requiring a single full payment at the beginning of the program, some vet tech schools offer installment payment plans that allow students to spread out program costs over time. At Penn Foster College, for example, students can make installment payments of as little as $75 per month.

Contact the financial aid offices at the schools you’re considering to find out if an installment payment plan is available.

Private Student Loans

Private student loans are often available from credit unions, banks, and other private lenders.

Like federal and state student loans, private loans must be paid back with interest. However, depending on the specific program, students may not have to start making payments on their loans until after graduation.

It’s important to keep in mind that the interest rates and additional fees for private loans can vary substantially, so be sure you understand the fine print of any loan you’re considering before signing on the dotted line.