Scholarships for Physical Therapy Students

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students can pay for PT school with federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, scholarships from physical therapy associations and foundations, and, for members of federally recognized American Indian tribes or Alaska Native villages, an Indian Health Service (IHS) scholarship that covers the physical therapy doctorate and requires service in return. The biggest change for new borrowers is federal: since July 1, 2026, graduate and professional students who are new borrowers can no longer take out Grad PLUS loans, under the U.S. Department of Education's rules at 34 CFR 685.200. The department's new loan limits let professional students who don't qualify for its transition rule borrow up to $50,000 a year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans. For now, because of a court order, the department lists the DPT on an interim list of professional degree programs, but that status may change, and schools may set lower limits.

This guide explains what each funding type covers, what it requires of you, what a DPT costs, and which scholarships DPT students can apply for. If you are still comparing DPT programs, start there and come back once you know how you plan to pay.

What is the Average Tuition for a Physical Therapy Doctorate?

The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) publishes average costs for accredited and developing DPT programs in the United States in its 2025 fact sheet (published June 2026, updated July 2026). For students graduating in 2025, average annual tuition was $22,498 at public programs for in-state students, $37,907 at public programs for out-of-state students and $48,132 at private programs, and annual fees averaged $3,311 at public programs and $2,997 at private programs. CAPTE puts the average total cost of a public program for in-state students at $74,348 for the whole program, not counting meals, housing or travel for clinical education, and programs averaged 122.6 weeks, including 35.2 weeks of full-time clinical education. For a fuller look at cost against what the degree pays off, see whether a DPT is worth it.

How the New Federal Loan Limits Apply to DPT Students

The Department of Education's final rule, published in the Federal Register on May 1, 2026 (91 FR 23768), set new Direct Unsubsidized Loan limits from July 1, 2026, for students who do not qualify for the transition rule described below:

• Graduate students: up to $20,500 a year and $100,000 in total, counting Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans already borrowed for graduate study.
• Professional students: up to $50,000 a year and $200,000 in total, counting Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans already borrowed for graduate or professional study.
• Lifetime limit: $257,500 across the federal student loans you have borrowed, except Parent PLUS loans you took out as a parent for a child. Repaying a loan, or having it forgiven or discharged, does not restore eligibility under this limit, according to the department's loan limits FAQ.

These are maximums, not guaranteed amounts. The rule's own list of professional degrees does not include physical therapy, and the department wrote in the rule that it does not think the law allows physical therapy programs to be classed as professional degrees. After the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia stayed part of that definition on June 24, 2026, the department added "Physical Therapy/Therapist (PT; DPT)" to its interim list of professional degree programs, last updated October 23, 2026. The department says these interim designations may change as the litigation proceeds, and that schools may wish to limit loans for these programs to the graduate caps, so ask your program's financial aid office which limit it applies. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) opposes the rule's treatment of the DPT, says the degree already met the federal definition of a professional degree, and has warned that the court-driven change may be temporary.

If you were already enrolled in a program on June 30, 2026, and received a Direct Loan for it before July 1, 2026, the earlier rules continue to apply to you for your expected time to credential, up to three academic years, according to the Department of Education's loan limits FAQ. During that time you can borrow up to $20,500 a year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans, with a total limit of $138,500 for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans that includes your undergraduate loans, plus Grad PLUS loans up to your cost of attendance minus other aid, and the lifetime limit does not apply to you.

The difference matters for cost. For a student held to $20,500 a year, whether at the graduate limit or under the transition rule, three years of Direct Unsubsidized Loans would come to $61,500 (our calculation: $20,500 × 3), less than CAPTE's average total cost of $74,348 for an in-state student at a public program, before living costs. At the professional limit, the annual maximum is more than twice as high. Students under the transition rule can also borrow Grad PLUS loans, and scholarships and service awards can cover part of any gap.

Service Scholarships That Cover the DPT

The Indian Health Service is the federal service scholarship that currently funds DPT students: its 2026–2027 eligible programs chart lists the physical therapy doctorate under the Health Professions Scholarship, which the IHS limits to members of federally recognized American Indian tribes or Alaska Native villages who are U.S. citizens or nationals. The IHS says the scholarship pays tuition, required fees and other educational and living expenses, including a monthly stipend of at least $1,500 for 12 months. In return, recipients owe one year of service for each year of scholarship support, with a minimum of two years, under the IHS's Indian Health Manual, and they are responsible for finding a position. The IHS's employment policies require that service to be full-time clinical practice, at least 40 hours a week, at an IHS facility, a tribal facility or an urban Indian program, starting within 90 days of graduation or of completing post-graduate clinical training. The IHS service commitment handbook says a recipient who does not begin or complete the required service can be liable to repay up to three times the scholarship funding, plus interest. The IHS says its next application cycle opens on December 15, 2026.

Two other federal service scholarships do not currently cover physical therapy. The National Health Service Corps Scholarship lists physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives and physician assistants as its eligible disciplines, and the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program's 2027 scholarships cover physicians, registered nurses, mental health nurse practitioners, psychology and master's-level social work.

Grants for Doctor of Physical Therapy Students

The two main federal grants are not open to DPT students. Federal Pell Grants are generally limited to students working toward a first bachelor's degree (34 CFR 690.6), and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant requires enrollment as an undergraduate student (34 CFR 676.9). Grad PLUS loans have also ended for new borrowers, and the loan limits that apply to DPT students are set out in the section above. The money DPT students do not repay comes from the association and foundation scholarships below, from aid your own program offers, and, for eligible students, from the IHS scholarship above.

DPT and Physical Therapy Scholarships

These scholarships are open to students in accredited physical therapy programs, from national organizations rather than individual schools. Each entry gives the amount, eligibility and application window as the sponsor states them; where a sponsor does not state an amount, none is given.

• AMBUCS Scholarship Program for Therapists
  National AMBUCS awards scholarships of $600 to $1,500, plus one two-year award of $6,000, to students accepted into an accredited graduate-level program in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology or audiology. Assistant and undergraduate programs are not eligible, and applicants must complete the FAFSA. Applications are accepted each year from Feb. 1 to April 1; the 2026 cycle closed April 1, 2026.
• DAR Occupational/Physical Therapy Scholarship
  The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution gives a one-time $5,000 scholarship to four students who show financial need and are accepted into or enrolled in an accredited occupational therapy or physical therapy program. Under DAR's general scholarship rules, applicants must be U.S. citizens who attend or plan to attend an accredited college or university in the United States. DAR's application checklist requires proof of U.S. citizenship, an essay, transcripts, two to four letters of recommendation and a one-page résumé, and this award also requires a letter of acceptance or a transcript showing enrollment. DAR's scholarship portal is open each year from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31; the deadline for this cycle is Jan. 31, 2027.

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Scholarships

APTA's student awards are for current APTA members in good standing, and three of the four below are for students who are in the final year of a CAPTE-accredited program by the start of APTA's annual nomination process.

• Outstanding PT Student Award
  A $1,000 scholarship for an APTA member who, by the start of the nomination process, is in the final year of a CAPTE-accredited physical therapist program and is within 12 months of completing all graduation requirements. Self-nominations and peer nominations are accepted. Nominations are open each year from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1.
• Access and Opportunity Scholarship Fund Award
  Funded through APTA's Physical Therapy Fund, this award recognizes physical therapist and physical therapist assistant students for professional character and academic excellence. Nominees must be APTA members who, by the start of the nomination process, are in the final year of a CAPTE-accredited physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program and within 12 months of graduating, and who show a commitment to community engagement in underserved or rural areas. APTA does not state an amount on the award page. Nominations are open each year from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1.
• Mary McMillan Scholarship Award
  For outstanding physical therapist and physical therapist assistant students nearing the end of their programs. Nominees must be APTA members who, by the start of the nomination process, are in their final year and within 12 months of graduating, and each school may nominate only one PT student and one PTA student; nominations come from faculty or students, not the applicant. APTA does not state an amount on the award page. Nominations are open each year from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1.
• Catherine Worthingham Fellows CSM Student Scholarship Award
  At least 15 awards a year help physical therapist students attend APTA's Combined Sections Meeting (CSM). Each is a $1,000 stipend for travel and housing plus free meeting registration, not tuition funding. Nominees must be APTA members enrolled in the second or final year of a CAPTE-accredited DPT program by the time of CSM, and previous winners are not eligible. Nominations are open each year from Sept. 1 to Oct. 2.

How to Apply for DPT Scholarships

1. File the FAFSA. You need it for federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and AMBUCS requires it for its scholarship. The Department of Education reports that the 2027–28 FAFSA has been available since Sept. 23, 2026.
2. Keep your APTA membership current. APTA's student awards require current membership in good standing, and three of the four listed above are for students who are in their final year by the start of the nomination process, which opens Sept. 1.
3. Put each award's window on your calendar. The main national windows fall at different times of year: APTA from Sept. 1 (the CSM scholarship closes Oct. 2 and the other awards Dec. 1), DAR from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, and AMBUCS from Feb. 1 to April 1. The IHS application opens Dec. 15, 2026.
4. Ask your program's financial aid office two questions: which institutional scholarships it offers, and whether it applies the professional or the graduate loan limit to its DPT program.
5. Avoid scholarship scams. The Federal Trade Commission warns that a scholarship "guaranteed or your money back" is a sign of a scholarship scam, as is a request to pay a fee or to give a card or bank account number to hold an award, and it reminds students that the FAFSA is always free.

If you have not applied to programs yet, see how to get into PT school for prerequisites and application steps.

DPT Scholarships: Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get scholarships for PT school?

Yes. National AMBUCS, the Daughters of the American Revolution and APTA all offer scholarships open to DPT students, and the list above gives each award's amount, eligibility and application window. Ask your program's financial aid office about any scholarships the program awards itself.

Can you get a full ride to PT school?

The association scholarships listed on this page that state an amount pay $6,000 or less, below CAPTE's average annual DPT tuition at every type of program, so none of those awards covers a full DPT on its own. The federal scholarship on this page that pays tuition, required fees and a living stipend is the IHS Health Professions Scholarship, which requires service in return and is limited to members of federally recognized tribes; see the service scholarships section above. For other aid that could cover tuition, ask each program's financial aid office what it offers.

Are there scholarships for pre-PT students?

All of the DPT scholarships listed above require you to be accepted into or enrolled in a physical therapy program. As an undergraduate, you may qualify for a Federal Pell Grant, which has a maximum of $7,395 for 2026–27, according to the Department of Education. For the full path from a bachelor's degree to licensure, see how to become a physical therapist.

Do I need my parents' information on the FAFSA as a DPT student?

No. The Department of Education treats a graduate or professional student as independent for federal student aid, so you file the FAFSA without parent information.