pay for massage school
One of the biggest obstacles for people wanting to become a massage therapist can be paying for massage school. Tuition alone can cost thousands, sometimes tens of thousands. Tuition is typically $9.00-$10.00 per contact hour. In addition to tuition, students must find resources to cover school-related expenses, such as books and supplies, and pay their living expenses while in school.
The funding methods below are important possibilities for potential students to explore.
- Payment plans: Many schools offer payment options that allow students to make monthly payments instead of paying tuition in full. Payment plans vary from school to school. The school’s admissions staff can explain their policies regarding payment plans.
- Federal Financial Aid: Some schools offer federal financial aid. This means that your students are eligible for federally backed student loans. For schools to offer federal funding, they must be nationally accredited. Accreditation fees are expensive for the school and the staff time required to receive and maintain accreditation is a large investment. This means that the smaller, more intimate massage schools are generally not nationally accredited. The benefits of federal financial aid are that financing is more accessible and interest rates may be lower. Without federal financial aid, some students cannot get any loans. The downside to federal financial aid is that schools that offer federal financial aid are often more expensive than those that don’t. Some federally funded schools cost up to $20 per contact hour.
- Other student loans: Unbacked student loans are available for students with good credit. This gives students who need to borrow money for tuition more options for their education. However, students should carefully review student loan products. There are companies that charge up to 18% interest on non-federal student loans. With extensive research, a student should be able to find better deals. One company that offers loans for non-federally funded programs is SLM Financial. They offer a Professional Training Direct Loan product for which many massage programs would qualify.
- Personal loans: For students with good credit and collateral, personal loans may be an option. Interest rates on personal loans are generally higher than those on federally backed student loans, but personal loans can pay for schools that don’t qualify for federal funds. In addition to personal loans, home equity loans are a good option. Interest rates on home equity lines of credit may be lower than personal loans.
- Another resources: A Small Business Administration once recommended seeking financial backing at what it called “the Friends and Family Bank.” For some lucky massage students, this is a viable form of support. A student’s grandfather helped each of her grandchildren with college tuition. However, Grandpa reminisced about “massage parlors” of the past and was not enthusiastic about helping his granddaughter go to massage school. She took it upon herself to educate her grandfather about massage therapy as a career and healing modality. Somewhat hesitantly, he decided to help her, but by the time she graduated, he was a convert. This approach to education and inclusion can be invaluable when a student receives financial support from a family member or friend. Parents or grandparents may want to contact the school’s administrative staff to discuss their educational programs or the field of massage therapy. If the student becomes familiar with the massage therapy career and is realistic about employment opportunities, she can help reassure family members who are considering providing financial support.
- Scholarships: In reality, massage school scholarships are difficult to locate and receive. They are probably not the complete answer to the funding needs of massage schools, but they could help to supplement other sources of funding. Libraries have scholarship books that list various scholarships; the reference librarian will be able to help locate these resources. There are also online scholarship websites.
- Savings: There are many stories of people who have wanted to go to massage school for years. They clung to their dream, saved money however they could, and attended school when the time was right.
People who want to become massage therapists may have to work hard to reach their goal of massage school. The profession needs dedicated and passionate practitioners. Sometimes what we are most passionate about requires dedication, patience and hard work. With a little of each, the dream of attending a massage school can become a reality.
© 2008, Rebecca Mauldin, All Rights Reserved
