Rizing Tide Foundation Announces Opening of Applications for Crest and Surge Scholarships to Promote Diversity & Inclusion in Physical Therapy

Applications open to students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds who are pursuing careers in physical therapy

PHOENIX, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rizing Tide, a foundation dedicated to creating a more racially diverse and inclusive physical therapy (PT) workforce, announced today that applications are now open for the 2022 Crest and Surge scholarship programs. This is the second year the scholarship grants are to be awarded to students of underrepresented backgrounds enrolled and pursuing careers in the PT field. 

"The Rizing Tide Foundation has awarded scholarships to eight exceptional future physical therapists since our launch last year and we are thrilled to help bolster the next classes of Crest and Surge scholars this year," said Dr. Heidi Jannenga, PT, DPT, ATC, founder of Rizing Tide. "The ethnicity of students entering into and graduating from physical therapy programs continues to lack the diversity of the greater populations they seek to serve. The cost of education and the fear of mounting student debt are major barriers for BIPOC students applying and graduating from graduate school. Rizing Tide is trying to remove these barriers and raise the number of graduates from PT programs from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds from 23% (rate in 2020) to be closer to roughly 40% to match the country's racial and ethnic distribution." 

The 2022 application window for the Crest scholarship opens on June 1, 2022. The Crest scholarship is awarded to PT students of underrepresented racial or ethnic descent who are pursuing a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree. Applicants must be either undergraduate students who have been accepted into graduate school, first or second year PT students currently enrolled in an accredited PT program, or PTAs entering a bridge PT program. Each Crest scholarship awards up to $14,000 to each student—and may be renewed twice.

The 2022 application window for the Surge scholarship opens on June 1, 2022. The Surge scholarship is awarded to graduating PT students or licensed physical therapists of underrepresented racial or ethnic descent who are entering a residency program. Each Surge scholarship awards a one-time payment of up to $10,000 to each student and is not open for renewal.

"In 2021, I was awarded the inaugural Crest scholarship and apart from the needed financial relief, I now have the support of a community of mentors in my profession, peers from around the country who are pursuing the same field as I am, and continuing educational opportunities through Rizing Tide to augment my PT education," said Ricardo Locci, recipient of the Crest scholarship and student at Northwestern University.

Applications for the Crest scholarship will be accepted through June 30, 2022. Applications for the Surge scholarship will be accepted through September 30, 2022. For more information on the Rizing Tide Foundation, including scholarship eligibility requirements, how to apply, and the selection process, visit: www.rizing-tide.com.

Rizing Tide was founded in 2020 by Dr. Heidi Jannenga, PT, DPT, ATC, to help bridge the diversity gap in the physical therapy profession. She is the co-founder of WebPT and a physical therapist with more than 25 years of experience in the rehab therapy industry. The foundation awards yearly scholarships to BIPOC therapists and PT students in an effort to make a meaningful, generational impact on the industry. Learn more at www.rizing-tide.com.

SOURCE Rizing Tide