Holistic care is about restoring the right balance to the body, mind and spirit. Practitioners believe the cause of disease is an imbalance, due to physical, emotional, spiritual, environmental or other factors. They work to correct the imbalance and thereby bring about the natural process of healing by applying a treatment deemed to be appropriate. Scholarships and grants for a range of treatments used in holistic care are available through selected associations, organizations and universities.
American Holistic Nurses Association
The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) promotes education focused on healing the whole person. The Charlotte McGuire Scholarship Program (CMGSP), named for the founder of the AHNA, offers undergraduate and graduate awards for students in holistic nursing programs. Applicants are members of the AHNA. Applications include personal data, educational and employment history, a financial statement, transcript, essay, and two sponsorship letters. Recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA.
The value of the annual scholarships reflects the level of donations from AHNA members. AHNA research grants, valued at $4,000 or less in 2011, are available for doctoral student members conducting research on holistic nursing subjects. Research proposals follow specific guidelines available on the AHNA website (AHNA.org).
Other requirements include a comprehensive cover letter with curriculum vitae and a letter from the student’s dissertation committee chair confirming committee review and approval of the application. Recipients submit annual progress reports and a concluding report at the end of the grant period.
National College of Natural Medicine
Teaching the art and science of natural medicine is the core mission of the National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM) in Portland, OR. The college's Master of Science in Oriental Medicine is a four-year program that teaches classical Chinese diagnostics and healing with herbs, acupuncture, bodywork and therapeutic exercise.
The results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FARSA) determines awards based on financial need. The Wise Woman Herbals Botanical Medicine Scholarship for outstanding students of botanical medicine is among the scholarships. Candidates are third or fourth year students pursuing botanical medicine as a thesis subject. Applications call for an essay between 500 and 1,000 words on one of several topics. In the 2010 to 2011 school year, the value of the scholarship was $1,000. The college website (Ncnm.edu) lists full scholarship details and estimated values.
Massage Therapy Foundation
The Massage Therapy Foundation in Evanston, Illinois, promotes scientific research studies of the beneficial applications of massage therapy to relieve stress and depression, among other problems. The foundation offers grants to individuals or to teams researching subjects that provide a better understanding of therapeutic applications of massage. Candidates have related field experience and work in cooperation with a university or an independent research organization that is a sponsoring body for the research project. In 2010, the foundation awarded annual research grants valued between $1,000 and $30,000.
Yo San University
Yo San University is a non-profit organization founded in Los Angeles, California in 1989. The university teaches acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for which it offers a master’s degree as well as a community acupuncture clinic. On its website (Yosan.edu), the university lists a range of scholarships and grants that support students as well as community services.
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Based in Northern California, Maureen Katemopoulos has been a freelance writer for more than 25 years. Her articles on travel, the arts, cuisine and history have appeared in publications such as "Stanislaus Magazine," "Orientations," "The Asia Magazine" and "The Peninsula Group Magazine." She holds a Baccalaureate degree in journalism from Stanford University.