Skip to main content

Academic Surgical Technology Scholarships

The Foundation for Surgical Technology is committed to helping surgical technology students pay for tuition or pay off their educational debt. If you have the desire and ability to pursue a career in the operating room and need financial assistance, you should apply for a scholarship.

Deadline

Scholarship applications are due by March 1 annually. Applications for academic scholarships open online during the fall semester. Scholarship award amounts range from year to year.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Foundation's academic scholarships, you must demonstrate superior academic ability, have a need for financial assistance and be enrolled in an accredited program, thus making you eligible to sit for the national certification exam through NBSTSA.

Application Apply

The Foundation's online scholarship application form must be completed in one sitting. Please be prepared with the following information before you begin:

  • Your contact information, including mailing address and email address.
  • The name and mailing address of your surgical technology program.
  • Be prepared to write compelling answers to the following questions: Why you have chosen to become a surgical technologist? What your plans are after school?
  • 2 letters of recommendation - See below for specific details.

Additional Requirements

If you are awarded a scholarship, you must join your national professional organization, the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST). Students member rates are $45. Scholarships are announced in May. If you receive a scholarship and have graduated from your program without joining AST as a student, the AST membership will cost you $80.

FAQs

The committee reviews applications in March and April, and notifies recipients by mail before the end of May. Scholarship awards are formally announced at AST's Surgical Technology Conference. The Foundation's website will be updated by July 1 each year.

If you do not complete your application, you will not be considered for a scholarship. If you do not include the email address for your surgical technology instructor, a portion of your application will remain blank and you will not be considered.

No. A portion of your application must be completed by your surgical technology instructor.

Yes. You should apply while you are in school, but you can receive the scholarship after you graduate.

While no specific GPA is required for the scholarship, the committee believes it is a strong overall indicator of your ability and your commitment to your education. Your GPA is submitted by your surgical technology instructor on their portion of your application.