Many grants and scholarships for MRI technicians are available through the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT). Analysts at the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expect abundant employment opportunities for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technicians until the year 2020.

Financial aid helps aspiring technicians meet rising tuition costs.

American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) Scholarships

ASRT offered eight scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year with a combined estimated value of $200,000 United States dollars (USD).

Awards are available for entry-level and advanced studies. Grants help technicians create groundbreaking research projects. Applicants must display strong leadership and industry commitment in addition to demonstrating financial need.

• Jerman-Cahoon Student Scholarships awards $2,500 USD to five entry-level MRI students.
• Royce Osborn Minority Scholarships provides $4,000 USD to five entry-level students.
• Professional Advancement Scholarships assists technicians completing a second certificate or degree program.
• Professional Research Grants up to $10,000 USD fund MRI research projects lasting no longer than two years. Applications are due in March and August.
• Research Seed Grants up to $3,000 USD assist technicians with starting preliminary studies lasting no longer than one year. Application deadlines are in March and August.

Corporate Scholarship Awards

Radiology companies also offer scholarship awards to budding technicians and technologists. Applicants must have a minimum grade point average and United States (U.S.) citizenship or residency.

Some companies grant funds with the assistance of ASRT board members.

• Elektra radiation therapy awards $5,000 USD to four entry-level students with a 3.0 GPA. Applications are due February 1.
• Varian scholarships of $5,000 USD go to 19 students entering certification through graduate-level studies.
• Siemens USA offers $4,000 USD scholarships to four students pursuing MRI certification.

Institutional Awards

Most MRI training programs offer scholarships to incoming students referred to as in-house awards.

Administrators grant awards to students with strong academic performance who seem likely to make substantial MRI industry contributions in the future. Scholarship essays require applicants to display strong writing skills.

• The University of North Carolina (UNC) offers allied health scholarships that cover tuition and student living expenses.
• Missouri University awards $500 USD to qualifying MRI students.
• Armstrong Atlantic State University grants $250 to $1,000 USD to qualifying students through the Donald Starr Radiology Scholarship.

State-Specific Programs

Two awards focus on students attending California State institutions.

The Ruth McMillan Radiography Grant awards $500 USD to students who display leadership potential combined with impressive academic skills post here free entertainment.

Anna B Ames Clinical Excellence Awards of $500 USD go to students who exhibit strong clinical abilities and strong leadership skills.

Financial awards permit MRI students to change the world and improve their lives. Membership in professional organizations grants access to a variety of additional resources.

Grants and scholarships for MRI technicians help students achieve academic goals without a mountain of debt.

Federal Pell Grants and Applicable State Programs

The Federal government provides several need based grants (which are awarded on the basis of income).

The most well-known of these is the Pell grant, which can pay between $500-$5,500 depending on your financial need.

While not everyone gets approved for a Pell grant, it costs nothing to apply, so it’s recommended that you do so regardless of your income status (by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – more details here!)

When you consider that eligibility for many relevant state-based grants is based on the information provided in the FAFSA as well, submission becomes even more important.

Remember, some states may offer incentive programs to entice students into certain medical fields for which there is a dire need of professionals. These grants may not necessarily be need based, or distributed on basis of income.

Learn more about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid here!

Investigate available state-specific grants here!

Cost

Let’s face it … in an ideal world, cost would have no bearing on where you go to college. But the reality is that tuition rates are an important consideration for many students and their families. And this where Public Ivies have the advantage over Private Ivies (especially for in-state students).

For the 2022-2023 school year for example, in-state tuition for Public Ivy schools ranged from just over $22,000/year to about $43,000/year. When compared to the $70,000-$80,000/year tuition at Private Ivies, the Public Ivies look really attractive, right? Especially because you can get the same caliber of education at Public Ivies.

Having said that, out-of-state tuition at some Public Ivies can reach Private Ivy levels. For example, out-of-state tuition at some University of California schools can run you close to $70,000/year. This is pretty steep. But this also isn’t the case across the board, and out-of-state tuition for many Public Ivy schools is still significantly less than the cost of attending an Ivy League school.

Financial aid

Because Public Ivies depend on state funding (as opposed to the private endowments that Private Ivies enjoy), Public Ivies tend to offer less financial aid, and the total amount of financial aid the Public Ivies can offer sometimes fluctuates from year to year.

Again, being an in-state student applying to a Public Ivy school gives you an advantage here since much of the financial aid is set aside for in-state students. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t apply to a Public Ivy that is not in your state since there are some other ways to get financial help (check out our guide to paying for college), but we think it’s good for you to know that Public Ivies focus much of their financial aid on applicants who live in their state.

Reputation

“Reputation” is kind of a weird thing when it comes to colleges and universities since this can mean different things to different people. For example, while it is true that Ivy League schools enjoy stellar reputations for the academic experience they offer students, it’s a little hard to quantify a school’s reputation based on this because “academic experience” is a pretty broad idea.

When it comes to Public Ivy schools and their reputations, perhaps the thing to consider is that these schools have a range of things for which they have good reputations. Some of the Public Ivies are considered academically rigorous across the board, while others are known for specific areas of study. Some Public Ivies enjoy prestige because of their faculty while others rank up there for the breadth of academic opportunities they offer their students.

Our advice is to not get too caught up in a school’s “reputation.” Public Ivies are on the list because they can offer an education comparable to that found at Private Ivies, so the important things to consider are what specific Public Ivy schools can offer you and what is important to you as part of your college education. As with any school you’re considering, we encourage you to do your research, talk to current students if you can, and be clear from the start what your priorities and values are (here’s our step-by-step guide to choosing a college).

Selectivity

The selectivity of a school often goes hand-in-hand with its reputation, and the competitiveness of Public Ivies can vary.

Some University of California schools, for example, accept around 10% of their undergraduate applicants, while other Public Ivies like the University of Delaware accept upwards of 60% of its applicants.

There are a number of factors that impact how selective Public Ivies are. Many Public Ivy schools must accept a certain percent of in-state applicants, which makes things a little tougher for out-of-state applicants.

A lot also depends on how many students apply to a Public Ivy in any given year. Typically, the larger the applicant pool, the lower the acceptance rate. And as more and more students discover the benefits of Public Ivies, more and more students are also applying to these excellent schools.

That said, Public Ivies typically still have higher acceptance rates than Private Ivies, which often hover under 10% or lower (hi, Harvard).

Size and location

Public Ivies tend to have a higher number of students than Private Ivies, so if having smaller class sizes and enjoying a more intimate environment on campus is important to you, this is definitely something to consider.

Since Public Ivies typically admit a greater number of students, they also have larger student populations. This often means more people in each class, a higher student to teacher ratio, and the bustle that comes with a busier campus. And maybe this sounds perfect to you! A larger number of students doesn’t mean a diminished educational experience … it just means a different educational experience.

Another important factor to consider is the physical location of where you want to go to school. Private Ivy schools are all on the East coast, so you don’t have a lot of geographical options if you’re thinking about one of these eight schools.

But Public Ivies give you a lot of options since they are all over the United States. Again, in-state applicants do have a slight edge, but Public Ivies also accept many out-of-state applicants, and they give you geographical choices that Private Ivies do not.

You will want to be a savvy researcher and consumer of information in order to choose the right college. You will want to keep track of majors, costs, application timelines and requirements, and so much more. As mentioned, a college research tracker can support this process (or use this as a guide to create your own!). 

Consider who your trusted resources of information are and how you can find out more. Generally, in-person college visits are highly informative, so read more about How To Get the Most Out of Your College Visit and check out this list of 60+ Examples of Questions to Ask on a College Tour.

When colleges keep track of who visits, reads emails, clicks on links, attends information sessions, and more, this is called tracking potential applicants’ demonstrated interest. Many colleges favor applicants who demonstrate their interest, and this Inside Higher Ed study shares more about this practice. 

If you can’t visit schools in person, fear not! Start your research by hearing student voices at unigo.com, continue your research at www.collegexpress.com to check out fun lists and collections, and then check out virtual tours at CampusReel.org. 

You can learn even more by reading this incredible post about How to Research Colleges (Without Visiting A Campus).

After you’ve spent a lot of time understanding yourself and doing research, you are ready to craft a list that is going to create opportunities for you. Think big! Cast a wide net. The best place to start is by reading CEG’s 3 Step guide on how to choose a college. If you love data, we find that a great place to start is at the aptly named site collegedata.com. 

Above all, please take the time to consider why we consistently beg you to avoid relying on rankings to shape your college list. 

There is a huge body of evidence that shows that how engaged you are in your college experience matters more than how selective/famous/elite/prestigious the college you attend is. 

So, what does that mean exactly? Students who seek out internships and other hands-on learning experiences that allow them to apply their learning in real-life settings, who work with mentors who know them well and encourage them, and students who truly make the most of their college environment and opportunities will thrive after college. 

There is absolutely no guarantee that students who attend a “highly ranked” college will thrive after college. In fact, this study found “no significant relationship between a school’s selectivity and student learning, future job satisfaction, or well-being.”

Frank Bruni, who wrote a book called Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be recently wrote an op-ed in the New York Times proposing a new way of thinking about rankings, complete with a new tool that allows you to build your own system of rankings that reflects what you value in your college experience. 

Want more? Read more about this endlessly fascinating topic and how the rankings and marketing games have bamboozled a generation here, here, here, here, or watch here and here.