As a medical lab technician, you get to work in the world of medicine, making a real difference in the lives of patients and working to prevent and cure diseases. Unlike working as a doctor, however, you don’t need multiple advanced degrees to get a job in this field. In as little as 12 to 18 months, you could have your associate degree and certification, qualifying you for an exciting new career in the medical field.

Even associate degrees can be expensive, however, so organizations, companies, and other groups offer scholarships especially for people pursuing an education in medicine. As a medical lab tech student, you qualify for many of these scholarships, and you should take advantage of these funds for college. As with grants, you don’t have to repay scholarships, making them a great source of money for school.

Where can you find scholarships for medical lab tech students? Here are some great places to start:

American Society for Clinical Laboratory Sciences: This organization has many scholarships available, including ones for students who show leadership skills, are published, belong to the Alpha Mu Tau fraternity, or are working in certain specialties. You can read about all of the scholarships available from the ASCLS at their website.

Medical Laboratory Cooperative Scholarship: Presented by the Nationwide Children’s Hospitals, with this scholarship, students are required to accept a position at a NCH facility after graduation. It is available for students who are 6 months into an associate degree program or are a junior or senior in an bachelor degree program. Read more at the NCH website.

Scholarship fro Disadvantaged Students, US Department of Health and Human Services: If you come from a family that doesn’t have much money, the government could help to fund your education as a medical lab tech. You can find out more at this web page, and you can also look into special student loans for students pursuing an education in medicine.

David Birenbaum Scholarship Fund of the American Association of Bioanalysts: The AAB provides scholarship for students who’ve shown exceptional academic achievement, who  participate in community service, or who have financial need. You or a family member needs to be an AAB member to apply. More information can be found at their website.

Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions: One of the most prestigious scholarships to be awarded in this field, ASAHP scholarships are given annually to students who excels academically and has a strong resume of community service work, extracurricular activities, and leadership skills. Read more at the ASAHP website.

Don’t forget that you can also contact your school directly to learn about scholarship opportunities for the general study body and for your department. Many organizations also have scholarships given to students without bias of major or program of study, so don’t limit your search to just medical-related scholarships. Apply to as many as possible, and you could find yourself going to school to become a medical lab tech for free!

For those looking to become a medical laboratory technician, a minimum of a two-year associate's degree is usually required to gain an entry-level position in the field. For those looking for more advancement, a bachelor's degree is recommended. There are numerous accredited online schools that offer such degrees, listed below.

BS in Clinical Lab Science	University of Cincinnati — The Bachelor of Science degree in clinical laboratory science offered by Cincinnati University is a perfect fit for individuals persuing a career as a medical lab technician. This program is designed to prepare students to become Clinical Lab Techs (CLTs) or Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLTs) in under three years.
AS in Allied Health Science	South University — The AS in allied health science degree program offered by South University emphasizes life science subjects like anatomy, chemistry, nutrition, and physiology. It is designed to prepare students for a wide variety of health careers, including medical laboratory technician.
AA in Human Services Mgmt	University of Phoenix — The AA in human services management degree offered by the University of Phoenix provides students with knowledge and skills related to the management of human services organizations.
AS in Health IT	DeVry University — Kaplan, one of the most prominent online universities in the United States, offers an Associate's degree in health information technology. The four-year program is designed to train students for a variety of HIT-based medical environments, including physician practices, home health care agencies, vendor firms, and more.
AS in Health IT	Rasmussen College — Rasmussen's associate's degree in health information technology teaches students medical front office procedures, how to handle patient accounts and records, and how to schedule patient appointments. Upon completion of this program, a graduate will be prepared to begin an HIT career.
AABA in Medical Coding & Billing	American InterContinental University — The AABA in medical coding and billing offered by American InterContinental University is an associate's degree-level education program designed to prepare students for a healthcare career. Students will learn the basics of medical terminology, anatomy, legal aspects of health information, health database management, and more.
BS in Health Services Mgmt	Virginia College Online — Virginia College Online offers a bachelor's degree program in health services management. This bachelor's degree presents students with a solid general education in addition to a focused teaching of basic healthcare principles. Graduates of this program will be prepared for management positions in a variety of healthcare settings.
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