2027 Online Respiratory Care Therapy Master's Programs With University Scholarships: Awards, Eligibility & Tuition After Aid
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Scholarships can materially change the cost of an online Respiratory Care Therapy master's, but awards, online-student eligibility, and renewal rules differ by university. College Board reported average 2024-25 graduate tuition and fees of $12,596 at public institutions for in-state students and $29,931 at private nonprofit institutions. This guide is for practicing respiratory therapists and prospective graduate students comparing affordable pathways. Learn where to look for university aid, how to estimate tuition after aid, and how to build a funding plan that limits borrowing.
Key Things to Know About Respiratory Care Therapy Master's Programs with Scholarships
- Online Respiratory Care Therapy master's students may qualify for university-wide graduate scholarships, but program-specific awards are less common and may have separate deadlines.
- For context, average 2024-25 graduate tuition and fees were $12,596 at public institutions for in-state students and $29,931 at private nonprofit institutions before aid.
- Compare the renewable award amount, enrollment requirement, fees excluded from aid, and employer reimbursement before choosing a program - not the scholarship headline alone.
What online Respiratory Care Therapy master's programs offer university scholarships?
A small number of universities offer online or largely online master's pathways designed for credentialed respiratory therapists, often in respiratory care leadership, education, administration, or health sciences. Scholarship availability is usually administered by the graduate school, college of health professions, alumni foundation, or financial aid office rather than promised as part of the respiratory care curriculum.
Examples worth investigating include online respiratory care graduate options at institutions such as Boise State University, the University of Kansas, and Texas State University. These schools may maintain institutional or college-level scholarship systems, but an applicant should confirm that the particular online master's, start term, and enrollment level are eligible before treating an award as part of the expected budget.
The comparison below distinguishes program availability from confirmed scholarship entitlement. It is important because a school can have a scholarship catalog while reserving some funds for campus-based, full-time, or particular residency categories.
| University option to research | Relevant graduate-study focus | Likely scholarship channel to check | Question to ask |
| Boise State University | Respiratory care graduate study for working professionals | Graduate School and college-based awards | Are fully online students eligible for institutional scholarships? |
| University of Kansas | Respiratory care education and leadership-oriented graduate study | School of Health Professions and university awards | Does part-time enrollment affect award eligibility or renewal? |
| Texas State University | Respiratory care graduate study | Department, college, and foundation scholarships | Are scholarships available to distance learners in the respiratory care major? |
Start with the program's tuition page and scholarship portal, then request a written estimate from financial aid. Ask for the award's amount, duration, conditions, whether it can be used for distance-learning charges, and whether receiving employer assistance reduces institutional aid.
Applicants considering adjacent clinical education routes can also compare program structures, including accelerated medical assistant programs, but those credentials serve a different scope of practice and should not be treated as substitutes for advanced respiratory care education.
What is the average tuition for Respiratory Care Therapy master's programs before aid?
There is no single national tuition average exclusively for Respiratory Care Therapy master's programs because the field is small and institutions price programs by residency, credits, delivery format, and college. A practical benchmark is College Board's 2024-25 average graduate tuition and fees: $12,596 for in-state students at public institutions and $29,931 at private nonprofit institutions. These are broad graduate benchmarks, not a quoted price for a particular respiratory care program.
Use published per-credit tuition and the program's required credits to build a before-aid estimate. Then add mandatory university, technology, distance-learning, graduation, and clinical or residency-related charges where applicable. A lower per-credit rate does not always mean a lower total cost if the program has more required credits or fees.
This planning view shows the costs that often matter when comparing offers. Obtain each figure directly from the university for the term in which you expect to enroll.
| Cost component | Usually included in advertised tuition? | Why it matters after aid |
| Tuition per credit | Usually | Forms the base cost and may vary by residency or program. |
| Required university and online-learning fees | Sometimes | Scholarships may apply to tuition but not fees. |
| Books, software, and professional resources | Usually not | These out-of-pocket expenses can remain after tuition aid. |
| Travel for orientation, simulation, or capstone requirements | Usually not | Online delivery does not always eliminate occasional travel. |
For a meaningful net-cost comparison, subtract only scholarships and grants that are in writing and reasonably renewable. Do not subtract potential awards, future employer reimbursement, or federal loans; loans reduce the immediate bill but create repayment obligations.
Students who need prerequisite science coursework before graduate admission may find an accelerated biology degree online useful to evaluate separately, since prerequisite costs generally are not included in a master's scholarship offer.
What types of financial aid and scholarships are available for Respiratory Care Therapy master's programs?
Graduate funding usually comes from several sources rather than one full scholarship. The best mix depends on financial need, academic record, employer benefits, veteran status, professional involvement, and whether the university treats online enrollment as eligible for institutional awards.
The categories below help applicants identify which funding should be pursued first. Grants and scholarships generally do not require repayment when their terms are met; loans do.
| Funding type | Typical basis | Best use case | Important limitation |
| University merit scholarship | Academic achievement, leadership, or professional record | Applicants with a strong GPA and documented accomplishments | May be competitive, limited, or require full-time enrollment. |
| Need-based institutional grant | Demonstrated financial need | Students whose aid application shows an unmet cost | Availability and eligibility vary widely at graduate level. |
| Department or foundation scholarship | Respiratory care affiliation, career goals, service, or donor criteria | Applicants who meet a narrowly defined profile | Often requires a separate application. |
| Employer tuition assistance | Employment and employer policy | Working therapists whose employer supports role-relevant education | May require continued employment or repayment if leaving early. |
| Federal Direct Unsubsidized or Graduate PLUS Loan | Federal aid eligibility and borrowing limits | Remaining verified education costs after gift aid | Must be repaid with interest. |
File the FAFSA when the institution requests it, even if you expect a merit scholarship. Universities may use it to assess need-based aid, determine federal loan access, or establish a complete aid record. Working clinicians should ask their benefits office about annual reimbursement limits, grade requirements, preapproval, payment timing, and whether the degree must be directly job-related.
Nurses exploring graduate advancement should evaluate their own pathway rather than assume it has the same funding rules as respiratory care; a BSN to MSN online program may have different clinical, employer, and scholarship considerations.
Most university scholarships for master's students are partial awards rather than full tuition coverage. The amount can be a fixed one-time award, a per-term tuition credit, a percentage of tuition, or a renewable award. Because respiratory-care-specific graduate award amounts are not standardized nationally, use each university's published terms and your official aid notice instead of relying on a typical figure.
A scholarship's value depends on what it actually reduces. The same nominal award can produce very different net costs when one program includes fees, permits part-time use, or renews for multiple terms and another does not.
| Award design | What it may pay | Planning advantage | Trade-off to check |
| One-time fixed scholarship | A stated amount for one term or academic year | Easy to apply to the first-year budget | May not continue beyond the initial period. |
| Renewable annual scholarship | A stated amount over multiple eligible terms | Can improve predictability of total program cost | Usually depends on GPA, enrollment, and satisfactory progress. |
| Tuition-only award | Part of billed tuition | Directly reduces the primary educational charge | Fees, books, and travel may remain unpaid. |
| Full tuition scholarship | All or nearly all tuition under stated limits | Can substantially reduce borrowing | Rare; verify credit caps, fees, and renewal conditions. |
Calculate the award across the full degree, not only the first invoice. For example, compare the remaining tuition and fees after confirmed aid, the number of terms left, and the amount you would need to borrow. A smaller renewable scholarship can be financially stronger than a larger one-time award if both programs have similar total tuition.
Eligibility depends on the award. Most applicants need admission to an eligible graduate program, but admission alone does not create scholarship eligibility. Online learners should specifically verify whether "distance," "off-campus," "part-time," or "nondegree" status changes access to a particular fund.
Common criteria are shown below. Treat these as screening categories, not universal requirements, because donor-funded and university awards can add their own residency, professional, or service conditions.
| Scholarship category | Common eligibility factors | Who should prioritize it |
| Merit-based | Undergraduate GPA, graduate GPA, leadership, recommendations, professional accomplishments | Applicants with strong academic and clinical leadership records |
| Need-based | FAFSA information, documented financial need, eligible enrollment | Students with limited resources after required educational costs |
| Respiratory care or health-professions fund | RRT credential, program major, professional affiliation, service, career goal | Practicing respiratory therapists with a clear leadership or educator plan |
| Employer or workforce award | Employment status, supervisor approval, service commitment | Employees whose graduate study supports organizational needs |
Applicants should also confirm prerequisite and licensure expectations for the academic program itself. A respiratory care master's may expect an active credential or a health-related bachelor's degree, while nursing admissions rules can differ; readers comparing fields can review whether is the TEAS test required for all nursing programs before assuming that admissions testing practices transfer across disciplines.
Students with a modest GPA should not assume funding is unavailable. Prioritize awards emphasizing employer service, leadership, community involvement, rural practice, teaching goals, or a focused statement of purpose. Students who do not meet scholarship standards should build a plan around employer assistance, federal loans used cautiously, savings, and a lower-cost public option.
The application process often runs alongside graduate admission but may use a separate scholarship portal. Some universities automatically consider admitted students for selected awards; others require separate applications, essays, references, or FAFSA information. Never assume automatic consideration without written confirmation.
Use the following sequence to avoid the most common timing and documentation problems.
- Apply for admission early enough to receive the student identification number or portal access required for scholarship applications.
- Complete the FAFSA if the university requests it or if you may use need-based aid or federal loans.
- Create a deadline tracker that separates admission, FAFSA, department, foundation, and employer reimbursement dates.
- Prepare a current résumé, transcripts, credential documentation, recommendation contacts, and a statement connecting the degree to respiratory care goals.
- Submit each scholarship application before its deadline and save confirmation records and copies of all materials.
- Review award notices for the amount, duration, enrollment condition, renewal standard, and expenses excluded from payment.
Before accepting an offer, request a term-by-term cost estimate and ask whether the scholarship is credited evenly across terms. If your financial circumstances changed after filing aid forms, ask the financial aid office about its professional-judgment or aid-review process; an adjustment is not guaranteed, but documented changes can be relevant.
Online students can qualify for many of the same federal aid programs and university scholarships as campus students when they are enrolled in an eligible degree program and meet the applicable requirements. However, equal access is not automatic. A university or donor may limit a scholarship by enrollment intensity, campus affiliation, residency, program format, or use of specific student-service fees.
Ask the financial aid office these questions in writing before choosing between an online and campus-based option.
- Is this online Respiratory Care Therapy master's classified as an eligible degree program for federal aid?
- May online and part-time students receive each named institutional or departmental scholarship?
- What minimum number of credits is required for initial eligibility and renewal?
- Does the award cover online-learning, technology, and mandatory university fees as well as tuition?
- Are there required campus visits, and can aid be used toward related educational travel costs?
A school's answer may change the actual value of an award more than the published tuition rate. If online students receive no institutional aid, a less expensive public program, employer reimbursement, or a program with a clearer part-time scholarship policy may be the better financial fit.
Students may combine university scholarships, outside scholarships, employer assistance, veterans' education benefits where eligible, grants, and federal loans, subject to the school's packaging rules and total cost-of-attendance limit. Outside awards should always be reported to the financial aid office because they can change the overall aid package.
Stacking smaller awards can reduce borrowing and spread risk, but it can also create administrative complications. This comparison helps determine when combining awards is worthwhile.
| Approach | Potential benefit | Potential drawback | Best practice |
| One large university award | Simple billing and fewer applications | Loss of the award can create a large budget gap | Confirm renewal conditions and contingency plans. |
| Several smaller scholarships | Diversifies funding and can lower loan need | More essays, deadlines, and reporting obligations | Track restrictions and report all awards promptly. |
| Scholarship plus employer reimbursement | Can reduce personal out-of-pocket costs substantially | Employer conditions may require continued service | Check whether reimbursement is paid upfront or after grades post. |
| Scholarship plus federal loans | Can cover remaining eligible charges | Borrowing increases future repayment costs | Borrow only after gift aid and a realistic cash-flow review. |
A frequent mistake is assuming that every new scholarship simply lowers the bill. In some circumstances, additional resources can reduce loans first; in others, the school may need to revise another component of aid. Ask which award category would be adjusted and obtain the answer before declining a competing offer.
Scholarship maintenance requirements are the conditions a recipient must meet after accepting an award. They commonly include a minimum GPA, satisfactory academic progress, continuous or minimum enrollment, good disciplinary standing, and timely completion of renewal forms. Requirements vary by scholarship, so the official award agreement controls.
Review the following conditions before relying on a renewable award in your total-cost calculation.
- Minimum cumulative or term GPA, including whether courses graded pass/fail count toward renewal.
- Required enrollment level, such as full-time status or a stated minimum number of credits each term.
- Satisfactory academic progress standards for completed credits and pace toward degree completion.
- Renewal timing, including whether a new application, FAFSA, essay, or donor acknowledgement is required.
- Limits on leaves of absence, course withdrawals, incomplete grades, academic probation, or changing programs.
- Any employment, service, or professional-participation obligation attached to the award.
Do not wait until a grade problem or withdrawal occurs. Contact the scholarship administrator and financial aid office before changing enrollment when possible. Some programs have appeal procedures for documented circumstances, but an appeal is discretionary and should not be assumed.
What tips can help Respiratory Care Therapy master's students secure more scholarship funding?
Strong applications make it easy for reviewers to see how an applicant meets the award's purpose. For respiratory therapists, the most persuasive evidence often connects clinical experience with a specific graduate goal, such as education, quality improvement, leadership, neonatal or critical-care service, or program administration.
Use these practical steps to improve both the number and quality of applications you submit.
- Apply to every clearly eligible university, department, foundation, and professional scholarship rather than relying on one high-value award.
- Match each essay to the donor's stated purpose and use specific examples of clinical leadership, precepting, patient-safety work, or community service.
- Ask recommenders early and provide your résumé, career goal, program details, and submission deadline.
- Confirm online, part-time, residency, and credential eligibility before investing time in an application.
- Request a complete cost sheet from each university and compare renewable aid over the entire degree timeline.
- Ask your employer about tuition assistance before enrollment, including approval requirements and any service commitment.
- Keep copies of award letters and calendar reminders for renewal, FAFSA, and academic-progress deadlines.
Avoid generic essays, missed separate scholarship deadlines, and unverified assumptions that tuition aid covers fees. Also avoid selecting a program only because it advertises a scholarship; compare the remaining net cost, program fit, scheduling, accreditation and credential relevance, and employer support.
If you are considering a different helping-profession graduate route, reviewing different counseling degrees can clarify how funding and career requirements vary by discipline. For respiratory care, prioritize scholarships that support the exact master's program and professional direction you intend to pursue.
Other Things You Should Know About Respiratory Care Therapy
It can. Universities must keep total financial aid within the student's cost of attendance. A new scholarship may reduce loans first, but the adjustment depends on the institution's aid-packaging policy. Report outside awards promptly and ask how the school will revise your package.
Scholarship treatment can depend on how funds are used and the recipient's circumstances. Amounts used for qualified education expenses may be treated differently from amounts used for living expenses. Keep award and payment records and consult a qualified tax professional for personal guidance.
Many university scholarships for online respiratory care master’s students require at least 6 credit hours per term, and some awards require full-time enrollment for renewal. Programs also commonly require continued good academic standing, such as a 3.0 GPA, plus annual FAFSA completion and timely progress toward the degree.
You may respectfully ask whether the university can review your aid package, particularly if you have competing written offers or documented financial changes. Provide clear documentation and ask early. Schools are not required to increase an award, so maintain a workable backup funding plan.
- Master of Science (MS) in Respiratory Care https://www.rushu.rush.edu/college-health-sciences/academic-programs/master-science-respiratory-care
- Student Awards - American Respiratory Care Foundation https://arcfoundation.org/how-we-give/student-awards/
- Respiratory Therapist Scholarship Program - Monument Health https://monument.health/respiratory-therapist-scholarship-program/
- Costs and Financial Aid https://www.kumc.edu/school-of-health-professions/academics/departments/respiratory-care-and-diagnostic-science/academics/respiratory-care-degree-programs/respiratory-care-degree-advancement/costs-and-financial-aid.html
- Advanced Education For RTs - Big Step, Bigger Rewards - Methapharm Respiratory https://methapharmrespiratory.com/advanced-education-for-rts-big-step-bigger-rewards-copy/
