• Massage therapists can work for major companies or start their own businesses.Lower body massage as part of a full body Thai massage. image by Deborah Benbrook from Fotolia.com
  
  Licensed massage therapists continue to grow in demand, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with median hourly wages at $16.78 per hour as of May 2008. Washington state offers several grant programs that help cover the costs of education in massage therapy. These grants allow potential massage therapy students in the Evergreen State to take the first step toward careers in massage therapy.
  
  

Washington Pell Grant

• The U.S. Department of Education offers Pell Grants to qualifying applicants at the state level. Washington State offers the Pell Grant to applicants who meet income-qualifying standards and who wish to attend an accredited school in the state of Washington. Students may use the grant for massage therapy training programs as well as for programs that focus on holistic healing and aromatherapy. To qualify for educational grant through the Washington Pell Grant fund, the applicant must present proof of income when applying to prove economic need. Apply through your school's financial aid office or directly through the Department of Education.
  
  U.S. Department of Education
  
  400 Maryland Ave. SW
  
  Washington, DC 20202
  
  800-872-5327
  
  ed.gov
  
  

Cortiva Institute

• The Cortiva Institute is a nationally recognized school of massage therapy with locations throughout the country, including Washington state. The Cortiva Institute provides a number of grant programs to assist those with a desire to become educated in the field of massage therapy. The school offers traditional Pell Grants but also assists students in obtaining work study grants and supplemental educational opportunity grants that allow them to work off part of their tuition. The Cortiva Institute's Washington state campus is located in Seattle and provides $1,000 in private scholarship funding to qualifying students, as of September 2010.
  
  Cortiva Institute
  
  425 Pontius Ave. N, Ste. 100
  
  Seattle, WA 98109
  
  206-282-1233
  
  cortiva.com
  
  

Washington Veterans Affairs

• The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issues educational grants to veterans of the U.S. military and their qualified dependents--children and spouses of veterans killed or disabled in the line of duty--as long as they were named as dependents at the time the incident occurred. Recipients may use the grants for education in various accredited programs, including massage therapy. To qualify for educational grants through the VA, applicants must have served and been honorably discharged from a branch of the U.S. military such as the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force or Coast Guard. Apply for grant funding by contacting the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs to verify eligibility.
  
  Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs
  
  1102 Quince St. SE
  
  P.O. Box 41150
  
  Olympia, WA 98504
  
  360-725-2200
  
  dva.wa.go