A radiography student seeking a first credential is not applying under the same conditions as a certified technologist pursuing a master’s degree. A medical student proposing an imaging research project may qualify for a research stipend, but that does not make the stipend an unrestricted medical-school tuition scholarship.
This guide explains verified ASRT Foundation scholarship routes and a separate RSNA medical-student research grant. It also shows how membership, program stage, enrollment timing, institutional support, and payment rules affect your application.
Radiology funding options at a glance
Checked October 17, 2026. The ASRT academic-scholarship overview currently says applications are closed. Its current scholarship list describes 2027–2028 awards, while the FAQ describes a general November-to-mid-January application window. An exact next-cycle deadline was not established in the reviewed current pages.
| Funding route | Intended applicants | Amount and permitted use | Current application information |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASRT Foundation entry-level scholarships | Eligible ASRT members in accredited radiologic-science programs who have not passed a primary pathway registry exam or equivalent | Current 2027–2028 scholarship portfolio ranges from $500 to $5,000; do not assume every named scholarship pays the maximum | Overview says closed. Check the new call for the exact next deadline. Entry-level applicants need completed radiologic studies and GPA verification. |
| ASRT Foundation professional-level scholarships | Eligible professionals with certification or qualifying entry-level completion who are advancing their radiologic-science education | Same portfolio-level range; tuition, books, fees, on-campus room and board, and required supplies/equipment are listed uses | Professional applicants may apply while seeking admission, but need acceptance/enrollment evidence by award time under the FAQ. |
| RSNA Medical Student Research Grant | Full-time medical students at accredited North American medical schools, with required membership and an eligible host department | $3,000 Foundation stipend plus a required $3,000 department match; $6,000 total student stipend | Official page says open; deadline February 5, 2027, 11:59 p.m. CT. Requires 8–10 weeks of full-time research effort. |
The ASRT figures describe a portfolio range, not a verified amount for each scholarship below. The RSNA grant’s one-year project period is not a promise of a full year of paid full-time employment.
Choose the correct training pathway
Entry-level imaging or radiation therapy education
The ASRT Foundation eligibility page defines entry-level applicants as students who have not passed a primary pathway registry examination or equivalent. For entry-level scholarships, applicants must be enrolled in an accredited radiologic-science program, have completed at least one semester of actual radiologic studies rather than prerequisites, and have a program GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
That distinction matters if you have been accepted into a program but are still completing general education or prerequisite courses. Acceptance alone does not establish that you have completed the required semester of radiologic studies.
The current ASRT scholarship list includes these relevant examples:
- Jerman-Cahoon Student Scholarship: entry-level students in radiography, sonography, magnetic resonance, or nuclear medicine programs.
- Royce Osborn Student Scholarship: entry-level students in radiography, sonography, magnetic resonance, radiation therapy, or nuclear medicine.
- Bettye Wilson Entry-Level Medical Imaging Scholarship: entry-level medical imaging students.
- Dr. Mattie Tabron Entry-Level Radiation Therapy Scholarship and Elekta Radiation Therapy Scholarship: entry-level radiation therapy students.
- Drs. Heather and Douglas Moore First-Generation College Student Scholarship: first-generation college students enrolled in radiography.
These descriptions help identify a potential fit. They do not remove the common eligibility rules or establish every additional selection condition. Use the live application to confirm which awards match your actual program and background.
Professional advancement within radiologic sciences
ASRT’s professional-level category includes applicants who already hold ARRT certification or an equivalent credential, as well as those who completed an entry-level program and are moving directly into further education for an additional certification or academic degree.
The current list includes routes with different purposes:
- James and Stephanie Johnston Journey Scholarship: imaging professionals pursuing master’s or doctoral study to advance as educators or managers.
- Philip W. Ballinger Scholarship: professional medical imaging educators pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree.
- Marie L.A. Racine Scholarship: radiation therapy professionals pursuing a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Siemens Healthineers Clinical Advancement Scholarship: medical imaging professionals pursuing a specialty certification.
- Radiation Therapy Pioneers Scholarship: professionals transitioning from radiography into radiation therapy.
- Bob Cassling Memorial Scholarship: imaging and radiation therapy professionals working in rural areas who are pursuing a degree or additional certification.
Choose based on the education you are actually undertaking, not simply the scholarship name. A certification-focused opportunity may not be interchangeable with graduate-degree funding. Do not assume all professional development, conference attendance, or continuing-education spending qualifies as an academic program.
Medical students considering academic radiology
If you are studying medicine, the RSNA Medical Student Research Grant is a distinct research route. It supports experience in medical imaging before residency selection, rather than serving as a general scholarship for every student who hopes to become a radiologist.
ASRT explicitly says its scholarships are not intended to help a technologist switch careers to become a physician assistant or radiologist. Do not use an ASRT award as the assumed funding source for that career change.
ASRT scholarship eligibility: check these requirements first
The ASRT Foundation FAQ currently requires applicants to:
- Be active ASRT members.
- Reside in the continental United States, Hawaii, or Alaska.
- Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident.
- Attend an accredited college, university, or medical institution located in the United States.
- Complete the certificate or degree program after September 1 of the year applications are due.
- Meet the entry-level or professional-level requirements, plus any relevant award-specific conditions.
The Foundation excludes its Board of Trustees, ASRT Board of Directors, ASRT staff, and their immediate family members. The FAQ also states that visitor, student, and G-series visa holders are ineligible under its citizenship/status rules. Attending a U.S. school is not, by itself, sufficient.
For entry-level applicants, GPA verification must arrive by the application deadline. Identify the verifier—typically a program director or administrator—and follow up before the last day. Your own submitted application does not establish that the verification has been completed.
Professional-level applicants may have applied to a qualifying program rather than already enrolled. However, the FAQ requires proof of acceptance or enrollment by the time an award is offered, typically April. If you will not have that information or you disenroll, contact the Foundation according to its current instructions.
How ASRT’s common application works
ASRT says applicants complete one application and are automatically matched to scholarships for which their answers establish eligibility. You do not need to submit a separate application for every listed scholarship.
Prepare:
- Your ASRT login details.
- Education and employment history.
- Volunteer service activities.
- A résumé or CV.
- Financial information, including adjusted gross income, household members, children in college, program cost of attendance, and non-repayable educational assistance.
- For entry-level applicants, the GPA verifier’s name and email address.
Use accurate records rather than estimating a financial figure without checking it. Follow the current form’s instructions for zero, unknown, and inapplicable entries. All applications and related materials must be completed online through Blackbaud; the FAQ says documents are not accepted by mail or fax.
Selection is not based solely on need or grades. The Foundation describes reviewing commitment, leadership, achievement, and financial need. A focused response might explain a supervised learning responsibility, professional service, or an educational goal, then connect it to the training the scholarship would support.
Do not put identifiable patient information into an essay or upload clinical images as proof of experience. Describe the learning and your role without disclosing protected information or implying independent clinical authority you did not hold.
What ASRT scholarship money can pay for
The current FAQ lists tuition, books, fees, on-campus room and board, and supplies and equipment required for the course load. Any leftover amount may be distributed according to the institution’s policies; that is not a guarantee of an unrestricted cash payment to you.
The Foundation pays the institution, working with the school on direct deposit or check. Its listed disbursement periods are June 1 for summer, August 1 for fall, and December 1 for spring. Confirm the timing in your award agreement before counting on money for a deposit or an expense due earlier.
The FAQ also establishes several limits:
- You may receive only one ASRT Foundation scholarship per year. If you qualify for more than one, you receive the highest-dollar award.
- Previous recipients may apply again, but a person may win a specific scholarship only twice.
- Disenrollment after receiving an award requires returning funds.
- A school transfer may be permitted while keeping the award if the program remains related to a radiologic-science career.
Being permitted to reapply is not automatic renewal. Budget future semesters without assuming that a new award will arrive each year.
ASRT deadlines and acceptance timing
The FAQ describes applications opening from November through mid-January, review from late January through late March, and award notifications in April and May. It says recipients have only one week to accept the offer and that all applicants should receive a status notification by June 1.
Those are general process windows, not a newly verified exact deadline for 2027–2028. The current academic scholarship overview says applications are closed even though the current-awards page already describes the next academic year’s portfolio.
Older Foundation URLs still show January 13, 2026. That date is historical and must not be relabeled as a 2027 deadline. Bookmark the current overview and use its application link when the next call is available.
RSNA medical-student research funding: the separate physician-pathway route
RSNA’s official page currently marks its Medical Student Research Grant open with a deadline of February 5, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. CT.
Applicants must be full-time medical students at accredited North American medical schools and maintain RSNA membership in good standing. RSNA says medical students may join free. The work must take place in a radiology, radiation oncology, or nuclear medicine department at a North American educational institution; the host may differ from the student’s own medical school.
The grant requires at least eight to ten weeks of full-time effort under a scientific adviser, during personal or vacation time or an approved research elective. Confirm that the schedule fits your academic obligations before applying.
The Foundation contributes a $3,000 stipend and requires the sponsoring department to match it with another $3,000. The resulting $6,000 supports the student stipend. A mentor’s willingness to supervise does not automatically establish that the department has approved its match. Obtain the appropriate institutional commitment and coordinate signatures with the department chair and grant administrator.
RSNA also states that applicants may submit only one R&E Foundation grant application per year, whether research or education, may not hold a concurrent Foundation grant, and must disclose overlapping support. If you have other funding, ask how it interacts with the proposed project rather than assuming every stipend can be stacked.
The provider links a 2027 Quick Guide and Policies and Procedures. Read them for the complete proposal format, required attachments, signature process, and award conditions before submitting. This article does not invent page limits or document counts that have not been checked in those detailed instructions.
Build a scholarship plan around your real costs
Start with your program’s cost of attendance and list tuition, books, mandatory fees, required equipment, clinical travel, examinations, and living expenses separately. Then ask which costs the specific award covers. For ASRT funding, required supplies and on-campus room and board are listed, but that does not automatically establish reimbursement for every commute, examination, or off-campus rent payment.
Next, coordinate with the financial-aid office. Ask how an external scholarship changes other aid, when money will be posted, and whether a bill is due before the award’s disbursement. A research stipend should not be treated as available tuition aid without checking its terms.
Finally, search the program’s own scholarship office, state professional affiliates, and relevant specialty organizations. ASRT links additional resources, but a listing is only a starting point. Verify each provider’s current call, program eligibility, payment rules, and deadline separately.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for ASRT scholarships before completing prerequisites?
The entry-level rule requires at least one semester of radiologic studies, not just prerequisites. Check your academic record with the program director before assuming you qualify.
Can international students apply?
The reviewed ASRT rules require specified U.S. citizenship or immigration status and U.S. residence. The RSNA grant uses North American medical-school and host-institution criteria; read its detailed current policies rather than importing ASRT’s rules into a different program.
Does one ASRT application mean I can win several awards?
No. ASRT says one application matches you to relevant opportunities, but only one scholarship can be awarded per year. Qualifying for multiple awards does not mean their amounts are added together.
Are radiology scholarships the same as medical-school scholarships?
Not necessarily. Many opportunities support medical imaging and radiation therapy education rather than physician training. Identify the profession, credential, degree level, and allowed expenses before applying.
