Volume 38 Number 1 | February 2024
Perry M. Scanlan, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM, Alpha Mu Tau Fraternity President
How many professionals have discussed the need for more resources for students in laboratory science? Usually, professionals talk about how hidden the laboratories are from the public eye, or how there is limited funding for educational programs. Our hospitals, public health facilities, and reference labs frequently express the great need for new professionals. Usually this ends with a discussion about the desire to train more professionals and the barriers to getting new professionals enrolled in qualified programs that lead to employment. At times it can be difficult for students to balance the cost of their education, career goals, and living expenses. Now, more than ever, students are required to pay a larger share of the cost of attendance at their chosen college or university. This highlights the need for financial support of our students.
Many of our entry level professionals seek our field because of its scientific rigor, transferable skills, and its direct entry into jobs that can support their families. Other students continue their education in graduate schools to gain additional skills that lead to jobs with a greater degree of responsibility and pay associated with graduate degrees. Many student professionals would have greater opportunities to complete their education if they were able to supplement their income with a scholarship. A scholarship allows them to shift their focus from financial responsibilities to completing their education and to advocacy for the profession. Fortunately, your students are in luck!
Alpha Mu Tau Fraternity (AMTF) was founded in 1948 with the specific purpose to provide scholarships to support professional educational goals. This 501(c)3 tax exempt organization raises money each year to create a permanent charitable giving organization dedicated to helping students complete their medical laboratory courses of study. Members of AMTF and their friends provide financial support for scholarships through their donations and fundraising efforts. Donations to scholarships are tax deductible, and over time AMTF has increased the amount of scholarship opportunities available to laboratory science students since its founding in 1948. Just last year, AMTF donated $47,000 in scholarships to students at all levels of education pursuing degrees in laboratory science.
Each year applications for scholarships are requested from professionals entering into or in their senior year of their laboratory program. These scholarship forms are generally due on April 1 each year and offer awards as high as $4,000 to recipients of some scholarships. AMTF encourages laboratory professionals and educational programs to have their students apply for a scholarship in support of their educational goals. These scholarships can make a difference in our students’ financial well-being and help them focus on maximizing their educational journey.
Help a student today and take a moment to download our scholarship applications. Scholarship applications can be found on the AMTF website.
Perry M. Scanlan is Professor and Chair of the Department of Allied Health Sciences at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.