ULM’s physical therapy program will receive $10,000 this Tuesday presented by Nexion Health and Reliant Rehabilitation.

A scholarship fund will also be established with $100,000 from Nexion Health and Reliant Rehabilitation along with contributions from other donors. 

The ULM Physical Therapy First Generation Scholarship is for full time first-generation students pursuing an undergraduate degree with the intent to apply to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. 

The scholarship guarantees at least $4,000 annually as financial aid to eligible students.

Catherine Estis, the director of the TRIO program, said this scholarship will be a big help with the struggles first-generation students face.

“[The scholarship] will aid students to pursue STEM careers which change not only their life, but the lives of their family, communities and future generations,” Estis said.

Don Simpson, the dean of the College of Health Sciences, said that as a first-generation student, he understands how significant this contribution is.

“[This scholarship] will make the dream of first-generation students pursuing graduate studies a reality by allowing them to enter the DPT program at a much better point with much less debt than their program classmates,” Simpson said.