Think you can't afford it? There are tons of loans, grants and scholarships for aspiring spa and beauty professionals.
Learn how to finance a massage school in your geographic area.
In a time when the economy continues to be difficult to navigate and many people are considering their career options, you might be wondering if it’s the right time to start massage school. While there is always a benefit to increasing your education....
One of the best ways to pay for massage school is to earn a scholarship (or several scholarships) to help cover the costs of tuition, fees, and supplies. Scholarships, which don’t have to be repaid and are usually offered based on financial status and personal....
Heritage College provides hands-on training and entry-level skills development in a number of healthcare-related fields. For students interested in holistic health, the massage therapy program provides training in basic health and massage modalities. Although Heritage College facilities can be found across the country, the Columbus campus is one of the newest, and is available for those who live in the area and want to take advantage of a fast-paced training program.
Heritage College has been in operation since 1986. It originally began as a Denver-based healthcare training center specializing in adult learners. Although this is still the target audience for the school, the student population now runs the range of recent high school graduates to adults on their second, third, or even fourth careers. Flexibility in class times and lengths makes the Heritage College (and Heritage Institute) line of schools useful for those who work during the day or who have a family they need to schedule around.
Students can choose from coursework that trains them to become a massage therapist, personal trainer, pharmacy technician, healthcare administrative worker, medical assistant, or even an x-ray technologist. Almost all of the programs are offered as a diploma course, and can be completed in less than two years.
The massage therapy program at the Columbus Heritage campus provides a combination of hands-on training and general education classes for a total of 840 hours of instruction. Students build foundation skills in the areas of anatomy, physiology, massage assessment, CPR, first aid, and business mastery. From there, they learn specific modalities common in the massage field. These include sports massage, neuromuscular massage, musculoskeletal massage, Swedish massage, and deep-tissue techniques.
Successful graduates may go on to find successful employment at spas, sports clinics, medical offices, or other massage treatment centers. Although the school does provide some career placement assistance, employment isn’t guaranteed, and prospective students should weigh the cost of tuition against future earnings before they make any final decisions regarding education.
The instructors at Heritage College are often trained massage therapists who work or have worked in massage facilities of their own. Class sizes are small to promote more one-on-one learning time, and most students will continue through their course with the same faculty members and students.
The Columbus, Ohio campus is one of eight facilities across the United States, and first opened its doors in 2011. Additional locations can be found in Denver (where the school began), Ft. Meyers and Jacksonville in Florida, Kansas City, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, and Wichita. The fairly new facilities boast over 14,000 square feet of space, classrooms equipped with massage tables, and a student clinic that is open to the public.
All sites of Heritage College are accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). This accrediting body is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and means that the school meets criteria related to allied healthcare training. The school is also licensed by the State of Ohio Board of Career Colleges and Schools and is a member of both the American Massage Therapy Association and Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals.
Many students moving through the school need help covering tuition costs and other fees. A financial aid office exists to help you locate funding resources and fill out the required paperwork. Federal funding options include grants, loans, vocational rehabilitation, and veteran benefits. Students who accept these types of financial aid options are required to meet the repayment terms regardless of whether or not they finish school.
As the third largest metropolitan center in the Midwest, Columbus has much to offer students, families, and new professionals. It is continually ranked as one of the best places to raise kids or relocate, and the city is known for its arts, culture, and strong economy, which ranges from healthcare and manufacturing to technology and big business. Most of the students who attend Heritage College are already residents here, although some make the move from smaller towns in the area.
© 2012 Massage Schools Guide