We Are Better
When We Rize Together
Every patient deserves to feel represented by their healthcare provider—and have access to affordable care. That’s why we’re offering student scholarships to inspire more diversity and inclusiveness in the physical therapy workforce.

We believe that physical therapy is for everyone.
Yet a lack of accessibility prevents many patients (often those who are low-income or people of color) from seeking the musculoskeletal care they need to lead a functional and pain-free life.
At Rizing Tide, we believe that fostering more diversity in the physical therapist workforce will improve accessibility for patients of color and empower all therapists to provide better care to an increasingly diverse patient population.
To that end, we provide scholarships designed to empower a new generation of BIPOC leaders in the physical therapy profession. We partner with DPT students and residents, DPT faculty, and industry leaders to advance diversity and inclusiveness in the physical therapy workforce and inspire better—and more accessible—patient care.
Our Impact Since 2021
$500,000
Committed to further the education of Rizing Tide scholars
21 scholars
Supported from DPT programs across the country
16 hours
Of premium live education (either virtual or in-person) provided to scholars to date
15 DPT programs
Represented amongst our two cohorts of scholars
287 applicants
Submitted an entry to earn a Rizing Tide scholarship
$57,250
In sponsorships, funding one full Surge scholarship and one full Crest Rizing Star scholarship (Thanks Hands-On Diagnostics and APTQI!)
The physical therapist workforce faces a serious diversity gap.
Every year, the U.S. patient population becomes more and more racially and ethnically diverse—but the physical therapist workforce has not evolved alongside it. To help close the diversity gap, Dr. Heidi Jannenga, a physical therapist, industry advocate, and thought leader, founded Rizing Tide: a foundation that provides scholarships to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) PT students while partnering with industry leaders to advance diversity and inclusiveness in the physical therapy workforce.
Scholarships
Each year, Rizing Tide presents scholarships to five promising BIPOC students who are on the path to earn their Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) or are furthering their PT education by pursuing a residency program. Scholarship recipients are selected by our Beachcombers committee on the basis of merit.
Crest
Surge

"A rising tide lifts all boats."
John F Kennedy
Resources
The Power of Mentorship: Meet Rizing Tide Scholar Carolina Mahecha Millan
This is the tenth installment of the 2022 Rizing Tide…
Read MoreFinding Her PT Zen: Meet Rizing Tide Scholar Erika Gonzalez
This is the ninth installment of the 2022 Rizing Tide…
Read MoreExceptional Scholars, Exceptional Debt: A 2023 DPT Student Loan Survey
Winning Jenga is simple: Destabilize the tower as little as…
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