Bay Path University Announces Year Two of OTD Grant Program
LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University is now accepting applications for the second cohort of its post-professional occupational therapy doctorate grant program, Improving School-based OT Practice: A Doctoral Program to Improve Outcomes for Children with High-intensity Needs.
Supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs), this innovative program is designed to advance the preparation of school-based occupational therapy leaders committed to improving outcomes for children with disabilities and high-intensity needs.
Through this two-year, fully online program, participants earn a doctor of occupational therapy (OTD) degree, an American Occupational Therapy Assoc. (AOTA) school-based practice certificate, and a graduate certificate in autism spectrum disorders.
In addition to advanced academic training, participants receive up to $21,000 in federal grant funding, covering more than 50% of tuition costs. Additional benefits include one-on-one faculty mentoring, professional development opportunities, and up to $3,000 to present research at the AOTA national conference.
“This program is transforming how school-based OTs are prepared to meet the complex needs of today’s students,” said Dr. Julie Watson, OTD grant program director. “Our first-year cohort has demonstrated the incredible impact that skilled, research-driven practitioners can have in schools, and we’re excited to welcome a new group of leaders into year two.”
With a small, highly supportive cohort model, students benefit from close faculty mentorship and collaboration with peers who share a passion for advancing inclusive, evidence-based school-based occupational therapy.
“I’m gaining a greater understanding of my strengths, and there’s a deep sense of empowerment that comes from that,” said Adria Van Asten, an occupational therapist working with elementary through high school students in the Sheboygan Area School District in Wisconsin, who just completed her first year of the program. “I’ve begun considering a shift from one-on-one client care toward fostering inclusivity awareness and developing programs that integrate inclusivity into daily work practices. I’m interested in creating professional development programs specifically for school staff, so that the secretaries, custodians, and nutritionists working in our schools can learn how best to support students who are neurodiverse or have physical disabilities.
“I’m in constant contact with other OTs in my program who are based across the country,” Van Asten added. “We discuss our school work, our jobs, and so many other topics, and we help each other. The support I’ve found in this program has made such a big difference.”
Only eight spots are available for the upcoming cohort. Applications are now open for the next cohort, which begins Jan. 12, 2026. The deadline to apply is Dec. 1. To learn more or apply, visit baypath.edu/otdosepgrant.