FAQs

Yes, you may qualify to sit for the NCTRC exam by completing on-line coursework. Certificate programs are an acceptable option for completion of required coursework as well. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be submitted at the time of application in order for coursework to be reviewed.

Yes, the Pre-Application Coursework Review process may be used to determine whether or not you meet current certification coursework requirements before submitting a formal application. To access the application, click on MY NCTRC LOGIN, click on "New Customer" and create a profile. After you click Submit, you will be at your Dashboard Profile. Select Pre-Application Coursework Review (OPTIONAL PROCESS) under the 'Application' section. You will receive an email notification identifying completion of the review process. You may then access the coursework review results by logging into your dashboard profile page and clicking on the application details.

All coursework must be assigned college credit from an accredited College or University and must appear on an official College or University transcript. The Pre-Application Coursework Review process may be used to determine whether previously completed coursework will qualify.

The completed and signed Employment Verification Form may be uploaded to the Professional Eligibility online application under the 'Paid Work Experience' section with the signature of the human resource designee.

The exam registration process may be completed once your Professional Eligibility application review is complete and you have been granted Exam Qualified status (you will receive an email regarding your status). The exam fee is $325.

You will receive notification by email of your application review decision approximately 4-6 weeks after your application is received by NCTRC.

Yes, transcripts from all colleges/universities must be included. The only guarantee that all your coursework will be reviewed is to make sure every transcript is submitted with your application.

Transcripts must arrive within 2 weeks of application submission. Each transcript must include registrar signature and seal to be considered official. Transcripts may be delivered electronically directly from the university registrar to nctrc@nctrc.org or the official hard copy may be mailed to the NCTRC mailing address. Transcripts from all colleges/universities must be submitted for coursework and/or degree review.

To be awarded the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credential, the candidate must meet the eligibility requirements and pass a knowledge-based exam. When the candidate is awarded the CTRS credential, it serves as evidence that the individual, through knowledge and experience, has met NCTRC’s CTRS Certification Standards. The award of the CTRS credential is a limited license to use the titles of “Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist®” and “CTRS®” subject to NCTRC’s Certification Standards. Candidates are eligible to register for the NCTRC certification exam if they are in compliance with NCTRC’s Certification Standards and they have been found by NCTRC to meet all professional eligibility requirements through either the academic or equivalency path.

Please create a username and password via the MY NCTRC LOGIN link on the NCTRC website home page. Once your profile is created you may access the Professional Eligibility Application under the 'Applications' portion of the dashboard profile. The application review fee is $125. The review fee is non-refundable.

You will receive notification via email regarding your application status. You will be placed in 'Need More Information' status allowing the opportunity to add information to your application. Please be sure to review the Application Comments section of your application to determine information requested.

If you applied under the Academic Path prior to completing your internship and/or degree, you must return to your Professional Eligibility Application and enter your internship and degree information. NCTRC will require an official final transcript from the registrar with internship credit and degree posted.

Per NCTRC Certification Standards, all coursework must be assigned college credit from an accredited College or University and must appear on an official College or University transcript. Coursework completed outside of an accredited college or university must be transferred to credit posted on an official transcript from an accredited academic institution. Please refer to the NCTRC Certification Standards to review the coursework requirements in order to meet NCTRC eligibility and certification requirements. Questions? Contact NCTRC Credentialing Specialists: email nctrc@nctrc.org, or call 845-639-1439.

Yes, you may apply for professional eligibility review after completion of the following conditions:

1. Enrollment in a degree program pertaining to Therapeutic Recreation/Recreation Therapy as defined by the current NCTRC standards.
2. Completion of a minimum of 90 credit hours toward degree attainment.
3. Completion of all required coursework other than the internship requirement, as defined by the current NCTRC standards.
4. Submission of an official academic transcript denoting the completion of the above requirements.

1. Successful completion of the NCTRC exam.
2. Completion of an internship experience in accordance with NCTRC Standards.
3. Academic degree attainment as documented by an official academic transcript.

You will need to complete a minimum 560-hour, fourteen (14) week internship in therapeutic recreation services that uses the therapeutic recreation process as defined by the current NCTRC Job Analysis and under the supervision of both academic and agency internship supervisors who are NCTRC CTRS certified. The CTRS Supervisor must be certified for a minimum of one year prior to supervising an internship student. Please review and verify 'Initial Certification Date' and 'Annual Expiration Date' of prospective agency supervisor prior to start of internship.

The internship experience must be completed over the same dates as the semester or quarter in which the student receives academic credit for the experience. If the dates on the transcript do not coincide with the dates of the internship, NCTRC would require a letter from the department head stating the reason for this.

The revised internship standards and interpretive guidelines went into effect on July 1, 2021.

No, the Internship course does not have to have Therapeutic Recreation in the title.

The internship experience must be completed over the same dates as the semester or quarter in which the student receives academic credit for the experience. If the dates on the transcript do not coincide with the dates of the internship, NCTRC would require a letter from the department head stating the reason for this.

Please visit the NCTRC website, under Publications and Forms to access Agency Supervisor Internship Packet. This will provide helpful information related to internship.

The primary agency must possess active certification status at the CTRS® level on the first day of the applicant’s internship and have been certified for at least one year prior to supervising interns. NCTRC does not review length of time employed at an agency.  

The total hours of the internship may be split among different agencies or accumulated over multiple sites. You must still meet the requirement of a minimum of 14 weeks and 560 hours.

An internship must take place at an agency that uses the therapeutic recreation process as defined by the current NCTRC Job Analysis Study under the supervision of both academic and agency internship supervisors who are NCTRC CTRS certified.

NCTRC requires identification of an agency CTRS supervisor and academic CTRS supervisor. Decisions related to the format of the internship experience, including secondary supervision would not be under the purview of NCTRC.

No, if you were once certified for a minimum of a year, once you receive notification that you are certified, you would not need to wait a year before supervising an intern.

Internship requirements for a graduate student would be established by the academic program. The academic CTRS supervisor would be best in providing clarification to this question.

The intern will need to provide the name of the Academic Internship supervisor, who must be an active  CTRS® at the start of the internship experience. For each site, please add the name of the Agency CTRS supervisor, who must possess active certification status at the CTRS® level on the first day of the applicant’s internship and have been certified for at least one year prior to supervising interns.

Please consider using multiple copies of the time log within the Student Internship Guide to keep track of internship hours.

Yes, the requirements for an internship experience are a minimum of 560-hours and a minimum of 14-weeks.

Based on the Certification Standards, July 2021, the primary agency CTRS supervisor does not have to be considered full time at the agency.

Please complete the Internship Supervision for Continuing Education form after supervising an intern for NCTRC Professional Eligibility. Please submit the form at the time of recertification if requested to do so during the audit process.

The number of hours completed per week is determined by both the agency CTRS and academic CTRS supervisors. NCTRC requires the internship experience to be a minimum of 560-hours and 14 weeks.

The internship experience is determined by the collaborative efforts of both the agency CTRS and academic CTRS supervisors. This does not come under the purview of NCTRC.

The format and structure of the internship is up to the agency CTRS supervisor, academic CTRS supervisor and the student, and is not the purview of NCTRC. The Academic Internship Supervisor must be an active CTRS at the start of the internship experience and must be employed at the college/university. The CTRS cannot serve in the capacity of both the academic supervisor and agency supervisor during a given internship experience.

The Internship Certification Standards may be found on page 10 of the Certification Standards.

Yes. You may begin to earn continuing education hours for your 5 year certification cycle once you have successfully completed the exam for certification and become certified. Please note that it is important to be sure that you have submitted all required documents if your application path was prior to degree being awarded. You will not be granted CTRS status until all required documents are received and reviewed.

Go to Exam Preparation Tools for exam content resources and study aids on computer based testing. Review the NCTRC Standards information on the Exam, including the Exam Content Outline. The list of exam references is helpful for further information.

The current fee is $325.00. You may access the Exam Registration Form by logging into your dashboard profile page via MY NCTRC LOGIN and selecting the appropriate Exam link.

You may register to take the last exam prior to your Recertification due date. If you do not pass the exam, your certification will become inactive. You will have a two year time period in which to take and pass the exam through the Reentry program.

There are deadlines for filing applications before each exam. Please check the scheduled exam windows for more information. Please note that the Professional Eligibility Submission window is the allotted time frame for application submission and review of your application. Once you are notified that you have gained Exam Qualified status you will be emailed instructions related to the exam registration process.

You will receive an unofficial pass or fail score notification on the screen after the completion of the exam. Official score reports will be emailed from PSI.

After submitting the exam registration fee, click “Schedule My Exam” on the MY NCTRC LOGIN dashboard to schedule an appointment at a PSI test center.

Typically, the NCTRC exam is offered six times throughout the year utilizing a month long testing window for each exam administration. Please visit Exam at the NCTRC Website for more information.

In order to register to take the NCTRC exam you must first be granted professional eligibility status, having met the NCTRC Certification Standards. You may also complete the exam for Recertification (only the exam that is scheduled prior to your expiration date) or for Reentry (within two years of Recertification expiration date).

If all required coursework is complete (as recorded on official transcript) and you are awaiting completion of internship and/or award of degree you may apply selecting Academic Path. Internship information and final transcript will be requested once the exam has been completed. Applicants choosing the Equivalency Path must have ALL coursework requirements and degree complete upon submission of application.

To request testing accommodations, please visit NCTRC Testing Accommodations Guidelines and complete the application. Then you will need to Request Accommodations in the appropriate exam application and upload the completed document for review.

Professional Eligibility is a 5 year cycle which means you have 5 years to take and pass the NCTRC exam. When you receive Professional Eligibility, but want to take the exam during a future test window, do not sign up and pay for the upcoming exam. You may check nctrc.org for upcoming Exam Registration Deadlines and Exam Windows. If you schedule an appointment for an exam, but decide to cancel more than 5 days prior to the scheduled appointment date you will be required to pay a $25 rescheduling fee.

Conversation or communication with others will not be permitted once your exam has been released.

You are prohibited from reproducing, communicating or transmitting any test content in any form for any purpose. Copying or communicating content is a violation of PSI security policy. Either one may result in the disqualification of examination results, may lead to legal action and will be reported to NCTRC.

With the exception of your testing machine, electronic devices and recording devices of any kind (including but not limited to cell phones, pagers, and cameras) are NOT permitted in secure PSI testing centers.

NO personal items should be brought to the testing centers. PSI will not be responsible for any personal items and suggests that you leave such items in another safe place of your choosing. Only non-programmable calculators that are silent, battery operated, do not have paper tape printing capabilities, and do not have an alphabet keyboard will be allowed in the examination site.

PSI requires all employees and exam takers to conduct themselves in a professional and courteous manner at all times. Exhibiting abusive behavior towards a proctor via chat or other candidates will be reported to your NCTRC and may result in criminal prosecution.

You must arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled exam appointment in order to be admitted to the test site.

Persons not scheduled to take a test are not permitted to wait in the testing center or surrounding common areas.

You may not exit the building or use your cell phone or other electronic devices during the examination.

The computer that you use will need to include a web camera, speakers, microphone and stable broadband internet connection. Please go through the compatibility on https://home.psiexams.com/static/#/bcheck

You may connect with a Live Remote Proctor for testing up to 15 minutes prior to your scheduled start time provided your exam is ready to launch. Your launch button will be enabled when your exam is fully prepared for delivery. If you need assistance during your exam, you may initiate a chat with the online test administrator using the chat tool.

No one else is permitted in the room with you while you are testing and communication is prohibited. Talking or mouthing words while testing is also prohibited. Professional and courteous manners are required at all times. Exhibiting abusive behavior towards a proctor via chat or other candidates will be reported to NCTRC and may result in criminal prosecution.

You are prohibited from reproducing, communicating or transmitting any test content in any form for any purpose. Copying or communicating content is a violation of PSI security policy. Either one may result in the disqualification of examination results, may lead to legal action and will be reported to NCTRC.

With the exception of your testing machine, electronic devices and recording devices of any kind (including but not limited to cell phones, pagers, and cameras) are NOT permitted in secure PSI testing environments.

You will be asked to scan the room from which you are testing in prior to launching your exam. If there are notes, drinks, a box of tissues or any such items on your desk, you will be asked to remove them prior to releasing the exam.

You must present a valid, unexpired and acceptable ID(s) in order to take your test. Check with NCTRC for the specific rules that apply to your test. Military IDs are not accepted.

You may not exit the camera view or use your cell phone or other electronic devices during the examination. Your hands must be visible to the camera at all times.

During Live Remote Proctoring, breaks are not permitted.

Your updated certificate is immediately available for printing upon completing the renewal process on your Dashboard Profile page. Please visit MY NCTRC LOGIN and on the Dashboard Profile, please select CTRS Certificate. The CTRS Certificate will not be mailed unless requested via email to nctrc@nctrc.org.

Certificants are welcome to print a copy of their CTRS® certificate by logging into the MY NCTRC LOGIN portal. Please visit MY NCTRC LOGIN and on the Dashboard Profile, please select CTRS Certificate. If Certificants are unable to use to the MY NCTRC LOGIN portal to print their certificate, they may email the NCTRC office and request a printed copy be mailed to them. The CTRS Certificate will not be mailed unless requested via email to nctrc@nctrc.org.

As of October 1, 2022, NCTRC has discontinued services with the Award Group.  If you have received a link from the Award Group to claim your new or updated CTRS certificate, this link will no longer be valid. To print an immediate copy of your certificate, please visit MY NCTRC LOGIN and on your Dashboard Profile page, please select the CTRS Certificate link.

If you have not received confirmation that your payment has been processed within a reasonable period of time, please contact NCTRC. Please confirm that you have completed the online application process including "checkout". You may wish to confirm with your bank or credit card to be sure the payment has posted. It is important to contact NCTRC promptly so that we may insure that your renewal will be updated in a timely manner.

Please be sure to use either a last name OR certification ID number in your verification portal search (not both). Confirm the spelling and/or numbers entered in your search and click Submit. NCTRC requires certificants to regularly update changes in their name and address, but occasionally, such changes are not reported to NCTRC. If name change has not been reported, the CTRS may not be found within the verification portal. Contact the NCTRC office, as our staff may have additional resources to identify a certificant. Additionally, our staff may request your assistance if we believe the individual you are searching may be using the “CTRS” or “Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist” designations in violation of NCTRC’s trademark rights. You should not assume that the individual is violating NCTRC’s trademarks or that the individual’s certification has been suspended, revoked, or sanctioned. NCTRC does not include information related to current or past disciplinary sanctioning on the verification page.

Yes, you are required to complete the annual maintenance renewal process each year of your five year certification cycle in order to keep your certification active. NCTRC will no longer be mailing application forms. You will receive an emailed annual maintenance reminder beginning at least eight weeks prior to your expiration date. For this reason it is of utmost importance to provide an updated or preferred email address to NCTRC.

The Annual Expiration Date is the date by which a CTRS must submit the annual maintenance application and fee. This renewal process must be completed each year within the five-year CTRS Certification cycle. An active CTRS is eligible to:
• Use the designation “CTRS” and “Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist”
• Serve as a supervisor for a proposed internship requiring an active CTRS
The Recertification Due Date is the date by which a CTRS must submit the recertification application and fee. This renewal process must be completed every five years and in accordance to the NCTRC Recertification standards.

If a written verification is required, please email the following information to NCTRC: Person you wish to verify by first and last name, the certification number, name of the individual requesting the verification, position of the individual requesting the verification, name of the agency, mailing address of the agency (street, city, state, zip code), telephone number with area code of the individual requesting the verification, whether or not you would like an email or fax verification, and reason for the verification. Please email this information directly to NCTRC at nctrc@nctrc.org.

The current annual maintenance renewal fee is $80.

If your annual maintenance application is past due, you may follow the instructions to complete the Annual Maintenance Application. You may wish to contact the NCTRC office if you have questions regarding annual expiration date and recertification due date, including fees that are due.

Please visit the NCTRC website, select MY NCTRC LOGIN and enter Username and Password. Begin the process by updating your Profile information. Please be sure that NCTRC has your current, preferred email address. Then proceed to the Annual Maintenance Renewal under 'Applications'. Complete the Eligibility Questions and proceed to checkout to pay the renewal fee. The Annual Maintenance Renewal link will become available about 6 months prior to your annual expiration date. Once you have completed the renewal process, the updated CTRS Certificate will be available.

NCTRC's Reentry Program is designed for individuals whose certification recently expired. Individuals may register to take the NCTRC CTRS certification examination, without needing to meet the current educational and experiential requirements for initial certification. Reentry certification eligibility is for candidates who were CTRS certified within two years prior to their application for reentry; and who apply for reentry eligibility to take a CTRS certification examination that is scheduled to be administered within the two years immediately following expiration of their CTRS certification.

CTRSs can register and take the last scheduled exam prior to their recertification expiration date to meet recertification requirements.

Yes, NCTRC will accept continuing education that is provided in alternative methods as long as the education meets the Recertification Requirements as outlined in the NCTRC Standards.

Certain continuing education will not be accepted toward NCTRC Recertification. This includes CPR, First Aid, Infectious Disease Control, Life Saving, and Activity or other Skill courses. Activity courses refers to a program which is primarily teaching you how to perform a certain activity (Examples include Gardening workshop, Adapted waterskiing, Arts & Crafts, and computer software classes). Such courses are not considered related to the Job Analysis Knowledge Areas and are not reflective of continued professional competence unique to therapeutic recreation. The final option for being assured that your continuing education credit will count toward NCTRC Recertification is to submit the application early. You may submit your Recertification application up to 12 months prior to the end of your five year cycle. If you submit even 6 months early, you will be notified if you have not met the requirements and you may then earn additional continuing education credit before your certification expires.

NCTRC offers an approval process for pending or completed continuing education hours prior to the submission of a formal recertification application. NCTRC’s Continuing Education Approval Process allows certificants to submit continuing education prior to recertification to determine whether it meets current recertification requirements. This process will allow for early confirmation of continuing education to individuals who are not certain if previously completed education will count towards NCTRC Recertification requirements. This application may be found on your dashboard profile page under Application for the CTRS; Continuing Education Approval Process (OPTIONAL PROCESS) The standards require that a CTRS upload an official document (not a copy) documenting continuing education credit which indicates your name, attendance date (which must be within your 5 year cycle), title of the course or program and contact hours (it does not have to awarded in CEU credit). If the CTRS is unable to obtain such a document, then the sponsor or instructor of the program must provide a written statement including all the necessary information mentioned above, on agency letterhead. The title of the course or program, as listed on the official document, is critical to whether it can be utilized toward NCTRC Recertification. The title must relate to one of the Job Analysis Knowledge Area Items. In order to match the title with the Items, the title must be clear and reflective of the program. If it is not, you will need to obtain and submit the program brochure with descriptive information. You will need to review the Job Analysis Knowledge Areas in its entirety. You can access the Knowledge Areas on our website or by contacting our office. An example of matching the information would be if you attended a workshop titled “Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease and its symptoms.” This topic can be applied under The Job Analysis Knowledge Area, Foundational Knowledge (FKW), where Item #13 “Cognitive/developmental disorders and related impairments (e.g., dementia, …) shows a match.

Full-time work experience in TR is not necessary to complete the recertification requirements. Along with the 50 hours of continuing education, a CTRS must have 480 hours of TR work experience to meet recertification requirements. There is not a specific hour requirement each year.

NCTRC sends reminders as a courtesy. Please disregard the reminder if you do not plan to complete the exam for recertification.

NCTRC does not track continuing education hours, including CEU’s awarded at professional conferences or workshops. A certificate or transcript must be acquired and maintained by the certificant for future submission if selected for the audit process on the Recertification due date. Certificants may upload and save records of continuing education to the Recertification - Education and Experience application available on the dashboard profile at MY NCTRC LOGIN.

NCTRC requires completion of 50 hours of continuing education completed within the five year certification cycle (continuing education does not have to be awarded in CEU credit). If a CEU credit is awarded as 0.1 (including decimal), this will count as one (1) clock hour toward 50 hours of continuing education required. Please add continuing education hours in clock or contact hours.

The recertification application must be submitted by the recertification due date. NCTRC will notify certificants that are due for recertification via email approximately 60 days before the end of the five-year certification cycle (please be sure that NCTRC has an up-to-date email address). Please access your "My Dashboard Profile" at MY NCTRC LOGIN and select the Recertification - Education and Work Experience application under Applications for the CTRS. Recertification applications may be submitted no earlier than 12 months prior to the certification expiration date. Certificants may upload and save records of continuing education to their Recertification - Education and Work Experience application.

Upon submission of the recertification application a random percentage of applications will be selected for audit. Certificants who are selected for audit will be directly notified by NCTRC via email. Certificants will have 15 days to submit or upload their continuing education materials for the audit process. Failure to submit the continuing education materials in a timely manner will result in a denial of recertification. If you are not selected for audit, you will not need to submit your continuing education documents.

The Internship Supervision for Continuing Education hours will be awarded to the primary CTRS supervisor only when the minimum 14 week, 560 hour internship has been completed. Credit will not be awarded for internship supervision less than the required weeks and hours.  All fields of the required form must be completed and signed, and submitted only during the Recertification audit process.

Extension of the Recertification cycle will be reviewed and considered in the case where a serious health condition or extreme personal emergency has prevented an individual from completing all recertification requirements. In this case, official documentation will be required for review. If a conference or workshop has been cancelled, please contact NCTRC so that we may provide guidance related to online and alternative continuing education opportunities.

Please visit the Certification Standards, Options To Regain Certification For Individuals Previously Certified Who Are Outside The Reentry Period to review the requirements.

It is a program that was designed to align with your recertification cycle denoting experience and focused continuing education to enhance recreational therapy practice. It is not a separate certification. There are seven Specialization Area Designations:  Adaptive Sports and Recreation; Behavioral Health; Community Inclusion Services; Developmental Disabilities; Geriatrics; Pediatrics; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

You can apply for Specialization Area Designation at the time of recertification or up to 6 months after recertifying.  You may also apply for recertification up to a year in advance of your recertification due date and apply for Specialization Area Designation at that time.  All applicants will be audited at the time you submit your application for Specialization Areas/Recertification.

In order to get an application please call the NCTRC office at 845-639-1439 and ask to speak with a Credentialing Specialist who will then email it to you.

$25 application fee, in addition to the $25 CTRS recertification fee (total of $50) plus an additional $80 annual maintenance fee (total of $130) every 5 years.

$20 annual maintenance fee, in addition to $80 CTRS annual maintenance fee (total $100) annually.

You can either mail it to us at: NCTRC, 16 Squadron Boulevard, Suite 101, New City, New York 10956 or you can scan and email it to us at nctrc@nctrc.org.

Review of all applications takes between 4-6 weeks. You will be mailed the results of your review.

You will receive a separate certificate mailed to you upon your initial award of Specialization Area as well as each year you renew it.

You may sign: Name, CTRS-Specialization in (name of your specialization area).

As long as the continuing education hours are completed within the 5 year Recertification cycle, 50 hours will be reviewed to meet the Recertification requirements.

This is both a personal and professional choice. It is best to identify the specialization area that will provide you with opportunities for growth and learning, advancement, increased competence, as well as provide intrinsic reward.

CTRS Active Status; 5000 hours of Professional Work Experience in TR/RT in Specialization Area (HR Verification Required); 75 hours of Continuing Education specific to the Specialization Area within the 5 year cycle geared toward the Job Analysis (CE documents required).

You may apply for more than one specialization area at a time, however, each specialization area application must be submitted separately and each will be reviewed individually. You will need 75 hours of continuing education related to each area selected and 5000 hours of Professional Work Experience related to each of the specific areas selected.

The NCTRC Standards are continuously reviewed and updated to facilitate the credentialing process and to remain current. NCTRC routinely notifies all CTRSs and educators regarding specific changes to the NCTRC Standards through email announcements and newsletter postings. As of January 1, 2022, there are no pending changes to the NCTRC Certification Standards. Please continue to check back at nctrc.org for any updates.

Please visit https://www.nctrc.org/nctrc-hardship-fee-waiver/ for more information.

The Hardship Fee Waiver Committee typically meets on a quarterly basis to review fee waiver requests. You will be notified via email once a decision has been rendered on your request.

The Hardship Fee Waiver Committee is comprised of CTRS’s serving in a volunteer role for the organization; no NCTRC staff members serve on this committee.  Staff members do not see the Fee Waiver Request forms prior to them being sent to the Committee for review.

There are no geographic restrictions on the NCTRC Scholarship Program, so students  living outside the US may apply.

Decisions related to scholarship awards are made by the Scholarship Committee, not the NCTRC staff.  If, after reading through the Scholarship Mission, Focus, and Process, you feel that you meet the requirements and the intent of this Scholarship, we encourage you to apply.

The NCTRC Scholarship is managed separately from certification operations; the Scholarship Committee will not have access to the applicant’s NCTRC profile/data.  You will need to submit a copy of your transcript (s) along with the required documents for this program if you choose to apply. Please follow the Application Process on the Scholarship Application.

The amount paid for course(s), excluding student fees, by loans or out of pocket are eligible for this scholarship opportunity.

Yes, please list applicable scholarships that you had while a student.

You do not need to be a current student.  This scholarship is applicable to any course successfully completed within the past 12 months that aligns with the intent and focus of this scholarship program.

There is no deadline for submission of the scholarship; you may submit your completed application with all accompanying documents at any point within the year. The Scholarship Committee will review the applications four times a year.

Credit generating courses leading to one of the following are eligible: application for Professional Eligibility, recertification of their CTRS credential, Area of Specialization designation, progress toward advanced degree in TR/RT, enhanced recreational therapy knowledge to provide improved quality of care.

No, it is very important that the application and all accompanying documents be submitted at one time.

A good rule of thumb in determining what may be eligible for this scholarship is that if you have to pay the money back, then it can be reviewed for the NCTRC Scholarship.

We prefer you email the documents to nctrc@nctrc.org. However, if you need to mail the documents, that is fine too.

This committee typically meets on a quarterly basis to review Scholarship Applications. You will be notified via email once a decision has been rendered related to the review of the application.

The NCTRC Scholarship Committee is comprised of CTRS’s serving in a volunteer role for the organization; no NCTRC staff members serve on this committee.  Staff members do not see the Scholarship Applications prior to them being sent to the Committee for review.

NCTRC considers alleged violations of the NCTRC Certification Standards a serious offense and encourages all responsible parties to contact NCTRC with any direct knowledge of CTRS professional misconduct. Alleged violations of the NCTRC Certification Standards must be submitted in writing to the NCTRC Executive Director and should identify the person(s) alleged to be involved and the facts concerning the alleged conduct in as much detail and specificity as possible. The allegations should identify by name, address and telephone number the person making the information known to NCTRC and others who may have knowledge of the facts and circumstances concerning the alleged conduct. Available documentation should also be provided to the Executive Director and the Executive Director may request additional information relating to the content or form of the allegations. Please review the NCTRC Certification Standards for further information.

There are three types of research that each applicant must choose from (only one may be selected):

1. Basic
   Pursuit of new knowledge or theoretical understanding related to recreational therapy. It is exploratory in nature involving the development of or testing of concepts or functions that can lead to applied research.


2. Applied
   Applies the findings of basic research or other existing knowledge toward discovering new scientific knowledge that has specific commercial objectives with respect to new products, services, processes, or methods.


3. Program Development
   Directed toward the introduction or significant improvement of recreational therapy services, processes, or methods.

Funding supports student assistants, supplies, necessary travel for data collection and other costs of the research project. Funding will not cover fringe benefits, administrative costs, personal stipends or salary, training, courses, lessons, or travel to conferences.

The NCTRC Research Committee will review applications and will notify individuals typically six to eight weeks after each submission window deadline.

The NCTRC Research Committee is comprised of CTRSs serving in a volunteer role for the organization; no NCTRC staff members serve on this committee. Staff members do not see the Research Grant applications prior to them being sent to the committee for review.

NCTRC requires that all candidates and certificants maintain their legal name and address in the official NCTRC records. To report a name change, login to MY NCTRC LOGIN and complete the Name Change process. If you only need to change your address, you may update your contact information by logging into your profile at MY NCTRC LOGIN or you may email your requested changes to nctrc@nctrc.org.

The Continuing Education Organizational Pre-approval Program Application process is a fee based process where the content of the education will be reviewed in order to confirm relationship to the NCTRC Job Analysis knowledge areas. This process is optional, and not required by NCTRC.