Great scholarships for social work students. The field of social work is rewarding and expanding. By 2029, there will be a 13 percent growth in demand for social workers, which is substantially more than the average for all other occupations, according to the US Department of Labor. A social work major has a variety of job options, including positions in geriatric settings, schools, government agencies, and substance misuse treatment. You can also become a licensed counselor if you obtain a master’s degree in social work. Whatever route you choose, social work scholarships will aid in paying for your study.
For more information about financial aid options and scholarships for students pursuing a degree in social work, keep reading!
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Great scholarships for social work students
1. Alice M. and Samuel Yarnold Scholarship Trust
This grant is a fantastic chance for students in New Hampshire who want to be social workers. Despite not having a website of its own, the Alice M. and Samuel Yarnold Scholarship Trust does have a link that leads to information and an application. Students majoring in nursing, medicine, or social work are the target audience for this program.
Scholarships from the Alice M. and Samuel Yarnold Scholarship Trust are expected to range in value from $1,000 to $5,000 and will be given out annually. Candidates must be New Hampshire residents who are enrolled in postsecondary education, have a need for financial assistance, and intend to work there.
You may find the application, guidelines, and essay requirements. Describe a volunteer project or other activity you undertook that had an impact on your decision to pursue a career in social work (or other named profession above). Have your transcripts, an FAFSA report, and letters of recommendation ready to send in. Please be mindful of the time needed for your application to arrive before the deadline since all materials must be mailed in.
2. Bethesda Lutheran community
By giving its members with intellectual and developmental impairments spiritual and financial support, Bethesda Auxiliary unites the Lutheran community. Bethesda is always raising money to support this objective at its many sites across the nation. This group is dedicated to the cause and keeps the money coming in by managing the Bethesda Thrift Shop, creating craft items for a raffle, and accepting monetary gifts.
Offering scholarships to Lutheran students seeking a career in the field of aiding persons with intellectual and developmental impairments is one of the ways they spend their money in support of this crucial goal. Bethesda is ensuring that persons with these impairments will have support, love, and care in a faith-based culture by investing in the people who offer treatment and care. Each year, they provide up to four $3,000 scholarships.
Candidates must be Lutheran believers, active communicants in a Lutheran church, enrolled in a four-year college or university, and they must be freshmen, sophomores, or juniors with at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Of course, majors like social work, psychology, counseling, etc. should be geared toward helping persons with intellectual or developmental problems. Additionally, candidates must present evidence of at least 100 hours of prior service—whether paid or volunteer—in the field of helping people with intellectual and developmental impairments. A brief essay is additionally required for consideration.
3. Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta
The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta was founded in 1951 with the mission of “connecting donors’ interests to the NGOs accomplishing that purpose.” By donating time, talent, and money to support ambitions, this charity has improved the lives of many people in the Atlantic community. Based on asset size, they are among the biggest grant-making institutions in our country.
They have raised the bar for a standard of donating so high because of their beliefs, ethics, and financial transparency, not only because of their size. They think that if a group of people stick to the single objective of improving the community and the people living in it, good things happen. For more than 60 years, the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta has observed how good vibes travel through its network and reach Atlantans.
The number of scholarships they provide to energize and support the next generation accounts for a substantial portion of that positive energy. Numerous donors maintain their scholarships through the CFGA and continue to support them in keeping the community diverse and forward moving. Students who are Georgian citizens and are pursuing degrees in social work or medicine are eligible for the Steve Dearduff Scholarship Fund. The applicant must have been admitted to or enrolled in an authorized institution or university and be able to provide evidence of previous volunteer work. Up to three students may be eligible for this scholarship each year.
4. Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
A national organization that represents social work education in the US is called the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The only accrediting body for social work education in the US is CWSE, according to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. More than 760 approved bachelor and master’s degree social work programs, as well as independent social work educators, practitioners, and agencies, are members of CSWE. Their shared goal is to improve the standard of social work education.
They believe that by establishing rigorous academic standards for top-notch education, the social work profession will be safeguarded, and professionals will be better able to advance the wellbeing of the individual, the family, and the community. The Board of Directors created the Carl A. Scott Memorial Fund in his honor and to recognize the contributions he made to CSWE and the advancements he made throughout the industry.
Carl had already demonstrated his dedication to the field before joining the organization in 1968 by working for organizations that provided services to children and families, as well as serving as the admissions director and an assistant professor at the New York University School of Social Work. He played a key role in advancing diversity in social work education after joining CSWE. The purpose of this fund is to further Scott’s life’s work toward the aims of advancing social work equality and social justice for the benefit of people and the communities in which they live.
5. Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund
The Davis-Putter Fund was established by Marion Davis’ husband Horace Davis as a loving legacy to her. Political and social justice advocacy were pioneered by Marion. In the classroom, on a picket line, or in a jail cell, she was said to feel “at home” as a teacher. After she passed away in 1960, her husband, “Hockey,” carried on her aspirations for social justice. Norton Putter was drawn to the fund and the initiatives it supported. He gave the fund his time, abilities, and resources.
Early on, you may find the honorees fighting for civil rights, bringing about peace in Vietnam, and opposing McCarthyism. Numerous scholarship recipients are currently campaigning for causes including sexism, homophobia, racism, economic justice, and the establishment of justice through anti-imperialist solidarity.
You must have engaged in these activities while living in the United States in order to apply, and students who intend to work here after graduation are given preference. The essential component of the selection process is a personal statement, which is necessary. It should only be 1,000 words long and describe your experiences, activities, and engagement in forward-thinking social activity. Include the main organizations in which you are active, together with information about their activities and dates.
The most important thing is to explain your long-term objectives, issues, and how your education can help you contribute to societal change. The annual maximum reward, which is distributed according to the semester or term a student is enrolled in, is $10,000. For further information on application requirements and specifics for computations, please visit the website.
6. East Tennessee State University Scholarships
On the eastern edge of Tennessee and North Carolina, there is a fully accredited university called East Tennessee State University. There are numerous undergraduate and graduate degrees available. In particular, it provides both degrees to students interested in that career route. Their bachelor’s degree’s basis focuses on preparing students to be multifaceted professionals. Their students graduate equipped to uphold diversity and difference in practice, participate in human rights, social justice, economic justice, and environmental justice, to name a few. They also graduate prepared to engage in research.
In memory of her parents, Rush W. and Celma Davis Murphy, Barbara Murphy Brooks created the Davis Murphy Scholarship. The fund was established by Ms. Brooks to provide BSW students at ETSU with one or two scholarships each year. Although the scholarship’s grant may vary, it usually ranges from $500 to $1,000 per year. With a focus on child welfare, social services, and adoption, Barbara had a long career in social work.
She also spent 12 years imparting social work knowledge at the University of Georgia. She returned to the “field” once her teaching career was over and worked in the field of mental health. But when her mother was diagnosed with a fatal disease, she was personally reminded of how important social workers can be to families in need and how they may improve people’s lives, especially for her since her mother was unwell. Students with a minimum GPA of 2.5, financial need, and acceptance into the BSW major are eligible for this scholarship. Students from Tennessee are given preference.
7. Hogg Foundation for mental health
The Hogg Foundation’s founder and mental health spokesman Ima Hogg is honored by the name of the Ima Hogg Scholarship program. Each Texas social work program with CSWE accreditation is eligible for one scholarship from the Foundation, which must be nominated by the program. A dedication to bettering the lives of underrepresented and disadvantaged Texans is required of applicants, who must be enrolled in or about to begin their second year of MSW coursework at one of the 18 approved social work institutions in Texas. Candidates must also show that they have financial necessity.
Ima Hogg established the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health in 1956 to address the severe absence of mental health resources in the Lone Star State at the time. The Hogg Foundation works in many different ways to increase and enhance the state’s mental health services, the Hogg Scholarships being just one of them.
8. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS)
The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) is made up of interdisciplinary professionals who seek to enhance traumatic stress research and information exchange, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, researchers, clergy, advocates, and others. Together, our members explore and comprehend the range and effects of traumatic exposure. ISTSS promotes the study of traumatic stress while working to prevent traumatic events and their effects. Their diverse group of individuals can respectfully interact here in the exchange of knowledge and research that will benefit society as a whole.
After she passed away from cancer in 1989, the Sarah Haley Memorial Award was created in her honor. Sarah served as an excellent example of the significance, care, and treatment for those who had suffered trauma. Her professional life was devoted to helping veterans who had gone through so many gruesome things while serving in Vietnam.
At the time she pioneered this, traumatic experiences were rarely the focus of treatment despite the fact that many others had gone through similar ordeals. She played a key role in getting hundreds of veterans to confide in her enough to relate their stories.
This served as the inspiration for her seminal 1974 article, “When the Patient Reports Atrocities: Specific Treatment Considerations of the Vietnam Veteran.” This research confirmed the reality that soldiers had seen or participated in atrocities, and it offered a novel and challenging issue for psychotherapy that calls for the therapist to have bravery and conviction before healing can start.
9. Maryland Higher Education Commission
By encouraging individuals to pursue higher education, the state of Maryland is dedicated to enhancing its population. All Maryland residents pursuing a graduate degree in specific professions, such as social work, are eligible for their graduate and professional scholarship program. You may be eligible for financial aid from the state if you are a student enrolling full- or part-time at the University of Maryland, the Baltimore School of Social Work, or another institution offering a master’s degree in social work.
You should submit the FAFSA and get in touch with the financial aid office of the school you’re attending to ask to be considered for a Graduate and Professional Scholarship. You should also find out what their financial aid deadlines are in order to determine your eligibility for this scholarship. Dentistry, law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work, and veterinary medicine are among the graduate majors that are acceptable. Based on their FAFSA, each candidate is ranked according to their financial need.
The maximum annual prize is $5,000, with a minimum award of $1,000. If you continue to be enrolled in an approved program, maintain satisfactory academic standing in accordance with the requirements of your institution, submit an FAFSA each year, and show need, you may be eligible to receive the award for a maximum of eight semesters. Every institution decides who is qualified for renewals.
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10. The Melanie Foundation
The Melanie Foundation awards a $2500 scholarship to deserving master’s or doctoral students in the fields of social work, psychology, and related fields who are involved in mental health. The APA, CACREP, or CSWE are just a few examples of organizations that accept applicants who are registered there.
The Melanie Foundation is founded in honor of Melanie Merola O’Donnell, a psychology PhD candidate who died in 2006 while pursuing her studies. Since 2009, the Melanie Foundation has supported groups in Melanie’s hometown of Saratoga Springs in addition to offering financial aid to students pursuing degrees in the field of mental health. The Melanie Foundations’ primary source of income is the yearly Saratoga Palio, a 5K and half-marathon run.
11. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority National Education Foundation
To assist and financially support philanthropic and educational initiatives, the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority National Education Foundation was established. Although this Foundation was built on a number of fundamental principles, providing scholarships was the top goal. In particular, the organization aimed to provide scholarships to students who desired further education but were unable to do so due to financial constraints. The Foundation’s participation in community education initiatives is equally crucial.
The Foundation hopes to raise living conditions for both individuals and communities through educating the community and enabling it to engage in self-enriching activities. The Foundation is also adamant about helping women succeed in their educational endeavors and offering them the chance to take part in activities that will promote their growth, which is related to the Foundation’s goals.
Members of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. may apply for the Mildred Carter Bradham Social Work Fellowship. The applicants are working toward a graduate or professional degree in social work. Students should be enrolled full-time in a graduate program that has been accredited. The fellowship can range in value from $500 to $1000 and is payable for the academic year (fall to spring). It is also renewable. Please provide the Scholarship Chair official copies of your academic records straight from your institution or university.
12. University of North Carolina School of Social Work
Numerous scholarships are available for students at the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, one of the most renowned and outstanding social work programs in the country. There are chances for students based on financial need (like the Melvarene Johnson Adair Scholarship Fund), academic excellence (like the Berg Scholars Award), and members of underrepresented groups fighting for social justice, among the more than two dozen awards (the Iris Carlton-LaNey Scholarship). Students should do their research to find the best awards for them because there are different conditions and deadlines for these grants.
The UNC School of Social Work, located at one of the original Public Ivies, is usually regarded as one of the top programs in the US. Diversity and representation are essential to UNC’s principles, and the School of Social Work is the place where they are most demonstrated.
13. San Diego State University School of Social Work
The School of Social Work at San Diego State University was established in 1963. It was created in response to the state of California’s shortage of social workers with formal education. Over 7,000 social workers who are now professional leaders in the social work field globally graduated from the school, which today has over 600 students.
The school’s original mission, which included providing superior education, providing quality training and organizational support, creating competent and effective professionals who are grounded in evidence-based practice, and disseminating high-caliber research with applications to the real world, has not changed in the past 54 years. They still have the goal of making SDSU’s School of Social Work one of the top social work programs, one that is respected locally, statewide, and nationally.
The minimum award amount for the Jane Beers Scholarship will be $1,500. The scholarship selection committee decides how many scholarships will be given out. Although it is not necessary for master’s graduate students to enroll full-time, they should be focusing in Direct Practice. Social work, social work & public health, and social work & juris doctor are examples of qualifying majors. You must be enrolled at SDSU during the term the scholarship is awarded in order to receive the money. The website has directions for writing the essay, which must be submitted with the application.
14. Pride Foundation
The Pride Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community for 30 years. When it was founded in 1985, the foundation aimed to raise and administer monies that could be utilized to assist the LGBTQ community in overcoming its obstacles, most notably AIDS and HIV. After 30 years, the foundation has developed into a regional public foundation that offers members a secure environment in which to make investments in the future of the LGBTQ community.
In the five-state region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, more than $72 million has been spent and used to link leaders, develop cooperative groups, and financially support students.
The Soaring Heart Scholarship is one of the endowments that was created by Mike Schaefer in memory of his terrible partner’s suicide. The Soaring Heart Scholarship is administered by the Pride Foundation with the goal of helping a caring student who wants to work with people who are struggling with traumatic experiences, loss, illness, death, and violent crimes. Graduate or undergraduate students enrolled in a US institution of higher learning are eligible to apply.
The best candidates will have a strong academic record and be able to document their major studies in psychology, social work, counseling, or therapy. Students must have spent at least one year of their lives in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington, or Oregon in order to be eligible.
15. Phi Alpha Honor Society
Two annual scholarship opportunities for students studying social work are provided by the Phi Alpha Honor Society. Each year, students who are recipients of the Patty Gibbs-Wahlberg Scholarship receive three grants totaling $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000 in addition to a trip to the Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors conference in the spring. The MSW Scholarship also provides an invitation to the Phi Alpha Executive meeting during the annual Council on Social Work conference, as well as prizes of $3000, $2000, and $1000 to three students.
The Michigan State University social work students started collaborating with similar organizations at other universities in 1960, which is when the Phi Alpha Honor Society was founded. Phi Alpha has 450 chapters and has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships, fellowships, and other financial help since its official founding in 1962.
FAQS on Great scholarships for social work students
Can I use psychology scholarships to study social work?
Some scholarships in psychology, like the NAJA scholarship, permit students to additionally pursue social work. Even though the two disciplines are distinct, there are some important connections between them, and you will frequently find that organizations focused on psychology are also interested with social work. However, before applying, you should always carefully study the terms and conditions of each scholarship.
Are there social work scholarships for graduate students?
Yes! This list of scholarships includes many that are intended for students pursuing a master's degree in social work. Additionally, we offer a list of scholarships specifically for graduate students as well as a free tool that can personally match you with vetted scholarships. Any stage of your schooling can benefit greatly from using this tool.
How many years of school do you need to be a social worker?
To become a licensed social worker, you typically need to complete a bachelor's degree program first, followed by a two-year master's program. Before you can work unsupervised, you might have to complete up to two years of supervised work. By earning a Bachelor's in Social Work, or BSW, you may be able to reduce this time to four years if you decide to become a social worker before you begin your undergraduate studies.
Does social work pay well?
When determining how much in student loans you can comfortably manage, this is a crucial topic to take into account. The median annual pay for social workers, as reported by the 2020 BLS, is $51,760. When it comes to incomes for people with college degrees, this is at the low end of the range. In order to avoid taking on more debt than you can afford to repay, if you're interested in becoming a social worker, make sure to budget carefully.
Conclusion
The needs of the neighborhood can be supported and met by a variety of professions. On this list, social professionals are included. These experts are frequently unsung heroes and are constantly required. Undergraduate and graduate students are pursuing degrees to become these crucial professionals, who will form the core of social and mental health care. It can be costly to pursue the undergraduate and occasionally graduate studies needed to enter the field of social work. However, only these students who are able to contribute are eligible for financial aid.
Put more work into a select few scholarships that you feel confidently applying to rather than applying to many scholarships with little or no effort. This is a vital application approach that will give you the best odds. This is particularly valid for lengthy, comprehensive responses. Spending extra time on one application over others that are shorter and don’t focus on your experiences may be advantageous if you believe your tale could make you stand out from other applicants.
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