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Top 6 Social Work Scholarships in September 2022
Social work is a rewarding and ever-growing field! According to the US Department of Labor, the need for social workers will increase by 13 percent by 2029, which is much greater than most other occupations. A social work major has a number of career paths, including working in city/state agencies, school settings, substance abuse counseling, and geriatric settings. If you earn a master’s degree in social work, you can also become a licensed counselor. No matter what path you take, social work scholarships will help fund your education.
Keep on reading to learn more about social work scholarships, as well as financial aid opportunities for students pursuing a degree in the subject!
Jump ahead to…
- Top social work scholarships
- Financial aid for social work students
- Frequently asked questions
- Explore these additional scholarship categories
Top 6 Social Work Scholarships in September 2022
The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:
- The scholarship requires a fee to apply
- The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
- The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
- Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
- The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
- The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
- The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
- There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
- The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
- There is no available contact information
If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!
* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system.
** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements.
***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.
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Financial aid for social work students
If you are a social work student, the scholarships search is just one way to pay for your degree! Current and prospective social work students can also access need-based financial aid, which includes grants like the FSEOG Grant and Pell Grant, federal student loans, and work study.
To access any of these types of need-based financial aid, students will need to actually apply for need-based aid. There are two major applications that you should know about:
Every college’s financial aid process will vary and we always recommend that students consult with the college in question for details and deadlines.
Frequently asked questions about social work scholarships
Can I use psychology scholarships to study social work?
Some psychology scholarships, such as the NAJA scholarship, also allow students pursuing social work. Although the two are separate fields, they share some key similarities and oftentimes, you will find that organizations geared towards psychology will also be concerned with social work. But as always, you should read the terms and conditions of each scholarship carefully before applying.
Does social work pay well?
This is an important question to consider when deciding how much you can afford to take out in student loans. According to the 2020 BLS data, social workers have a median salary of $51,760 per year.
This is on the lower end of the spectrum as far as college-educated salaries go. So, if you are interested in becoming a social worker, you should be sure to budget very thoughtfully to ensure that you don’t take out more in debt than you can afford to pay back.
How many years of school do you need to be a social worker?
In most states, you’ll have to complete your bachelor’s degree, and then complete a two-year masters program to become a licensed social worker. You may also have to perform up to two years of supervised work before you obtain a license to work unsupervised. If you know that you want to be a social worker before you start your undergrad, you might be able to bring this down to four total years, by obtaining a Bachelor’s in Social Work, or BSW.
Are there social work scholarships for graduate students?
Yes! Many of the scholarships on this list are meant for students getting their masters in social work. We also have a dedicated list of scholarships for graduate students, and a free tool to custom-match you with vetted scholarships. This is a great tool to use for any stage of your education.
