25 Scholarships for Social Work Students
Explore and compare a list of accredited schools to enroll in your next program.
With a social work degree, you can support underserved communities, help people access social services, and provide critical mental health support. While social work careers are in strong demand, they rarely offer high salaries. That makes scholarships even more valuable to social work students.
Scholarships mean lower student loan debt and more opportunities after graduation. Our list of scholarships for social work students includes current financial aid opportunities for those earning their bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate in social work.
Undergraduate Social Work Scholarships
Alice M. Yarnold and Samuel Yarnold Scholarship Trust
Who Can Apply: New Hampshire residents pursuing a social work degree qualify for this scholarship. Applicants must complete at least one year of college before applying. The scholarship also requires proof of financial need, and recipients must plan to practice in New Hampshire.
Amount Awarded: $1,000-$5,000 per year
Bethesda Lutheran Communities Student Scholastic and Service Scholarship
Who Can Apply: These social work scholarships provide funding for undergraduate students in a social service-related degree who plan to help people with developmental disabilities. Candidates must have a 3.0 minimum GPA and demonstrate their active membership in a Lutheran congregation.
Amount Awarded: $3,000
Davis-Putter Scholarship
Who Can Apply: This scholarship recognizes students who are actively involved in progressive economic and social justice movements. Candidates must attend a postsecondary or technical school and submit a personal essay, letters of support, and evidence of financial need.
Amount Awarded: $7,500-15,000 per year
Freemont Foundation Scholarship Program
Who Can Apply: Applicants must attend or plan to attend a historically Black college or university pursuing a career in the helping professions. Candidates must demonstrate a record of leadership and volunteerism in the community and participation in extracurricular school activities.
Amount Awarded: Varies
Indian Health Service Preparatory Scholarship
Who Can Apply: This scholarship provides tuition and expenses to American Indian and Alaska Native undergraduate students enrolled in courses that lead to healthcare degrees. Applicants must be members or descendants of federally recognized, state-recognized, or terminated tribes.
Amount Awarded: Varies
James F. Reville Scholarship
Who Can Apply: The New York Arc chapter awards this scholarship to full-time undergraduates enrolled in social work, psychology, and other behavioral sciences programs who plan to enter careers in intellectual and developmental disability fields.
Amount Awarded: $3,000
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago Scholarship
Who Can Apply: This scholarship supports junior or senior undergraduate students of Jewish descent who demonstrate financial need. Recipients must be full-time students who intend to enter careers in the helping professions.
Amount Awarded: $4,000
Leopold Schepp Foundation Scholarship
Who Can Apply: Intended for students majoring in social work or related fields, these scholarships support students who demonstrate superior character, academic excellence, compassion, and a commitment to volunteerism. Candidates must submit letters of recommendation, hold a minimum 3.3 GPA, and demonstrate financial need.
Amount Awarded: Up to $10,000
National Association of Black Social Workers Scholarships
Who Can Apply: Candidates must be members of the NABSW and enrolled full time in an undergraduate or graduate social work program. The application requires a personal statement describing professional aspirations and previous social work experience.
Amount Awarded: Varies
Patty Gibbs-Wahlberg Scholarship
Who Can Apply: Sponsored by the Phi Alpha Honor Society for Social Work, this scholarship benefits chapter members enrolled in accredited social work programs. Applicants must demonstrate a consistent record of scholarship, leadership, and service.
Amount Awarded: $1,000-$3,000
Presbyterian Scholarship for Undergraduates
Who Can Apply: This need-based award for members of the Presbyterian Church assists students who have completed their first year of college with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Applicants may major in several fields, including healthcare services and social work.
Amount Awarded: $4,000
Pride Foundation Scholarship
Who Can Apply: The Pride Foundation offers multiple scholarships for LGBTQ+ and allied students studying social work and related fields. Candidates must be residents of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington, or Oregon, but may study elsewhere.
Amount Awarded: Varies
American Indian College Fund Scholarships
Who Can Apply: Members of federally recognized tribes, including American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian applicants, can apply for these scholarships. Applicants must attend an accredited, nonprofit college or university.
Amount Awarded: $3,000
Lawanna Renee Barron Scholarship
Who Can Apply: This scholarship supports bachelor and master of social work students with interest or experience working in rural settings or in the health and mental health of African American communities. Applicants must be members of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
Amount Awarded: $1,000
Carl A. Scott Book Scholarship
Who Can Apply: The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) awards two book scholarships, one to a bachelor of social work student and one to a master of social work student, who are committed to promoting equity, racial, economic, and environmental justice. Applicants must attend a CSWE-accredited program and attend full time.
Amount Awarded: $500
Popular Online BSW Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Graduate Social Work Scholarships
Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarship
Who Can Apply: Master of social work students who are members of the National Association of Social Workers can apply. Candidates must be committed to working with or have a special affinity with American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic/Latino populations. The scholarship also supports candidates who demonstrate a commitment to public or voluntary nonprofit agencies or local grassroots groups.
Amount Awarded: $4,000
Council on Social Work Education Minority Fellowship Program – Master’s
Who Can Apply: Master of social work students in their final year may apply for this program if they demonstrate a commitment to reducing health disparities and improving healthcare outcomes of racially and ethnically diverse populations. The scholarship provides funding primarily but not exclusively for racial or ethnic minorities.
Amount Awarded: Varies
Social Work Doctoral Student Policy Fellowship
Who Can Apply: Social work doctoral students who have finished at least one year of their program can apply. The fellowship funds experiential learning through virtual placements at a congressional office or government relation firm to gain policy experience.
Amount Awarded: $2,000 stipend and $2,500 travel fund
Eileen Blackey Doctoral Fellowship
Who Can Apply: Available for NASW members, applicants for this award must be doctoral students in social work specializing in welfare policy and practice. Candidates must submit a proposal summary, a statement of relevance, a project design, their expected dissertation completion date, and an itemized budget.
Amount Awarded: $4,000-$6,500
Jane B. Aron Doctoral Fellowship
Who Can Apply: The National Association of Social Workers, in partnership with the Council on Social Work Education, offers this fellowship to doctoral candidates. Recipients must engage in research on healthcare social work education, policy, or practice.
Amount Awarded: Up to $6,000
The Melanie Foundation Scholarship
Who Can Apply: These master’s and doctoral scholarships provide assistance to students who plan to enter the mental health social work field. Candidates must be enrolled in an accredited master’s program and provide evidence of volunteer, research, or work experience related to mental health.
Amount Awarded: $2,500
Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Who Can Apply: This fellowship recognizes the work of immigrants, children of immigrants, and refugees pursuing graduate studies in several fields, including social work. Candidates must demonstrate a commitment to making significant contributions to American society, culture, or their academic field.
Amount Awarded: Up to $90,000
Ima Hogg Scholarship
Who Can Apply: Master of social work students enrolled in a CSWE-accredited graduate program in Texas qualify for the scholarship. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and a commitment to providing mental health services to underserved or underrepresented communities in Texas.
Amount Awarded: $5,000
Verne LaMarr Lyons Memorial MSW Scholarship
Who Can Apply: This master of social work scholarship supports students committed to working with members of underrepresented communities and those demonstrating an interest in healthcare and mental health practice. Applicants must hold membership in the National Association of Social Workers.
Amount Awarded: Varies
Neysa Fanwick Memorial Scholarship
Who Can Apply: Master of social work students who are NASW members qualify for this award. The scholarship supports students dedicated to addressing injustices in criminal justice, foster care, healthcare, and education. While the scholarship does not require a minimum GPA, applicants should demonstrate strong graduation potential.
Amount Awarded: $5,000 per year
