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Scholarships
Top social work scholarships for you
Find scholarships for social work majors that can help you pay for college.
Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
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Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
Scholarships for social work majors
Silver School of Social Work Community College Transfer Opportunity Program Scholarships
Due: 9/30/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
Varies
The Silver School of Social Work Community College Transfer Opportunity Program Scholarships are open to qualified students transferring from community colleges who are participating in the Community College Transfer Opportunity Program (CCTOP). Students must be nominated for consideration by the dean, department chairperson, professor, or transfer counselor of their community college. Students may contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.
Child Welfare Training Program Stipend
Due: 6/30/25
No essay
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Varies
The Child Welfare Training Program Stipend supports Social Work undergraduate and Graduate Studentss who have career interests in child welfare or are seeking to acquire advanced child welfare practice skills. The program stipend includes a book stipend, a field stipend, and background check reimbursement (if eligible).
Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work Financial Need Scholarship
Due: 9/1/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$2,000
The Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work Financial Need Scholarship is open to BSW and MSW students with financial need who have an interest in pursuing a career in social work. Students may contact Tod Marshall for more information and inquiries about the application.
Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work Aging Services Scholarship
Due: 9/1/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$2,000
The Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work Aging Services Scholarship is available to BSW and MSW students with career interests in the field of aging. Students may contact Tod Marshall for more information and inquiries about the application.
Emby Family Child Welfare Scholarship
Due: 9/1/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$2,500
The Emby Family Child Welfare Scholarship is open to BSW and MSW students with career interests in the field of child welfare. Students may contact Tod Marshall for more information and inquiries about the application.
Dr. Michele Hawkins' Social Work Foster Care Scholarship
Due: 9/1/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$2,000
The Dr. Michele Hawkins' Social Work Foster Care Scholarship is open to BSW and MSW students who have been living in the foster care system. Students may contact Tod Marshall for more information and inquiries about the application.
Sandler Family Foundation School of Social Work Scholarship
Due: 9/1/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$2,000
The Sandler Family Foundation School of Social Work Scholarship is open to BSW and MSW students who demonstrate the heart of a volunteer and the spirit of social work in the community. Students may contact Tod Marshall for more information and inquiries about the application.
Gottsegen Family Substance Use Disorder Treatment Scholarship
Due: 9/1/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$2,500
The Gottsegen Family Substance Use Disorder Treatment Scholarship is open to BSW and MSW students with a documented interest and ability in pursuing a social work career in substance use treatment. Students may contact Tod Marshall for more information and inquiries about the application.
Indiana State University Experience Grant - Social Work Clinicals
Due: 11/1/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$1,000
The Indiana State University Experience Grant - Social Work Clinicals is available to students who are eligible for and applying for the Experience Grant. Students must be in good academic and conduct standing. The students must have completed an application in Sonia the semester before they begin clinical.
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What are social work scholarships?
Social work scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for social work students. Scholarships for social work majors can help students access higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach because of financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for social work scholarships
Before you apply for social work scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements to see if you qualify. These may include:
- Minimum GPA
- Community service experience
- U.S. citizenship
- Plans to attend an accredited program
- Leadership skills
- FAFSA® submission
Scholarship requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Keep searching for scholarships that best match your qualifications.
Are social work scholarships worth my time?
If you want to get as much free money as you can for your education, then yes! You’ll find some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for, while others require more time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply for scholarships that require work (like writing an essay) which means you could have better odds of winning if you apply for one of those.
Pro tip: Don’t pass up on social work scholarships that have smaller award amounts. ($) There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find social work scholarships?
From your school to national organizations, there are so many places to find social work scholarships that can help you pay for college.
Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search engines, like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”
Scholly Scholarships
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Easily search through thousands of college scholarships based on your background, major, state you live in, and more.
Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
What types of social work scholarships are available?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the FAFSA®. To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Want more tips to up your chances of winning? Check out our scholarship guide for everything you need to know about finding and winning scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for social work scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
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More resources to explore
Tips for writing scholarship essays
Get tips for writing scholarship essays. Learn what makes a good scholarship essay.
Find scholarship resources
Explore our scholarship resources, articles, and guide to get all the tips and tricks to help pay for college.
Fill out the FAFSA®
Learn when and how to apply for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to maximize your chances of getting federal student financial aid. Get tips now.
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