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Department of Social Work

Financial Aid Resources

The Department of Social Work is committed to finding opportunities for our students to obtain scholarships, stipends, and other supports to ease the financial burden of higher education.

Financial Aid

The CSUSM Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will provide you with the details of applying for financial aid, understanding your financial aid award and properly securing all of your loans. Please visit the CSUSM Financial Aid & Scholarships website or call 760-750-4850 for detailed information regarding dates and deadlines, as well as downloadable forms to complete your financial aid application.

  • To apply for federal student loans and grants (FAFSA), visit the Federal Student Aid website or call 1-800-433-3243. The CSUSM school code for the FAFSA is 030113.

Stipend Programs

The Department of Social Work offers various stipend programs for MSW students that range from $5,000 to $25,000 per year. Currently, we offer the CA Title IV-E Stipend Education Program, the Public Behavioral Health MSW Training and Fellowship Program, the Adult Protective Services Training Program, and other internship site and/or agency specific stipends (handled externally by community agencies/organizations). The Department regularly applies for grants and stipends, so we may have additional student scholarships and stipend opportunities in the future.

CA Title IV-E Stipend Education Program

The CA Title IV-E Stipend Education Program is available to incoming MSW students. Students selected to participate in the stipend program gain knowledge and practice experience working in public child welfare settings that will prepare them for a career in this field. Students in the 2-year program receive an annual stipend of $25,000 each year and 3-year program students have their tuition and fees costs covered each year. Upon graduating with their MSW degree, Title IV-E recipients commit to working in a CA county child welfare agency for the period of time they received financial support. For more information visit the Full-Time Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend Program webpage.

Public Behavioral Health MSW Training and Fellowship Program

The Public Behavioral Health MSW Training and Fellowship Program supports current MSW students placed in qualifying public behavioral health internship placements. Students receive a $25,000 for 1 year and must be accepted into a field internship in a publicly funded behavioral health setting and participate in specialized behavioral health electives and other trainings that focus on the behavioral health recovery model. Upon graduation, recipients commit to providing the equivalent of 12 months of full-time employment service in publicly funded behavioral health programs and settings in the state of California after training.

Adult Protective Services Training Program

The Adult Protective Services Training Program supports current MSW students in qualifying Adult Protective Services (APS) internship placements. Students receive a $20,000 stipend for 1 year and must be accepted into an APS qualifying internship and participate in specialized aging electives and other trainings that focus on the aging and adult services. Graduates of the APS MSW Training Program will be required to complete the equivalent of 12 months of full-time service employment post-graduation in county-operated APS programs within the state of California.

CSUSM MSW students are only eligible to receive stipend/scholarship funding from one these programs: CA Title IV-E Stipend Education Program, Public Behavioral Health Stipend, Adult Protective Services Stipend, and the Social Work Educational Capacity Expansion (SWECE) scholarship. 

Scholarships

Scholarship opportunities are a great way to fund your education at CSUSM and are available to a variety of students from all backgrounds. Below are links to some of the many scholarships that may be available to CSUSM MSW students. We encourage you to also look within other university programs, your professional organizations, your community (religious groups, community organizations, etc.) and your place of employment to find other funding opportunities.

Department Scholarships

The Department of Social Work has been awarded the Social Work Education Capacity Expansion (SWECE) Grant, which is funded by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) for 2023-2027. The purpose of the SWECE Grant Program is to fund institutions and organizations to increase the number of Social Workers serving in California, especially with children and youth. The SWECE grant will support 30-60 need based MSW student scholarships, covering up to the full tuition and fees of the program for an academic year.

Other Scholarships

Department Support

Participation in Conferences

The Social Work Department may have access to funding to support student attendance at workshops/trainings/conferences related to the social work. Students can apply to have the registration fee for the event paid by the Department on a first come, first served basis until the funds are expended. To request funds, individual students submit a one-page proposal to the Department Chair. The proposal should include student name, conference name, conference date(s), registration fee amount, what you hope to gain from attending this conference and how it will support your future career goals.

Loan Cancellation/Forgiveness/Repayment