Title IV-E Child Welfare Education Collaboration
The School of Social Work operates the IV-E training grant project with federal funds that come through the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The goal is to provide a needed pool of trained social workers to work in child welfare and to encourage students who are interested in this area by assisting with their educational expenses while in school. Stipends and internships are two major components of this program.
Scholarships and Fellowships
University Fellowships
The Office of Graduate Studies Administers a small number of competitive fellowships that are awarded on the basis of departmental nomination. Selections are made on the basis of merit rather than need. Entering students are eligible for nomination for University Fellowships. University Fellowships provide a stipend, paid by the Graduate School, and some departmental support for tuition and fees. The number of Fellowships is very limited and priority in the School of Social Work is given to doctoral students.
St. David’s Foundation Bilingual Social Work Scholars Program
The St. David’s Foundation Bilingual Social Work Scholars Program, made possible by a $2 million grant from St. David’s Foundation, was established to meet the growing demand for bilingual health and mental health professionals in Texas. This generous support from the foundation allows the UT Austin School of Social Work to accelerate the recruitment and preparation of bilingual MSSW students for careers in the Central Texas health and mental health workforce. To be eligible, you must be a newly admitted student, be fluent in Spanish and English, and submit an application that includes a two-page essay and resume. Finalists will be interviewed to assess Spanish fluency. Up to 10 scholars will be awarded $10,000 each for one or two years, depending on their program of work.
Please contact Ramón R. Gómez for more information: (512) 471-9819; ramon-gomez@austin.utexas.edu
St. David’s Foundation GRACE Fellowship Program
A generous $50,000 grant from St. David’s Foundation will fund fellowships for master’s degree students in the School of Social Work Gerontology Resources and the Aging Community in Education (GRACE) program in 2012-2013. St. David’s Foundation GRACE Fellowships will be awarded through a competitive process to a number of first field and final field students who are placed at GRACE placements and fulfill additional educational criteria.
Please contact Sarah Swords, LCSW, Clinical Assistant Professor and GRACE Program Coordinator, for more information: (512) 471-7231; saswords@mail.utexas.edu
HRSA Integrated Behavioral Health MSSW Scholars Program for Underserved Populations
Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Integrated Behavioral Health Scholars (IBHS) Program provides stipends for selected eligible MSSW students who are interested in pursuing a career as a clinical social worker serving high need/high demand populations. The IBHS program will prepare MSSW students from under-represented groups to provide culturally competent clinical behavioral health services in primary care (medical) settings that serve Latinos, veterans and active duty military personnel and their families, and other high need populations.
Application to the IBHS Program is open to incoming students newly admitted to the MSSW Program (Post-BSW summer admission or 2-Year Program fall admission only) starting in 2013. Eligible applicants must demonstrate through written essay an interest in working in integrated behavioral health in primary care settings with underserved populations, such as Latinos or veterans through VA facilities; complete an interview (in Spanish, if applicable); and choose the Clinical Social Work Concentration. Selection priority will be given to applicants who are Spanish/English bilingual and bicultural to match the majority of underserved clients in Central Texas. Priority will also be given to members of other underrepresented groups, and to those who are veterans, active duty military, or their immediate family.
Students accepted into the IBHS Program will receive a yearly stipend of $15,008 (one academic year for Post-BSW and up to two academic years for the 60-hour program) and multidisciplinary educational opportunities that focus on building clinical skills and working with interprofessional teams of social workers, physicians, nurses, and pharmacists in integrated behavioral health care settings. The IBHS Program is a limited-opportunity program that will be offered for three years, with the last cohort to be admitted in fall 2015.
Please contact Ramón R. Gómez for more information: (512) 471-9819; ramon-gomez@austin.utexas.edu
Departmental Scholarships
Scholarships within the School of Social Work are awarded by faculty recommendation to Social Work students. Awards are judged competitively on the basis of academic achievement and professional potential. Departmental scholarships are limited in number and usually are in the form of honoraria in amounts between $250-$3500. Awarded funds are typically released to the recipient twice annually–at the beginning of the fall and spring semester.
Hogg Foundation for Mental Health’s Bilingual Scholarship Program
The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health launched a groundbreaking bilingual scholarship program in 2008 for students entering Texas graduate social work programs accredited or awaiting accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education. Read about the scholarship from the Hogg Foundation and frequently asked questions. To be eligible, scholarship recipients must be fluent in Spanish and English and must sign a letter of commitment to work in Texas after graduation providing mental health services for a period equal to the timeframe of the scholarship. Students admitted to the two year full time MSSW program are eligible for this funding opportunity. Recipients will receive up to $5500 for each of the four long semesters enrolled. For more information contact: Ramón Gómez, ramon-gomez@austin.utexas.edu, (512) 471-9819.