20 Scholarships for Social Work Students to Apply For in 2024

Many professions can support and meet the needs of the local community. Social workers are part of this list. Often, unsung heroes, these professionals are always needed. 

Before these essential professionals can become the backbone of social and mental health care, undergraduate and graduate students are studying to earn a degree. The undergraduate and sometimes graduate education required to move into social work can be expensive. Still, financial assistance is open to only these students who can help. 

Best Social Work Scholarships to Apply to

To support aspiring social workers on their educational journey, we have compiled a list of 20 scholarships for which these students can apply. Applicants for these scholarships generally do not have to demonstrate financial need to qualify.

Meme Heineman Scholarship

In memory of Dr. Meme Heineman, this scholarship seeks to support students pursuing a degree in Psychology or Applied Behavior Analysis. This scholarship is open to applicants of all education levels who will be asked to submit an essay detailing why they should win.

  • Amount: $6,000
  • Deadline to apply: January 14, 2023
  • Winner announced: February 14, 2023

Green Mountain Memories Scholarship

The Green Mountain Memories Scholarship will honor the memory of Mark Forgette, a substance abuse counselor, and help support a student who pursues a career in helping those who struggle with substance abuse. This scholarship is only open to undergraduate students.

  • Amount: $500
  • Deadline to apply: September 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: September 30, 2022

Mental Health Matters Scholarship  

The Mental Health Matters Scholarship exists to support students who struggle with mental health but are still active members of their communities. Applicants can be of any education level and will be required to submit a short essay about how they are active leaders in their community. 

  • Amount: $500
  • Deadline to apply: September 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: September 30, 2022

Brian J Boley Memorial Scholarship 

This scholarship aims to honor the memory of Brian J Boley by supporting students who have been affected by mental illness or addiction. Applicants must be high school students who have struggled with mental health issues or addiction and want to use their degree to help others.

  • Amount: $1,000
  • Deadline to apply: October 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: October 31, 2022

Haywood Reed Jr. Well Being Scholarship

This scholarship aims to support high school students in Louisiana who are advocates for mental wellness. Any high school junior or senior in Louisiana who has at least a 2.5 GPA may apply for this scholarship. There is an essay requirement for applicants. 

  • Amount: $650
  • Deadline to apply: August 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: August 31, 2022

Heather Payne Memorial Scholarship 

This scholarship seeks to support those who have lost a sibling to suicide to raise awareness about the prevalence of suicide and the ways of persevering through loss. Any student who has lost a sibling to suicide may apply for this scholarship. Applicants can enroll in high school, an undergraduate program, or a graduate program.

  • Amount: $5,330
  • Deadline to apply: August 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: August 31, 2022

Cat Zingano Overcoming Loss Scholarship

The Cat Zingano Overcoming Loss Scholarship will be awarded to a student who is fighting through their own loss of a close family member, legal guardian, or loved one and is in need of financial support for their education as they move forward.

  • Amount: $10,200
  • Deadline to apply: March 17, 2023
  • Winner announced: April 12, 2023

100 Women Giving Back Northwoods Up-and-Coming Giver Scholarship

This scholarship aims to support up-and-coming givers so they can achieve their educational and career goals, regardless of their financial status. Any high school senior in Wisconsin or Michigan with a strong work ethic and experience volunteering, working in public service, or committing to a social cause or mission that helps the public may apply for this scholarship.

  • Amount: $1,500
  • Deadline to apply: August 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: August 30, 2022

Michael Rudometkin Memorial Scholarship 

This scholarship aims to honor the life of Michael Rudometkin by supporting students who are passionate about community service and making the world a better place. Any current student who is involved in their community and pursuing a degree, certificate, or trade school may apply for this scholarship. 

  • Amount: $600
  • Deadline to apply: September 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: September 30, 2022

John F. Puffer, Sr. Smile Scholarship 

This scholarship seeks to honor the life of John F. Puffer, Sr., by supporting students in Massachusetts who exemplify SMILE (shine, motivate, inspire, lead, excel) in their daily lives. Any high school senior in MA passionate about giving back to their community who has a 2.8 GPA or higher and exemplifies SMILE may apply for this scholarship. 

  • Amount: $3,000
  • Deadline to apply: July 30, 2022
  • Winner announced: August 31, 2022

Sullivan Promise Project Scholarship 

The Sullivan Promise Project Scholarship exists to support students who embody the ‘everyday hero,’ involving themselves in community service or non-profit work. High schoolers from Virginia are eligible to apply if they have a non-traditional home life and yet choose to spend their time making a difference in their community.

  • Amount: $500
  • Deadline to apply: September 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: September 30, 2022

North Carolina Youth Equine Service Scholarship 

This scholarship seeks to reward students who love working with horses and giving back to the community. Any current student who loves working with horses and has experience working with a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization may apply for this scholarship. 

  • Amount: $750
  • Deadline to apply: August 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: August 31, 2022

WiseGeek Community Service No-Essay Scholarship 

When you find ways to support your community, you contribute to the virtuous cycle of giving that helps individuals and the community as a whole grow stronger. The WiseGeek No-Essay Community Service Scholarship exists to help current students who go above and beyond to support their school and the broader community. The scholarship is open to all students in any field of study.

  • Amount: $500
  • Deadline to apply: August 16, 2022
  • Winner announced: September 16, 2022

Lorraine Belcourt Love in the Community Scholarship 

The Lorraine Belcourt Love in the Community Scholarship will be given to one student each year who is committed to pursuing a degree in a career in public service. Students from North Dakota are eligible to apply if they are high school seniors or undergraduate students and have experience giving back to their community through volunteering, non-profit work, or other community services.

  • Amount: $500
  • Deadline to apply: December 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: December 31, 2022

Alexis Potts Passion Project Scholarship 

This scholarship aims to help driven, motivated, and passionate students afford higher education so they can pursue their dreams. Any high school senior or undergraduate student with a strong passion, such as for a sport, hobby, or community service opportunity, may apply for this scholarship. 

  • Amount: $620
  • Deadline to apply: September 1, 2022
  • Winner announced: September 15, 2022

Sean Carroll’s Mindscape Big Picture Scholarship 

The Mindscape Big Picture Scholarship was created to provide financial support for those who are looking to pursue higher education to understand how the world works. This scholarship is open to all students who have a deep curiosity about studying the universe for its own sake and will seek to lift up those from underrepresented communities in those fields and first-generation college students. This scholarship is open to students looking to earn an undergraduate or graduate degree.

  • Amount: $10,000
  • Deadline to apply: December 15, 2022
  • Winner announced: January 15, 2023

“$$$ Isn’t Everything” Scholarship 

This scholarship exists to help one new student or graduate each month to worry a little bit less about money and get a bit of time and energy back to focus on the important things. There is no essay requirement, so applicants are encouraged to apply earlier to better their chances of winning. 

  • Amount: $550
  • Deadline to apply: July 31, 2022
  • Winner announced: July 31, 2022

Trudgers Fund

The Trudgers Fund will support students as they strive for success in school and in their personal lives after struggling with addiction. This scholarship is for high school seniors and undergraduate students who have experienced their own struggles with alcohol and drug addiction and are seeking higher education to enhance their lives. 

  • Amount: $1,000
  • Deadline to apply: November 24, 2022
  • Winner announced: December 24, 2022

Terry Masters Memorial Scholarship 

This scholarship aims to continue Terry’s legacy of giving by inspiring others to embrace and pursue the same passion and joy that Terry found in painting outdoors and to honor his memory through excellence in the arts for years to come. Any high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate pursuing a degree in fine arts may apply, but preference will be given to painters.

  • Amount: $2,000
  • Deadline to apply: December 9, 2022
  • Winner announced: January 9, 2023

Veterans Next Generation Scholarship 

In recognition of all that veterans have done for our country, this scholarship seeks to support the children of US military veterans so they can pursue higher education. Any student who is the child of a veteran and is currently enrolled in an undergraduate or trade school program may apply for this scholarship. 

  • Amount: $750
  • Deadline to apply: December 6, 2022
  • Winner announced: January 6, 2023

About Social Work Scholarship 

Social work is one of the fastest-growing careers in the United States. Social workers provide 60% of mental health services, making it important that students pursuing this career path have the resources to get the necessary education. 

Scholarships that are designed specifically to meet the financial needs of students who want to pursue this career are a helpful way to support communities that will come to depend on them. 

What are Social Work Scholarships?

Social Work Students Scholarships

Social work scholarships are financial awards only open to applicants who intend to use what they have learned to become social workers. In an essay to apply, applicants will often be asked to describe their motivation for pursuing social work or how they are involved in their community. 

What Qualifies as a Social Work Scholarship?

Any scholarship that intends to support students pursuing social work as a career with a financial award to fund their education is a social work scholarship. These scholarships can have essay requirements where the applicant is encouraged to describe details related to why they want to become a social worker or some other related topic. 

Types of Social Work Scholarships Available

There are many different types of scholarships available for [students] to apply for. The type of scholarship can affect the required documents and related materials that have to be submitted to apply. 

Academic merit-based

These scholarships are based solely on your proven academic ability. These can be decided on the applicant’s grade-point average (GPA), standardized test scores (MCAT, LSAT, etc.), or other academic scores.

Colleges may have academic merit-based scholarships for students who are part of their incoming class, so they’ll receive these scores when you apply. But, other organizations have academic scholarships to which you will have to submit these scores. 

Identity-based

Scholarships with the qualification partially based on the applicant’s identity are open only to people within those groups. These scholarships exist from trying to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds and marginalized communities by giving awards to students who share the same characteristics as someone who has passed in their honor. 

Athletic

These scholarships are based on a student’s athletic ability, usually within a given sport. Often, coaches from interested schools will scout out students performing well during their sport’s season and decide whether or not to make an offer.  

How to Find Social Work Scholarships to Apply for?

Looking for scholarships can be difficult, especially if you don’t know where to look. But, many resources are available to help students look for scholarships. 

The internet is the best place to start if you need help looking for scholarships. Many websites are dedicated to collecting and showcasing scholarships to students in need. Using these websites is helpful because you can filter out scholarships you know you won’t qualify for. You can also bookmark scholarships you don’t qualify for now but may be a good applicant for in the coming semesters. 

If you are enrolled in college already, your advisor and other students are also great resources for finding scholarships. These people are likely familiar with scholarships that your school sponsors or may not be super popular, making your chances of winning better.

 Consulting with your advisor is always a good idea as their job is to help you succeed. If they can’t help you with applications or places to look for scholarships, they can definitely refer you to another administrator or school resource for help. 

Tips for Winning Social Work Scholarships

So now you know where to look for scholarships, but how do you make sure you get chosen? Well, there is no way to guarantee that you’ll win all the scholarships you apply for, but you can definitely increase your chances. 

For scholarships that require an essay, make sure that your essay answers all parts of the prompt. Look for any ramblings or extra information that doesn’t pertain to the subject of the prompt. Also, make sure that your writing is clear and engaging. Having an essay that is boring and hard to read is an easy way to lose the sponsor’s attention when they try to read your response. 

If you are writing about the research you’ve done, highlighting the exciting parts of your results or further applications of your findings could be helpful. 

Another way to increase your chances of winning is to go for scholarships with smaller award amounts. Many students go for the big ticket dollar amounts to ” win big ” and get the most money possible. But, many students will apply for these same scholarships for this reason. Making the pool of students you’re competing against less competitive gives you a better chance of winning. 

Winning many of these smaller award amounts will build up to a more considerable amount as you keep winning, so don’t be afraid to go after smaller fish.

Finally, another way to decrease the number of students you compete with is to apply for scholarships only open to a specific type of applicant. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Social Work Scholarships

Still have questions about scholarships for students who want to become social workers? Keep reading for more information.

Are Social Work scholarships legit?

Yes, scholarships for students who want to become social workers are legit. There are scams, so it is essential to be careful when applying for scholarships, especially if you do so online. 

An excellent way to avoid these scams is to use reputable sites that you or other students are familiar with. Also, be mindful of the information that you submit when you apply. Scholarships will not require your social security number, credit or debit card number, or bank information. If you are asked to submit any of this information, that scholarship is likely a scam. 

How can I improve my chances of winning Social Work scholarships?

You can do several things to improve your chances of winning college student scholarships. A couple of strategies you can use include:

  • Make yourself stand out in your response 
  • Apply earlier than the deadline  
  • Look for awards that give awards to multiple winners 

How many Social Work scholarships can you get?

There is no limit to the number of scholarships you can get as a graduate student, so you don’t have to limit yourself when applying. 

Depending on the requirements for the scholarships you apply for, you may run into a situation where you have to turn down awards. For example, if you apply for multiple scholarships only open to students who intend to attend those colleges. You will have to turn down the awards from the colleges you don’t attend. 

Are Social Work scholarships taxable income?

Generally, no, scholarships are not considered taxable income. However, this is only true if you are enrolled at an eligible college, in a program, and are using the funds for school-related expenses. These expenses include but are not limited to tuition, textbooks, parking fees, and lab fees.

If it is found out that you have used scholarship funds for expenses unrelated to your degree or college expenses, then these funds may be considered taxable income. Check the description and other fine print of the scholarships you apply for to see if there is a requirement for how the awarded funds are used.

What’s the best way to apply for Social Work scholarships?

A key strategy that gives you the best chances when applying is to put more effort into a handful of scholarships that you feel confident about applying to rather than applying to a lot of scholarships that you only put minimal effort into. This is especially true for longer extended responses. If you feel like you have a story that could set you apart from other applicants, you may find it beneficial to spend more time on that application versus other shorter ones that aren’t specific to your experiences.

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