PhD student Lielah Leighton sees her research endowment as more than a simple financial award. “It is also a vote of confidence in my abilities, and an affirmation that my doctoral work has value to the social work field more broadly,” said Leighton of the John F. Longres Dissertation Research Endowment, “As a first-generation Black Pinay who is a non-traditional student, this support makes all the difference.”
To help students like Leighton achieve their potential, $337,715 was awarded to School of Social Work students in the last year across scholarships, tuition remissions, student emergency funds, and a veteran emergency fund. Hundreds of students who apply for support are still in financial need each year, so the school continues to seek scholarship benefactors.
Scholarships
Scholarships alone went to 75 students in 2020 – 2021. These include scholarships for social work students who work with organizations that service some of the most marginalized within our community.
For example, in exchange for financial support, participants in the Child Welfare Education Program agree to work for the Department of Human Services/Children and Families for a minimum of one year following their graduation. In addition, the program prepares its graduates for employment and assists them with the job application and search process. “Although my schedule and work demands were challenging,” said one alum, “I could not have done this program without CWEP accommodations.”
The Maybelle Clark MacDonald Endowed Scholarship is another scholarship for School of Social Work students. With funding from it, MSW student Olivia K. Bormann says her debt burden has eased so she can be the “ultra-involved student” she didn’t get to be as an undergraduate. “I want to do it all,” Bormann says, from teaching and research assistantships to engaging with various centers across campus.
Tuition Remission
Another type of funding the school facilitates is the tuition remission program available to MSW students. Knowing that unforeseen challenges can impact and impede academic success, the program offers a discretionary fund that can provide some relief from financial hardship. In 2020 – 2021, 52 students out of 119 applicants received a tuition remission, with a total of $59,000 awarded.
Student Emergency Fund
Recognizing that our students may experience many challenges while pursuing higher education, the school also distributes a Student Emergency Fund each year. It’s not uncommon for students to struggle with issues like houselessness, food insecurity, unemployment, mental health struggles, hospitalizations, and the loss of child care. Sometimes they’re working multiple jobs, living paycheck to paycheck, and possibly even facing eviction, living with the constant stress of not knowing how they’ll afford tuition.
“I have utilized the Student Emergency Fund at least twice during my time as a student in the School of Social Work,” said one MSW student, “During these times, I was either between housing, between jobs, or waiting for financial aid to come through. Having access to the emergency funds has been such a relief for me because I cannot ask my parents for money because they are both unemployed. With this emergency fund I was able to purchase groceries when I would have gone without.”
Originally developed through grassroots organizing in 2011, the Student Emergency Fund was formally established in 2016. Since then it’s awarded a total of $35,690 to 410 unique students. Made up entirely of generous donations from SSW faculty, staff, alumni, and other individual donors, the Student Emergency Fund provides eligible students with a one-time gift of $100 via direct deposit or check. This gift is not intended to pay for tuition, fees, fines, or the cost of attendance. In 2020 – 2021 it awarded a total of $12,200 to 150 unique students.
“I'm so grateful that the gifts were available,” said one PhD student, “Because I was able to access healthy food, it saved me from a hospital stay due to my inability to control my blood sugar. It also helped me cover my transportation costs. The funds are a lifesaver and I'm forever grateful to those that donated them.”
Veteran Emergency Fund
“Life hits us with unexpected hardships at a moment's notice,” said MSW graduate India Wynne, “There are medical issues that have arisen in my life that were unexpected. The hardship funding will allow me to pay for needs that I have physically and relieve some of the stress that comes along with those needs.”
Wynne’s referring to another hardship fund, specifically for eligible students who identify as a veteran and experience financial hardship. Similar to the Student Emergency Fund, this Veteran Emergency Fund is made up of donations from SSW faculty, staff, alumni, and other individual donors and isn’t intended to pay for tuition, fees, fines, or cost of attendance. The one time $500 gift from the fund is received via direct deposit or check, with 9 unique students receiving a total of $6,500 since it was founded in 2021.
“2020-21 was a difficult year for many if not all of us,” said MSW student David Arwood II, “At the beginning of January, it became apparent that I would not be getting the kind of experience that I needed from my original internship. At that time, with the help of money from the Veteran's Fund I was able to make the decision to move to an unpaid internship. This switch enabled me to get the proper experience, and I am proud to say that I am now a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor candidate, with enough hours and education to test for the certificate.”
Scholarships, tuition remissions, the Student Emergency Fund, and the Veteran Emergency Fund all support hundreds of School of Social Work students every year. To help sustain the higher education aspirations of hundreds of remaining students, please consider contributing to or establishing a scholarship or endowment. More information on how to do this can be found through the PSU Foundation.