The UW School of Social Work provides different types of funding for MSW students in the form of fellowships, scholarships, assistantships and additional programs that may help to supplement their education.

We encourage prospective students to plan for any needed financial assistance and make arrangements as far in advance of enrollment as possible. Prospective and incoming students should specifically review each section below to gather additional information about funding opportunities. Students may also want to explore this handout on tips for starting your graduate funding search. We also encourage students to watch this Graduate School Funding webinar (recorded December 2020) for MSW funding tips.

If possible, prospective, incoming and current students should submit their FAFSA as soon as possible. If students are not eligible to apply for the FAFSA, please contact our office to see if you are eligible for other needs-based assessments such as WASFA.

School of Social Work departmental funding is typically determined and awarded in the Spring/Summer for the following academic year, beginning that same Autumn quarter. 

 

    

 

 

Prospective/Incoming Students (Advanced Standing, Day and EDP)

We encourage all prospective and incoming students who would like to be considered for funding to submit the Funding Consideration Form as part of their application; this form serves as the primary resource for determining departmental awards (and nominations for wider-UW funds), there will not be a separate application for incoming admitted students.  However, Advanced Standing students may be eligible for a handful of scholarships/fellowships focused on a specialized area of study; newly admitted Advanced Standing students will be notified by email of these opportunities (see examples in the “Continuing Students” section below).

The information provided on the Funding Consideration Form does not impact admissions decisions.  This additional information will be used to guide us in determining a match for potential sources of funding at the School (e.g. fellowships/scholarships, nomination for GO-MAP funds or International Tuition Waivers); fellowships and scholarships will be used to help support the School’s recruitment efforts to ensure diversity within the School.  Please complete the FAFSA (or equivalent) as soon as possible; this is a requirement for consideration as financial need is often a determining factor for many awards.  Should you be selected for an award you will be notified by the Scholarship Committee by email.  Please explore this page for additional options for funding your education (e.g. graduate assistantships, traineeships, state and federally funded programs).

Continuing Students 

Continuing Students are eligibile for a number of fellowships announced to MSW students throughout the school year. Students should thoroughly read emails sent by the Admissions Department and Student Services for any upcoming funding opportunities, application deadlines, and requirements through the School of Social Work. Some of the fellowships are detailed below:

  • Audie Lemke Endowed Fellowship: Provides financial assistance to UW School of Social Work MSW students (in all programs) whose selected course of study demonstrates a commitment to promoting the health and welfare of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning individuals, including prevention research focusing on sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
  • Carol LaMare Oncology and Palliative Care Fellowship: Provides scholarships for specialized year students enrolled in the MSW Day Health Care Specialization or the MSW EDP Integrative Health and Mental Health Specialization.  Students must be placed in their specialized practicums in an oncology, hospice or palliative care setting, or in a medical setting working with patients who have acute and serious life limiting illnesses. 
  • Farber Memorial Fellowship: Provides financial assistance to UW School of Social Work MSW students in the Advanced Standing, 2nd or 3rd year EDP, and 2nd year Day program whose work best exemplifies the commitments evidenced through the career and work of Arthur and Ruth Farber, through promotion of education training, research & demonstration efforts in areas of wellness. 
  • Katherine M. Rickey Fellowship: Provides financial assistance to UW School of Social Work MSW students who have an interest in Health Policy.
  • Extended Degree Program (EDP) Fellowship: Provides financial assistance to UW School of Social Work MSW students in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd year EDP program.

The UW School of Social Work has historically offered three competitive graduate assistantship opportunities, open to current and incoming MSW students Click on the position titles below for details, and application instructions for each position.

Student Computer Consultant

Provides funding for graduate students in the UW School of Social Work which may be offered as a tuition waiver, partial tuition waiver, health insurance coverage, stipend, or a combination of all. Candidates must be a UW School of Social Work MSW student and eligible to qualify for a Graduate Student Assistantship (this is not work - study and is not based on financial need). Responsible for supporting the School of Social Work computer labs help desk support to students, faculty and staff of a variety of software and other computing related inquiries. Current students as well as incoming MSW Day, EDP, and Advanced Standing students are eligible to apply; please note that this position requires weekday, weeknight, and weekend coverage and a commitment of 20 hours per week is necessary (support times shared across all four consultants). Position details: We have an opening for one MSW Student starting Fall quarter, 2023. We are currently accepting applications until July 15th, 2023.

We anticipate having up to 3 openings for the 2023-2024 academic term. We will begin accepting applications on April 1st of 2023, to begin work in mid-September 2023.

Student Information Specialist

The Student Information Specialist (SIS) position may not be available every year; one or two positions may be available in a given year, depending on staffing needs.  This is an outreach/ambassador position, responsible for supporting the Admissions Office in supporting and recruiting diverse applicants to the UW School of Social Work and providing technical assistance to BASW and MSW applicants throughout the application process. Successful candidates are expected to have strong skills in public speaking, written communication, and multitasking. Current students as well as incoming MSW Day, EDP, and Advanced Standing students are eligible to apply; please note that this position requires 20 hours per week of office hours (primarily weekday, daytime hours). Click the link above for details. Questions can be sent to sswinfo@uw.edu. 

Applications for the Student Information Specialist position for the 2023 - 2024 academic year are now closed. 

Social Work Writing Tutor

Would you like to provide writing support to fellow students at the UW School of Social Work? The social work writing team generally hires 2-3 new peer writing tutors each year. Tutors provide writing support services to all social work students. These yearlong positions require flexible schedules in both remote and in-person settings. Funding varies by quarter and may include a tuition waiver, a partial tuition waiver, and health insurance coverage in some quarters, and hourly pay in other quarters. Applications are accepted every spring for continuing MSW students. Here is the 2023 writing tutor position description. Please email sswwrite@uw.edu with questions.

"The Funding Game: Planning for Graduate School"

You want to go to graduate school – but how will you pay for it? School of Social Work staff partnered with the Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) to create this helpful graduate school funding video, highlighting tips and resources to help you begin planning and strategizing for funding graduate school. Presentation by Jenn Maglalang (SSW Director of Admissions/Scholarship Committee Chair), Hoang Ngo (Assistant Director, Doctoral Program in Social Welfare), Willa Kurland (UW GO-MAP Graduate Success & Awards Officer), and Kayla Newcomer (MSW Student/GO-MAP Graduate Staff Assistant).

UW graduate assistantships offered (most years) elsewhere on campus:

Beyond what is offered through the School of Social Work, additional graduate assistantships are typically available through other departments at UW. These are limited, competitive opportunities and they vary each year. We strongly encourage applicants to explore UW's Graduate Funding Information Service resource for details about additional opportunities that may exist. In particular, the GFIS blog is a helpful resource; GFIS also has links to searchable external funding databases to find potential grants, fellowships, and scholarships for graduate school.

UW graduate assitantships are sometimes posted to the GFIS blog. View the GFIS "Assistantships" page to better understand what Assistantships are, and how to find them.

While this is by no means an exhaustive list, we've included a few example assistantships below that we believe are often a good fit for MSW students to pursue (benefits, position availability, and deadlines vary annually (most deadlines generally fall in May); contact the departments below for information. Keep in mind that full-time MSW students must complete practicum in addition to full-time classes; because of this, it is best to pursue office-based graduate assitantships (rather than teaching assistantships or roles that might have time conflicts with your classes/practicum commitments).

Graduate Staff Assistantship (GSA), Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievemen Program (GO-MAP)

Graduate Staff Assistantship (GSA), Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC) Graduate Assistantship

Graduate Staff Assistantship (GSA), McNair Scholars and Early Identification Programs

Graduate Staff Assistantship (GSA), Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards (OMSFA)

State Funded Programs

Washington State Tuition Exemption Program
The Washington State Tuition Exemption Program provides a waiver of tuition and fees for state and educational employees. Please visit the website to learn more about the exemption program and to see if you qualify. 

Funded Training Programs

Child Welfare Training and Advancement Program
CWTAP promotes training excellence for Washington state’s child welfare workforce through the financial support of social work students and professionals. Your first step is to apply to the UW School of Social Work MSW degree program. After being admitted incoming students, will receive an email invitation to apply to CWTAP along with an application packet. All applications must be submitted by the application deadline. Applicants selected for an interview will be notified after the deadline if their applications are complete.

Washington State Behavioral Health Workforce Development Initiative
Students receive grants, totaling up to $51,500, to offset their graduate education expenses in return for serving, post-graduation, in approved community-based behavioral health agencies or tribal health centers in Washington state. Applicants for these conditional grants must also apply separately to the UW MSW program. For more information on the application process and timelines, go here.

Graduate Funding Information Service

GFIS works with current and admitted UW graduate students, helping them identify and locate funding opportunities for graduate school-related expenses including tuition, research, conference and research travel. Students can visit GFIS during drop-in advising hours, schedule individual appointments, or request information by email. The GFIS blog can also provide insight into other graduate assistantships available across campus. 

Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP)

Founded in 1970, the Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) is at the heart of the Graduate School’s commitment to expanding graduate education to underrepresented minoritized  (URM) communities. While GO-MAP’s events and programming are geared towards graduate student of color, they are open to all University of Washington graduate students, faculty and staff, especially those interested in supporting and increasing a racially diverse graduate student population.

UW Graduate School 

The Office of Fellowships and Awards coordinates and administers regional and federal fellowship and scholarship programs.

UW Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology Center (DO - IT)

The UW DO - IT Center is dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through technology and education. They provide multiple funding opportunities and resouces for students with disabilities. They promotes awareness and accessibility - in both the classroom and the workplace - to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities.