SSW Scholarships & Awards Directory
**This page does not represent all funding opportunities available to students. For more information visit Financial Aid, and PSU's Office of Graduate Studies.
Scholarships Specific to School of Social Work
Building on Family Strengths Scholarship
Award: TBD, Aprox. $2,500, one scholarship
Who Can Apply: MSW Students
Due: April 1, 2013
The scholarship is inteded to support the education of MSW students who are preparing for careers in Social Work. the scholarship will be awarded to students who have experience with seeking services and providing care for a family member less than 18 years of age with a serious mental health condition.
Gerald A. Frey Endowed Scholarship
Award: $500 or more, one scholarship
Who Can Apply: MSW students
Due: April 1, 2013
Gerald Frey was an Associate Professor Emeritus in the School of Social Work. His career spanned the period from 1970 until his retirement in 1998. This scholarship for MSW students was created to honor his legacy and important contributions to the school and the to professional social work in Oregon. The scholarship is for a student who will: 1) be entering the final year of field placement, 2) has financial need, 3) has selected advanced concentration in Community Based Practice or Social Service Program Management, 4) has work experience and interest in public and voluntary social service, and 5) creative thoughts and action addressing community problems.
Garrison Gibbons Endowed Fellowship
Award: $1,000, one scholarship
Who Can Apply: MSW and Ph.D. students
Due: April 1, 2013
Awarded to a graduate student in the School of Social Work with outstanding academic qualifications, demonstrated financial need, an interest in gay and lesbian issues and who shows career promise. Preference given to students who have serviced with Oregon gay or lesbian social service agencies.
John F. Longres Dissertation Research Endowment
Award: $2,000, one scholarship
Who Can Apply: Ph.D. students
Due: April 1, 2013
The purpose of this scholarship is to promote social work research by supporting doctoral students who are all but dissertation. Research of the selected student should be on topics related to class, ethnic, and other inter-group relations.
McCoy Graduate Scholarship
Award: $1,000 - $2,000, one or more available
Who Can Apply: MSW students
Due: April 1, 2013
The McCoy Graduate Scholarship will be awarded to a social work student from Oregon or Southwest Washington. The scholarship honors State Senator William and Multnomah County Commission Chair Gladys McCoy, two of Portland's most dedicated public servants. The McCoys were committed to addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, including the poor, children, women and members of diverse culture. This scholarship will be awarded to a MSW student pursuing social policy development and service delivery. Eligible students will have completed one year of the MSW program by fall term.
Pathways into Public Service Fund
Award: Approximately $500
Who Can Apply: MSW Students
Due: April 1, 2013
This scholarship is for those who share values of advancing just and equitable public services for children and families.
Peggy Jones Memorial Scholarship
Award: $500
Who Can Apply: MSW students
Due: Fall 2013 - Check back for more info.
This scholarship is for a student who has experienced significant adversity in their life and for whom receipt of this award is essential to the student's academic or career goals. Preference is given to an incoming MSW student.
Ruth Renfroe Scholarship
Award: $1,250, one scholarship
Who Can Apply: MSW students
Due: April 1, 2013
This scholarship is for a MSW student who will be entering the final year of field instruction. The recipient agrees to fulfill a three-term, two-day-a-week field instruction assignment in a practicum setting serving the elderly.
Marilyn R. Rich Alumni Endowed Scholarship
Award: $1,000 or more, one scholarship
Who Can Apply: MSW students
Due: April 1, 2013
The Marilyn R. Rich Alumni Endowed Scholarship was established by Audrey Rich in honor of her daughter who earned her MSW from PSU in 1988. Marilyn is a medical social worker. This scholarship is available to a MSW student with high and urgent financial need who has a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
School of Social Work Scholarship
Award: varies
Who Can Apply:
Due: Undergraduate - February 1, 2013 Graduate - April 1, 2013
Scholarship for any student in the School of Social Work.
School of Social Work Staff & Faculty Scholarship
Award: $1,000-$2,000 each, one or more scholarships
Who Can Apply: Child & Family Studies, BSW, MSW, and Ph.D. students
Due: Undergraduate - February 1, 2013 Graduate - April 1, 2013
The School of Social Work Staff and Faculty Scholarship was created in order to honor the goal of improving access and equity within all programs of SSW. In particular this scholarship seeks to provide support to students who have a lived experience with structural oppression and inequity, and who have experiencing navigating and confronting these systems.
Charles & Joan Shireman Endowed Scholarship
Award: $2,500, one scholarship
Who Can Apply: MSW or Ph.D. student
Due: April 1, 2013
The Charles & Joan Shireman Endowed Scholarship was established to reward excellence in scholarly pursuits. The scholarship is for a graduate student in either the MSW or PhD program. Preference will be given to a student who has demonstrated interest in a professional career in public child welfare or juvenile justice.
Astrid Schlaps Scholarship
Award: Approximately $1,500
Who Can Apply: MSW students
Due: April 1, 2013
This scholarship will be awarded to a MSW student intending to work in the area of abuse and trauma.
Stoll Family Public Service Scholarship
Award: $2500 each, two scholarships
Who Can Apply: MSW students & PhD students
Due: April 1, 2013
The scholarship will be awarded to a graduate student who is planning a career in public service, non-profit, or government work. Recipients will be selected based on financial need, academic merit, and career promise. Preference will be given to students currently working in the public service, non-profit, or government sectors.
Marta and Ken Thrasher Social Work Scholarship
Award: $2,375
Who Can Apply: MSW students
Due: April 1, 2013
The scholarship is for a MSW student with academic merit, financial need, and career promise and will be applied toward tuition.
Carol & Gayle Veber Bachelor in Social Work Scholarship
Award: Aproximately $5,000
Who Can Apply: BSW students
Due: Feb. 1, 2013
>> To Apply
This scholarship is available to students pursuing a Bachelor's in Social Work at the School of Social Work who have limited financial resources and demonstrate commitment to pursuing education in the BSW Program.
Spike Wadsworth and Sherry Sheng Scholarship
Award: $4,000, five scholarships (MSW, PhD)
Who Can Apply: MSW and Ph.D. students
Due: April 1, 2013
MSW Criteria: Show a commitment to pursuing a career to help disadvantaged families in adaptive family functioning, incluing early childhood training, relationship skills, and behavior training emphasizing practical and adaptive learning skills. The term families should haven o restrictions applied in the conventional sense. The head(s) of tehse famiiles can be single, coupled, married, gay, straight, etc. Students pursuing psychotherapeutic and/or religous/spiritual based approaches will not be eligible.
PhD Critera: Demonstrate a commitment to pursuing an academic career in social work or related fields concentraining on advanced research and statistical methods, testing the validity of claims, etc. The results of the research would advance social work evidence-based practice, knowledge and services.
James H. Ward Endowed Scholarship
Award: $500 or more
Who Can Apply: MSW students, Ph.D. students
Due: April 1, 2013
This scholarship is for a full time graduate student with outstanding academic qualifications and demonstrated financial need.
Thelma & Mac Wolfe Education Scholarship
Award: $2,500 each, 1 or 2 scholarships
Who Can Apply: MSW students with field placement at the PSU Student Health and Advising Center.
Due: April 1, 2013
The Thelma & Mac Wolfe Education Scholarship was established to honor the Wolfes' lifelong commitment to social justice and the education of students in the helping professions. The scholarship is intended to support the education of students who demonstrate commitment and achievement in the are of clinical social work, and to enhance diversity among social work clinical practitioners. Preference will be given to under-represented students. The student must have field placement at the PSU Student Health and Advising Center.
Bill & Julie Young Endowed Scholarship
Award: $3,000 - 5,000
Who Can Apply: All SSW Students
Due: Undergraduate - February 1, 2013 Graduate - April 1, 2013
The Bill and Julie Young Endowed Scholarship was established by SSW Alumni Bill and Julie Young. This scholarship will be available to any student admitted to a program in the School of Social Work (BSW, CFS, MSW, PhD) interested in working with children and families, in particular early childhood issues.
Campus Partners - Other Scholarships
Center for Interdisciplinary Mentoring Research (CIMR) Scholarship
Who Can Apply: Bachelors, Masters or Ph.D. level
Deadline: TBA
This scholarship is available for PSU students conducting research on mentoring. One award will be made for a student at each academic degree level (undergraduate, masters, doctoral). The scholarships are designed to support students undertaking mentoring projects under the guidance of faculty sponsors. CIMR supports research on mentoring that may occur in various settings, across different developmental stages, and with multiple program models.
Information about the scholarship and the application packet can be found on the CIMR website. If you have question please contact Kay Logan, CIMR Coordinator, at (503) 725-9680; kay.logan@pdx.edu.
Oregon Retired Educators Gerontology Scholarship
Award: $1,000, two scholarships
Who Can Apply: Students must be enrolled in the Certificate of Gerontology or in a gerontology track
This scholarship from the Oregon Retired Educators Association will be awarded to the two best applicants in the field of gerontology from PSU, OSU or Marylhurst University.
For more information, please email ioainfo@pdx.edu
Other Forms of Student Support
Child Welfare Education Partnership - MSW
Award: $6,000
Who Can Apply: Masters
Deadline: February 15
The Child Welfare Education Program is a collaborative effort between the School of Social Work at PSU and the Oregon Department of Human Services/Child, Adults and Families (DHS/CAF). The program provides educational and tuition support to students who are pursuing their MSW degree. Students admitted into the program sign an agreement to work for DHS/CAF for at least one calendar year for each academic year they receive financial support, up to $6,000 per year.
For more information, contact Lea Ann Holder at (503) 725-8018, or Laurie Leasure at (503) 725-8284.
Child Welfare Education Partnership - BSW
Award: $6,000
Who Can Apply: BSW
Deadline: February 15
The Child Welfare Education Program (CWEP) is a collaborative effort between the School of Social Work at PSU and the Oregon Department of Human Services - Child Welfare (DHS). The program provides educational and tuition support of up to $6,000 to students who are in their senior year pursuing a BSW degree. Graduates agree to work for the Department of Human Services/Children and Families for a minimum of at least one year following graduation. The child Welfare Education Program prepares graduates for employment and assists with the job application and job search process.
For more information, contact Karen Moorehead at (503) 725-8073, OR Laurie Leasure at (503) 725-8284.
