The Department of Social Work at MSU Denver prides itself in accessibility and affordability. Coupled with our commitment to our community, providing students with scholarship, workforce stipends, and other monetary scholarship opportunities is a top priority.

Explore our opportunities and contact the Office of Social Work Student Services at [email protected] if you have questions.

Finding Your Funding

We encourage all social work students in both the BSSW and MSW Programs to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to fund their education. This includes submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) (for undocumented, ASSET, DACA, or International student) even if you aren’t planning on taking out loans – this is what helps need-based funders find you!

Due to the FAFSA Simplification Process, the 2024-25 FAFSA and CASFA will not be available until December 2023. We will make sure to update this page once it is available!

We also encourage all students, both undergraduate and graduate, to submit the MSU Denver General Scholarship Application in addition to applying for social work specific scholarships and stipends listed below.

MSU Denver Earn & Learn Program

The Earn and Learn program at MSU Denver was designed to address equity barriers within experiential learning. This program provides funding support to both undergraduate and graduate students who are in need of financial assistance to participate in unpaid, off-campus internship opportunities.

If you will be in an unpaid field placement, we encourage you to apply for Earn & Learn funding.  Any questions should be directed to [email protected].

MSW Program Scholarships

There are two types of scholarships in the MSW Program available to MSW applicants and continuing MSW students:

  • Merit & Special Interest Based Scholarship Awards require an application and are awarded through a competitive process. Please read the eligibility criteria carefully. The application deadline for all merit & special interest based scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year is February 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM (Mountain Standard Time).
  • Elevate Education Scholarship Awards require the submission of the FAFSA or the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) to be eligible. An additional application beyond the FAFSA or CASFA is not required at this point in time.

Learn more about scholarship opportunities, eligibility requirements and how to apply in the drop downs below.

Merit & Special Interest Based Scholarship Awards

Need-Based Scholarship Awards

Colorado Child Welfare Scholars Consortium

Colorado Child Welfare Scholars Consortium Logo

The Colorado Child Welfare Scholars Consortium (CCWSC), formerly the Child Welfare Stipend Program, aims to grow and support a well-educated and prepared child welfare workforce through social work education and post-graduation professional development.

The ‘Scholars Consortium’ is designed for undergraduate and graduate social work students interested in pursuing a career in public child welfare in Colorado. In addition, the CCWSC contributes to the child welfare workforce through research, evaluation, and professional development opportunities for program graduates and our partners.

The CCWSC is a partnership between the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), Colorado county departments of human services and participating schools of social work throughout our state. MSU Denver currently leads the Scholars Consortium.

Visit the CCWSC website to learn more about the program and our partners! At MSU Denver, the Child Welfare Team consists of:

Learn more about MSU Denver’s program, eligibility, and requirements below.

Colorado Access Scholars Program

What is the CoAccess Scholars Program?

Colorado suffers from an extreme lack of mental and behavioral health workforce, resulting in hard-to-access care and poor outcomes in communities across the state. The Colorado Department of Public Health (CDPHE) reports that 54 of the state’s 64 counties are health professional shortage areas (HSPAs) and behavioral health shortages exist in 57 counties. Workforce vacancies, including both licensed and unlicensed clinicians, counselors, social workers, and peer specialists, contribute to many of the behavioral health service gaps across all Colorado regions (WICHE Report, 2015). The cracks in the state’s mental and behavioral health infrastructure have only been widened by the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s more, a lack of culturally and linguistically relevant care further exacerbates these problems, resulting in disproportionately negative outcomes for historically underserved populations.

MSU Denver’s Department of Social Work is poised to meet these needs. Financial barriers prevent many students from pursuing or completing a degree in social work when they realize the cost of earning the Bachelor and Master’s degree necessary for most industry positions. A partnership with Colorado Access will offer financial relief for many students, making the decision to pursue post-secondary social work education easier and empowering students to follow their interest in these critical careers.

If you are interested in working in mental and behavioral health settings for underserved or rural communities, we invite you to apply to become a CoAccess Scholar. Learn more and apply at the link below.

Social Work Student Travel Program

The Department of Social Work provides travel grants to social work students who wish to participate in conferences, workshops, and/or conventions locally, nationally, and internationally. All Social Work students, who are in good academic standing with the Department, are eligible to apply including Undeclared Seeking Social Work majors, Social Work majors, and Master of Social Work students. Grants typically range between $600 and $1200, however additional amounts will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Student must start the application process at least 60 days before travel. Exceptions will be reviewed on a case by case basis until 30 days prior to travel for out of state travel.  Local conferences may require less lead time.

For more information, contact:

Melissa Grogan Gore | Associate Director of Operations & Finance
[email protected] | 303-605-7037

Eligibility & Application Process

Eligibility Criteria

Declared Undeclared Seeking Social Work major, Social Work major, or accepted and/or enrolled in the Master of Social Work Program.

In good academic and professional standing with the Department of Social Work and the University.

Presenting, moderating, or volunteering at the conference and/or a clear and specific plan to share information learned with the campus community (department meeting, classroom, conference on campus, etc.)

Application Process

Submit the Student Travel Intent Survey

What Happens Next?

After the Student Travel Intent Survey is submitted, the Department of Social Work will assess the best course of action for eligible students to optimize funding opportunities.

In some cases, the applicant will be referred to MSU Denver’s Student Travel Program to optimize funding opportunities. In that case, the Student Travel Program will require an additional application and the Department of Social Work will partner with the Student Travel Program through the review process. In this case, the Department of Social Work may supplement funding offered by that Office.

If the applicant is not eligible for MSU Denver’s Student Travel Program, the Department of Social Work will guide the applicant through an internal application process.

In both cases, the student travel award amount is typically the same.