MSU Denver Child Welfare Scholars Program, Eligibility & Requirements

Scholarships are available to students in both the full time and part time BSSW and MSW programs, including those completing their degrees online and MSW Advanced Standing students.

Part time BSSW and MSW students, download the CCWSC Eligibility – MSU Denver Part-Time Programs document for more information.

CCWSC Program Requirements

All Child Welfare Scholars must:

• complete their field placement (internship) in a county department of human services in a child welfare capacity serving Title IV-E eligible children and families.
• complete one year (12 months) of work “payback” in a Colorado county department human services or Colorado Tribal child welfare agency for each year a scholarship is received.

Learn more about the CCWSC Payback Process.

MSU Denver BSSW Child Welfare Scholars

BSSW students apply to the Child Welfare Scholars Program during Spring semester of their junior year to receive a scholarship for their senior year in the program when they are in their field placement.

The following courses must be completed by a child welfare scholar BEFORE beginning their senior year. These courses are offered in the Spring and Summer semesters.

• SWK 3100 – Child Welfare and the Law
• SWK 3150 – Social Work and Child Maltreatment

Professional Field Experience: In order to integrate classroom knowledge with practice and to experience the roles and requirements of a professional social worker, students complete a two-semester field placement (internship) during their senior year in the program. Child Welfare Scholars are required to complete their field placement in a Colorado county department of human services or Colorado Tribal child welfare agency in accordance with the existing field placement policies. To learn more about the field placement process and experience, click here.

Child Welfare Scholars must complete the same social work and non-social work pre-requisites and multicultural perspective requirements as all other social work majors.

MSU Denver MSW Child Welfare Scholars

MSW students can apply to the Child Welfare Scholars Program prior to their acceptance into the MSW program but will need to be accepted into the program to participate in an interview and accept the scholarship for their foundation year (Regular Program) or concentration year (Advanced Standing Program).

Foundation year students can apply to receive a scholarship for their concentration year as a new or returning child welfare scholar.

Professional Field Experience: In order to integrate classroom knowledge with practice and to experience the roles and requirements of a professional social worker, students complete a two-semester field placement (internship) during both their foundation and concentration/advanced standing year(s). Child welfare scholars are required to complete their field placement in a Colorado county department of human services. Concentration year stipend recipients will also complete their field placement in a county department of human services. To learn more about the field placement process and experience, click here.

Scholarship Awards

Child welfare scholarships must be used to support the Scholar’s educational expenses. Therefore, the financial scholarship will be applied directly to the Scholar’s student account at the beginning of each semester (Fall and Spring semesters only).

Due to the need for qualified social workers in child welfare in rural communities in Colorado, the Child Welfare Scholars Program provides an increased scholarship amount to those students interested in completing their field placement and work “payback” in a rural county in our state. “Rural” counties are defined by the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). A map of rural vs. urban Colorado counties can be found here: Rural and Urban Colorado Counties CCWSC.

Scholars who receive an “urban” scholarship may complete their work payback in either an “urban” or “rural” county agency.

Child welfare scholarships for the 2022-2023 academic year are in the following amounts: