Financial Resources

The current tuition and fees for Michigan State University are noted on the University website.

How do students pay for college and graduate education?

Employment

Students are allowed to work while they are in a BASW and MSW program. A number of students have positions in social service agencies and this provides valuable experience and financial assistance. There are a limited number of paid positions within the School and University as Graduate Assistants, student assistants, and working on a range of projects (for example, grant-funded research projects). Some students may be eligible for work study.

Loans

There are a range of loan programs available to assist with college and graduate school expenses. For information on loans, please check the University financial aid website.

Scholarships

The University may award scholarships, usually based on financial need. There are a limited number of School of Social Work scholarships. These will either be awarded at the time of admissions, associated with certain field placements and learning experiences (such as the Levande Program in Gerontology for MSW students), or granted based on merit and need during the student’s time in the School. If there is an application process for these scholarships, such as the Alumni Association Scholarship, there will be announcements via email to eligible students. Many of these scholarships have been funded by alumni and faculty members and we are grateful for their support.

Local libraries, bookstores, and the internet all are potential sources of information about scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans. Some may be open to all applicants, while others are targeted at special populations (e.g., women, minorities, veterans). You may want to start with the MSU Office of Financial Aid website.

The School of Social Work has several scholarship opportunities available to BASW, MSW and PhD students. Please visit our list of scholarships for more information and a link to the MSW application.

Emergency Funding

The Graduate School has a limited amount of Emergency Funding available to graduate students for unusual or unforeseen emergency expenses. Students need to be enrolled for the semester in which they receive funding. Please be aware that emergency funds are intended to provide one-time-only support. Please note: If awarded, this fellowship does not provide student health insurance or tuition/fee waivers. Instructions for applying can be found here: grad.msu.edu/emergency-fellowship-funding.

Loan Repayment

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC LRP) LCSWs working in primary mental/behavioral healthcare can receive up to $50,000 to repay their health profession student loans in exchange for a two-year commitment to work at an approved NHSC site in a health professional shortage area. The payment is free from Federal income tax and is made at the beginning of service so providers can more quickly pay down student loans. Approved sites are located across the U.S., in both urban and rural areas. After completing an initial service commitment, participants can apply to extend their service and receive additional loan repayment assistance. To learn more, visit www.nhsc.hrsa.gov or contact Rachel Ruddock at kulasara@msu.edu or download this MSLRP LRP grid that breaks down the various details.

Michigan State Loan Repayment Program (MSLRP) MSLRP will assist LCSWs by providing tax-free funds to repay their educational debt. Participants compete for consecutive two-year MSLRP service obligations requiring them to remain employed for a minimum of 40 hours per week for no less than 45 weeks per year at eligible nonprofit practice sites providing primary mental healthcare services to ambulatory populations in health professional shortage areas. To learn more, visit www.michigan.gov/mslrp or contact Rachel Ruddock at kulasara@msu.edu.

Download this Powerpoint presentation for additional information about these programs. You can also visit http://bit.ly/29otQXD to watch a video presentation from Rachel Ruddock with more information.

Residence Education and Housing Services

REHS has graduate assistant positions available. REHS focuses on a variety of areas impacting students' overall on-campus living experience at MSU. REHS GAs are afforded opportunities to apply theory to practice and receive ongoing training and professional development. Visit liveon.msu.edu/graduateassistantships

Graduate Student Travel Funding

Funds from The Graduate School are available for graduate students to travel to present their research at professional conferences. These funds are not available to support thesis/dissertation research projects or course work. This funding is only for graduate students pursuing a degree program. Requests for funding to travel to international meetings will be considered jointly by The Graduate School and the Office of International Studies and Programs (ISP), therefore, you need to submit only one form for consideration by both offices.

Requests are limited to $400. Usually only one request per student will be considered during his/her degree program. Unlike graduate assistantships, these fellowships do not provide student health insurance or tuition/fee waivers.