The Child Welfare Scholarships are awarded to incoming students who are interested in becoming child welfare specialists. The purpose of the program is to train committed specialists in child welfare. Some scholarships are targeted toward applicants who aged out of the foster care system and applicants wanting to work with urban and rural Native American children. Following graduation, child welfare specialists have worked as child welfare social workers, therapists working with maltreated children, program managers, community organizers, and policymakers.
Child Welfare Scholarship Program Funding
- $6,000 per term (3 terms for 12-month / 4 terms for 16-month students)
Specialized Courses
Child Welfare Scholars complete the following specialized coursework.
- Child Maltreatment Assessment and Treatment
- Child Welfare Systems
- Policies Affecting Children and Families
- Mental Health and Mental Health Disorders of Children and Youth
- Prevention of Child Maltreatment
Special Fieldwork Placements
Child Welfare Scholars will complete their field placements in agencies that offer opportunities for cutting edge practice in child welfare.
Program Requirements
Child Welfare Scholars must enroll as a full-time On-Campus MSW student in the 16-month or 12-month (Advanced Standing, UM-Dearborn Human Services & SW, U-M Sociology & SW, MasterTrack MSW, or SW Essentials MSW) curriculum and complete the program requirements below.
I. Pathway
II. Required specialized courses
- Child Maltreatment Assessment and Treatment
- Child Welfare Systems
- Mental Health and Mental Disorders of Children & Youth
- Prevention of Child Maltreatment
III. Field Placements
- Child Welfare Scholars will complete their field placements in agencies that offer opportunities for cutting edge practice in child welfare
Due to course and field requirements for the Child Welfare Scholarship Program, MSW/MPH students are not eligible to participate in this program.
Application
- All On Campus MSW applicants who want to specialize in child welfare social work are invited to apply.
- Child Welfare Scholars must be enrolled in the full-time on-campus 16-month or 12-month (Advanced Standing, UM-Dearborn Human Services & SW, U-M Sociology & SW, MasterTrack MSW, or SW Essentials MSW) curriculum schedule, select the Welfare of Children & Families pathway, complete all required pathway and specialized coursework, and complete a field placement in child welfare.
- Application deadlines: December 1, 2024 (early application), February 1, 2025 (priority), March 15, 2025. Selection of applicants will be made from all dates with priority given to those applicants that meet the December and February deadlines.
- Deferred admits planning to enroll in fall 2025 must submit their special program application by November 1, 2024.
- Financial need will be considered in the review of special program applications.
- Your MSW application must be complete by the scholarship deadline.
- If you would like to apply for Child Welfare Scholarship Program, then please answer "yes" to the question, "Do you plan to apply to an SSW Special Program?" found on the Financial Assistance page of the MSW application and then select the Child Welfare Scholarship Program checkbox. The application pages will be added to the end of your MSW application.
- Be sure to include your name and "Child Welfare Scholars Statement" in the upper corner of your statement before you upload it to your application.
- Note that it will be more likely to be offered the Child Welfare Scholarship if you select the Welfare of Children & Families pathway on your MSW application.
For more information about the Child Welfare Scholarship Program, contact the Office of Student Services and Enrollment Management at 734-936-0961 or [email protected].
