Need help? Email: ssw-adedpgm@umich.edu

MSW Student Guide

Section 3.06.01: Field Expenses and Transportation Responsibilities

Field-Related Expenses
We recognize that students will have expenses related to field education. These could include immunizations/vaccinations or tests that may be required by the field site, possibly criminal background checks, health insurance, liability insurance, gas, parking, or additional vehicle insurance if the student's personally owned vehicle is used for field education activities . Field sites are strongly encouraged to reimburse the student for expenses related to field education activities. For example, if field site staff is reimbursed for travel, it is expected that the student will benefit from the same field site policies. However, many field sites have limits to what they can provide for reimbursement for field-related activities. It is highly encouraged that this be discussed during the interview process between the field site and the student.

Transportation Responsibilities of the Student
Transportation to and from the field placement is the responsibility of the student. A large majority of the field sites offer services that are community-based and field sites may require the use of a vehicle for field activities. This means that many field placements require students to have a car to perform field placement related tasks such as community outreach, home visits, community work, attending meetings, etc., so if possible we encourage students to have a valid driver’s license, as this increases the number of field sites available for placement opportunities. Many field opportunities are located in the larger urban areas (such as Detroit or Lansing). Students without cars may need to compromise their field interests and preferences if they do not have transportation readily available. All students are encouraged to utilize the ssw.marketplace@umich.edu to advertise for carpool availability.

Students with only occasional need for their own transportation for field activities might consider getting a Zipcar membership through U-M. Please see the Zipcar website under "For Universities" (
https://ltp.umich.edu/transportation-alternatives/car-sharing/ )