The Best Social Work Scholarships with Upcoming Deadlines in 2025

About scholarships for social work majors in 2022

There are many opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students pursuing social work majors to find social work scholarships that are perfect for them. Social workers are an important part of any society, and many donors are willing to support students looking to achieve a degree in social work. 

Social workers are professionals that aim to support the well-being of others in their communities. This could mean a career in medicine, teaching, government work, equity and social justice, and other areas. There are many scholarships available to social work majors, regardless of what specific career social work students are pursuing. 

What is a social work scholarship? 

A social work scholarship is a scholarship made specifically for social work students. This type of scholarship is only available to students whose majors fall into the social work category, so other students will not be able to apply. These opportunities are focused on uplifting social work majors by creating an exclusive opportunity. Due to the major requirement, there will generally be less competition for social work opportunities since fewer students will be eligible to apply. 

Social work majors, regardless of where they stand in their academic journey, will be eligible for at least some social work scholarships. The eligibility of students for social work scholarships will be dependent on factors such as their grade level, academic excellence, and demonstrated financial need. Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, as well as those enrolled in a graduate program, will be able to find opportunities for them. 

A social work scholarship can be a valuable resource to graduate and undergraduate students alike. Some fields, such as psychology, are very costly degrees to pursue, especially since they often require students to complete graduate degrees. Medical graduate schools are known for their difficulty as well as their price, meaning a scholarship could greatly benefit psychology majors struggling to afford graduate school. Many other graduate programs in the social work field can be quite expensive as well. Students in the process of earning a bachelor’s degree might only be able to attend their dream graduate program with the help of financial aid.

Earning free money through social work scholarships can greatly ease the financial burden for students pursuing a degree in social work. 

Can you get a scholarship for social work? 

There are many scholarships available to all types of different students. Students can find scholarships made for STEM students, art students, and even social work students. 

Each scholarship varies, but there are social work scholarships are available to all students who are pursuing the field. Any student pursuing a degree in social work should qualify eligible for at least some related scholarships.

Additionally, some scholarships will require students to demonstrate financial need. In this case, social work majors may only be eligible to apply if they come from a low-income background. Social work majors that come from higher-income backgrounds may not be able to apply for these opportunities. 

Some scholarships may also depend on the graduate program students choose to attend. In this case, the scholarship may stipulate that only graduate students pursuing a medical degree can apply for financial assistance. 

Given the growing amount of social work scholarships available to college students, many prospective social workers will be able to get exclusive scholarships related to their field of study.

How to apply for social work scholarships 

Any student pursuing a career in social work can apply for social work scholarships. Make sure your major is included in the criteria listed by each specific social work scholarship you're considering. As long as you meet the other requirements as well, you should be eligible to apply.

The first step in applying is to choose a resource or platform that is most relevant to your needs. 

For example, students may be able to find financial aid opportunities through their school’s guidance office or financial aid office. In addition, platforms like College Board and Bold.org can help supply students with access to hundreds of scholarships in one place. 

For students in high school, their guidance office may be able to help them find scholarships specifically for their school. The application process is likely going to be dependent on your particular guidance office, but in many cases, students will only need to fill out a form detailing their personal information. If an essay question is required for the application, then students will need to prepare a short personal statement as well.

The process is very similar for students in college looking to find scholarships through their financial aid office. Again, finding scholarships through your school may help students find exclusive opportunities that can’t be found online or elsewhere. Asking administrators at your school how to apply is the best way to obtain accurate and detailed information about applying for the opportunities your school offers. 

Online platforms may be a better choice for students attempting to apply for as many scholarships as possible in an efficient manner. The application process for these sites is usually much more streamlined since hundreds of scholarships are available in one place— as opposed to a school office, which might only have a few relevant opportunities open at once. 

Creating a free profile with Bold.org allows students to quickly fill out their personal information and apply to many scholarships with only a click. Making a profile with sites like Bold.org allows students to autofill the application for a variety of scholarships, helping students save valuable time and effort. 

Additionally, some scholarships will require students to write a short essay. In these cases, the essay can usually be written on the website and submitted along with the student’s information from their profile. Donors will typically give a detailed prompt for applicants to respond to, and these essays typically don't require any outside research.

Creating a profile or using an online platform can assist students with finding relevant financial opportunities. Many scholarship platforms will allow students to filter their searches by grade level or by other factors. This can greatly help in narrowing down the search results, making it easier to find and apply for scholarships that fit the needs of the student. 

Regardless of whether you apply to scholarships through your school, an online platform, or another resource, most scholarships will require only two things from you. The first is your personal information, and the second is the essay statement. There are even many scholarships that don’t require an essay to apply!

How to get a social work scholarship

There are many opportunities for social work college students to find social work scholarships. 

Students should focus on finding relevant opportunities in order to increase their chances of winning money. In order to get social work scholarships, students can make use of several resources.

Online platforms often have search filter tools to help students find the scholarships they are looking for. Students can try filtering their search results by their major, grade level, and other factors in order to find scholarships they can apply for. 

Best social work scholarships 

Below are some of the most relevant opportunities for social work students. Whether pursuing a graduate degree or a bachelor's degree, social work students should consider applying for the following scholarships with upcoming deadlines. 

1. Jake Thomas Williams Memorial Scholarship
2. Forever Sisters - Olivia Jansen Memorial Scholarship
3. Thomas J. Kilcullen Memorial Scholarship
4. Education is Bling: The Moore the Blingyer Scholarship
5. HPF-RYW Orange Heart Scholarship
6. Deitra L. King Memorial Scholarship
7. McCusker Family Scholarship

Scholarships for social work undergraduate students

Undergraduate social work students can apply for several opportunities to allow them to continue pursuing their degrees in social work.

1. Stride Funding Affordable Tuition Scholarship  
2. Feltus Impact Fund Scholarship 

Scholarships for a master's degree in social work

Some students continue to seek higher education after completing their bachelor's degrees. If this applies to your journey in pursuing a career in social work, consider applying for these scholarships.

1. William M. DeSantis Sr Scholarship
2. Vicki Sartins Purpose In Nursing Scholarship  

Scholarships for graduate students in social work

Students aspiring to become social workers can earn money to support their education through these scholarships. Graduate degree programs can be a financial strain on some students, but many opportunities exist to help students with the financial burden of pursuing graduate-level studies.

1. Chantel S. Husted Memorial Scholarship
2.  Cyndy Cervantes Scholarship for Oncology Social Work

Frequently asked questions

When can I start applying for scholarships? 

Students of any education level can find scholarships they can apply for. Though many scholarships will stipulate that students be of a certain age group or grade level in order to apply, the abundance of scholarships available ensures that every student can find an opportunity that is right for them. 

It’s usually better to begin applying for scholarships sooner rather than later. This is because starting earlier will allow students to have more time to apply for scholarships and secure funding. Students that begin earlier will be able to apply over several years, while students that apply closer to graduation will not have as much time to earn money before beginning college.

In addition, receiving scholarship money can help students make important decisions about their academic futures. Saving up scholarship money can help students decide whether to apply for graduate school, or which admissions offer to accept. For this reason, it may be better to apply for scholarship money before you actually need it. 

However, even students that don’t begin to apply until later in their academic career can still win money. Even students who are already attending a university they love and have no plans to go to graduate school may still find it beneficial to apply for scholarships. Studying abroad, for example, may cost students extra money. Scholarship money can help students pay for additional or unexpected educational expenses and ultimately provides them with more freedom when making decisions about their future plans.

How do I know if I’m eligible for a scholarship? 

It’s common for scholarships to restrict their applicant pool based on major, personal background, income level, and grade level. Make sure to carefully read the requirements of each scholarship to make sure you fit each of the criteria listed. Students that do not match all the criteria will likely not be considered, no matter how accomplished they might be. 

Some scholarships are highly restricted, requiring students to study a certain major, come from a certain region, and match a certain grade level in order to apply. An example of this would be a scholarship for art history undergraduate students from Rhode Island. In this case, you would need to meet each of the requirements in order to be eligible.

There are also some scholarships that are more general. These scholarships might be open to any students of any major and grade level. Or, these scholarships might only list one or two requirements, such as grade level or gender. An example of this might be a scholarship for undergraduate students. Any student who matches the given education level would be able to apply, regardless of other factors.

Are scholarships counted as income? 

Scholarships are usually not counted as income. As long as your scholarship is used only for qualified educational expenses, the money will not be taxed. Most students will use their money only on qualified educational expenses and Bold.org sends money directly to the financial aid office of the winner's school to be applied for eligible costs, so there’s usually no need to worry. 

Qualified educational expenses are fees that students must pay in order to graduate with a degree. Students pursuing a degree can spend their scholarship money on tuition, textbook costs, mandatory course fees, and mandatory enrollment fees. Each of these costs counts as a qualified educational expense. 

It’s important to note that housing and travel expenses do not count as necessary educational expenses. If you use the money for unqualified expenses or if the total amount received is greater than your expenses, then you may have to report your earnings as income.

However, this is usually not the case so scholarship money is almost never counted as income and will not be taxed.