Financial Aid Opportunities
Financial Aid for Future Students:
There are many financial awards available to MSW students during all phases of their enrollment at the School of Social Work. Below are financial aid opportunities available to students at the beginning of the MSW Program.
School of Social Work Achievement Grants are offered during the admission process to students that demonstrate a very high level of academic achievement and exceptional promise as future social workers as demonstrated by extracurricular, volunteer, and work experience. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to receive this award. Recipients must be enrolled full-time. Award amount varies from year to year.
Graduate/Research Assistantships and Hourly Positions
Students may apply for available assistantship and hourly positions at the School of Social Work and throughout the University. Students should seek various forms of financial assistance, as hourly and assistantship positions are very competitive.
Assistantship positions include an in-state tuition waiver, general fee waiver, and monthly stipend. Any assistantship positions in the School of Social Work will be made known to social work students, who will then have an opportunity to apply. The school also has assistantship agreements with a small number of University departments. Upon admission, the School of Social Work will forward student resumes to these units for consideration. These units will, in turn, interview and hire students. For additional assistantship opportunities, go to: http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/clearinghouse.
Hourly positions may be available as well. If a student is hired for an hourly position, the student may work up to but not exceed 20 hours per week while classes are in session. There is no tuition waiver with an hourly position.
Qualifications for these positions may include any of the following: scholarship, interpersonal skills, computer experience, language skills, writing ability, and other work or volunteer experience. Students must be in good academic standing in order to hold an hourly or assistantship position. The School of Social Work reserves the right to reduce or eliminate a student's work hours if good academic standing and satisfactory progress is not maintained.
Fellowships
The Graduate College Fellowships have a principle purpose to strengthen the institution and its programs by increasing the enrollment of students from areas that have historically been underrepresented in graduate study. The awards typically provide one year of fellowship support. The School of Social Work provides additional support for the second year of study, usually in the form of a tuition waiver. Incoming students are nominated by the School of Social Work,
and nominations are based on scholarship, work and volunteer experience, and stated plans for entering the social work profession. Students holding fellowships may also have an assistantship through the School of Social Work. However, this decision is made on a case by case basis by the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs of the School of Social Work and the Assistant Dean of the Graduate College. Determining factors include course load, previous academic standing, and anticipated adjustment to the graduate school and the community. More information about Graduate College Fellowships can be found at: www.grad.uiuc.edu/fellowship.