The JMSW Program has a wide variety of financial assistantship opportunities to help students both pay for their education and obtain specialized training in specific areas of practice.

For all of these awards, students must be accepted to the program and have attended the first month of classes before applying.

A financial assistantship information session is held in September or October for all first-year students by the JMSW Admissions Coordinator. At this meeting, students are informed of the financial awards available in both the first and second year of the program.

Examples of Awards
(Not all awards may be available in any given year)

Child Welfare Educational Collaborative: Competitive award available for first-year MSW students with continuation into their second year. This award is intended for students who are interested in obtaining specialized training in child welfare work. Students accepted into this program are required to complete Pre-Service training and do both internships in a North Carolina DSS Child Welfare unit. For full-time MSW students the award provides tuition (fees are not included) for both years plus $3,500 per semester for living expenses; students in the JMSW three-year program receive tuition (fees are not included) plus reimbursement for books and travel. After obtaining their degree, child welfare scholars provide six months of employment at a North Carolina department of social services for each semester of financial support received from the Collaborative. A minimum employment commitment of one year, in direct practice or supervision of direct practice, is required.

For more information about the Collaborative, see the Central Office website: http://ssw.unc.edu/cwec

Veteran's Affairs Medical Center: Internship stipends available only to second-year students. These awards are intended for students who are interested in working with veterans in either medical or mental health settings at the VA Medical Centers in Salisbury or Durham. Students apply for these competitive awards during the first semester they are in the program. The stipend is $4,500 during the second internship year.

Tuition waivers with research assistantships: The JMSW Program usually receives a number of tuition waivers with research assistantships from both universities' graduate schools. These awards are based on merit and faculty members decide each summer which rising second year students will be offered these tuition waivers with research assistantships.

Additional financial assistantships may be available each academic year and the program works to ensure all students are informed of these awards and have equal opportunity to apply for them.

Loans and university-level awards are handled through the office of Financial Aid at the student's home campus.