Financial Aid
Some resources are available for assisting students financially at the time they are admitted to the MSW program. More assistance is available for students who have completed the foundation phase of the program in the form of graduate assistantships, scholarships, tuition waivers for minority students, and agency internship stipends. Students should contact the Office of Student Services, School of Social Work, for more information.
Details for current university fees, expenses, scholarships, and financial aid are found in the LSU General Catalog and the LSU School of Social Work Bulletin. Students who need financial aid, especially loans, should contact:
Office of Student Aid & Scholarships
202 Himes Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Applicants to the School of Social Work who have exceptionally strong academic records are encouraged to apply for Graduate Enhancement Awards which are awarded on a competitive basis. The school also awards a number of tuition waivers to qualified minority students. At present, the school has limited financial resources to assist beginning students. However, the school presently has options for financial assistance for advanced-year students. Continuing students may wish to apply for financial aid in the form of stipends, scholarships, and graduate assistantships in the spring semester. Normally, these are advertised during the second semester of first year work. Eligibility for these awards depends on several factors, one of which is a student’s academic performance.
Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships are awarded to full-time students with proven academic abilities and an interest in supporting faculty research. MSW graduate assistants work 10 hours a week to support research and administration and are typically assigned to work with several faculty members. PhD graduate assistants work 20 hours per week to support. Assistantships are awarded by the Dean’s Office upon availability of funds. The school also has a number of scholarships and awards which are also awarded by the Dean’s Office. The assistantships, scholarships, and awards are advertised during the spring semester.
Minority Tuition Waivers
Each year the Graduate School offers a number of tuition waivers to minority students seeking admission to the MSW program. Requests for waivers should be directed to the Associate Dean, School of Social Work, LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803-3920. Applications should not be directed to the Graduate School.
Stipends
Stipends sponsored by state and voluntary agencies have been and likely will continue to be available to students. These stipends often require placement in certain field internships linked to the agency providing the stipend. Candidates may also be required to take a prescribed field of practice concentration or certain elective courses. In some cases, students are obligated to work for the agency after completing the program of study. The funding agency and the school work together to make decisions about rewarding these stipends, and special consideration is given to minority students. Details of stipends that become available during the academic year, as well as application procedures, are posted on the first floor bulletin boards.
Scholarships
The school has a number of scholarships which are advertised during the spring semester. These are usually open to students who have completed their first year of study, including part time students who are doing field work and course work simultaneously in the fall and spring semester of the third year. These scholarships currently pay between $500 and $2,000 to successful applicants and currently include:
- Marwood Ahrens Scholarship
- Paul Arst, Jr. Scholarship
- Paul Phelps Memorial Scholarship
- Betty J. Stewart Memorial Scholarship
- Nancy Dicharry Memorial Award
- Carl Maddox Scholarship
- Metropolitan Lions Club Scholarship (for a student from Southern University)
- Jimmy Lea Moles Scholarship
- Baton Rouge Board of Realtors Scholarship
- Medical Social Work Scholarship
- Alice A. and Milton E. Schmidt Scholarship
- School of Social Work Faculty Honor Fellowship
- Kyra Jones Memorial Fellowship
- Entering Class of 1951 Fellowship
- Adrian Aycock Memorial Scholarhsip
- Gloria Pichon Clayton/Texas Tiger Tournament Endowed Scholarship in Social Work
- Phyllis Lefeaux & Drayton Vincent Fellowship in Mental Health
Eligibility requirements and instructions for scholarship applications and graduate assistantships.
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