Financial Aid Opportunities
Humboldt State University's Office of Financial Aid can provide information on general financial aid opportunities and processes.
Scholarship opportunities are a great way to fund your education at Humboldt State University and are available to a range of students from all backgrounds.
You are able to apply for HSU scholarships using the STARS online scholarship system. Please see the STARS Quick Start Guide for tips on using the system.
In addition to the Child Welfare Training Stipend and the Mental Health Educational Stipend Programs noted elsewhere, the Department of Social Work offers three separate scholarships for graduate students who meet certain criteria.
The Department of Social Work and Humboldt State University award one $500-$1,000 scholarship to one junior or senior in the BA Social Work program or to one graduate student in the MSW program. The John and Gail Gai Faculty Tribute Scholarship is distributed in two equal installments, once in the Fall and once in the Spring. For more information contact the Department of Social Work office or the Humboldt State Office of Financial Aid. This scholarship is administered through the STARS system.
The Deborah Cline Memorial Scholarship (one scholarship of $1,500) is for a student who is completing a field placement in a medical social work setting. More information about this scholarship is available through the STARS system.
The Department offers several $3,000 scholarships for the Distributed Learning MSW Program. More infomation is available under "MSW Forms, Handbooks, &* Other Information" or by contacting the Department of Social Work office.
State, Tribal, and Federal governments offer loan cancellation progams and other forms of financial assistance that are worth pursuing. For example, the State of California adminsters a Health Professions Education Foundation Allied Healthcare Scholarship (AHS) that offers up to $4,000 per academic year in exchange for a one-year service obligation or 100 hours of volunteer service practicing direct care in a medically underserved area (MUA) of California. There is also the Healthcare Workforce Development Division's California State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) which repays a portion of educational loans.
Additionally, certain educational expenses can be deducted on State and Federal Income taxes as noted on the IRS website.
The California Social Work Education Center has put together a helpful table of scholarship/loan repayment options here.
The National Association of Social Workers offers two MSW-level scholarships for students who are members of NASW. The Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial MSW Scholarships are awarded to master’s degree candidates in social work interested in working with American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic/Latino populations or in public and voluntary nonprofit agency settings. Up to 10 scholarships of up to $4,000 each are awarded. The Verne LaMarr Lyons Memorial MSW Scholarships are awarded to master’s degree candidates in social work who demonstrate an interest in or have experience with health/mental health practice and have a commitment to working in the African American community. Up to 2 scholarships of up to $2,000 each will be awarded.
The National Association of Social Workers California Chapter offers 20 $1,000 scholarships for Native American undergraduate and graduate students who are residents of California. More information is available here: http://naswca.affiniscape.com/displayemailforms.cfm?emailformnbr=190284
