How to Defray the Cost of your MSW if You Intend to Work in the Field of Child Welfare and Protection

This unique stipend grew out of the pressing demand for well-trained professionals in this high-need field. With a shortage of competent workers, a legislative and funding plan was introduced to incentivize sophisticated and experienced professionals to enter the area of child welfare. The funding particularly targeted the training of social workers, because these degree holders have the best skill sets, ethical sensibilities, and competencies for the job.

Title IV-E of the Social Security Act was part of the Child Welfare and Adoption Assistance Act of 1980, which supplies federal funds to states in exchange for offering foster care and adoption assistance programs. In this case, Title IV-E stipends and funds are made available through participating universities. Eligibility for the program varies by state and school, but generally it targets aspiring Bachelor’s of Social work (BSW) and MSW students who intend to specialize in child welfare.

The University of Houston has been entrusted with hosting a website for the Title IV-E program, and keeps an extremely useful (and frequently updated) matrix of stipend opportunities in all 50 states. You can view that matrix here. While eligibility, stipend amounts, and requirements vary tremendously from state to state and school to school, this guide might help you think outside of the box in terms of paying for your MSW education.

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