Social Work Chair Wins $125,000 in Scholarship Money for Students

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will provide $125,000 in scholarships for low-income and minority students enrolled in the University of Arkansas’ clinical social work master’s program.

The School of Social Work will use $42,113 in Recovery Act funding and $82,887 in regular Health and Human Services funding to provide eight to 10 one-year scholarships for students. About 75 percent of students who graduate from the master’s program work in health and mental health fields, including positions in mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment.

On behalf of the School of Social Work, chair Marcia Shobe in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences has applied for and received nearly $350,000 in graduate scholarship funds from the Department of Health and Human Services/Health Resources and Services Administration over the past three years. The Health Resources and Services Administration scholarships help offset graduate tuition and other costs of attendance for master’s students in the social work program.

“Of these funds, $81,346 were awarded from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. HRSA scholarship funds are allocated to low-income, racially and ethnically diverse social work graduate students who plan to help offset health and mental health disparities in the state of Arkansas through social work professional practice following graduation. Eligibility for the HRSA scholarship is based on full-time matriculation status, disadvantaged background and/or demonstrated financial need,” said Shobe.

Shobe said that following graduation from the Master of Social Work program, recipients of the scholarships will help offset health and mental health disparities in the state of Arkansas through working as professionals in social work .