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Financial Aid

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Financial assistance is awarded to students based on financial need, merit or both and varies at the undergraduate or graduate/doctoral level.

General Information

Students are encouraged to refer to appropriate Financial Aid Resources to confirm application procedures and deadlines. All financial need-based assistance (including grants, loans, work-study, and scholarships) requires submission of the FAFSA (Federal Application for Federal Student Aid) to establish eligibility each year regardless of academic level. The priority deadline is March 1st.

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Undergraduate Students

Academic Scholarships are available through the MU Financial Aid Office and the School. They are considered gift-aid and do not need to be repaid. Some may be need-based.

Major Grants, Loans, and Work-Study Programs are available through the MU Financial Aid Office and are comprised of major federal, state and institutional programs. Grants are gift-aid based on need and do not need to be repaid. Loans may or may not be based on need and must be repaid. Work-Study is a federal program based on financial need that provides jobs for students on campus, in community service, or in Columbia schools.

Title IV-E Training is a program administered by the School for a limited number of eligible seniors and made available through the Missouri Division of Family Services. It includes a monthly stipend, partial support for professional meetings, and a DFS field practicum. Students commit to paid employment with a DFS agency after graduation for a specified period depending upon the amount of financial assistance. Learn more about Title IV-E (requires Adobe Acrobat).

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Graduate/Doctoral Students

Awards, Fellowships and Scholarships are available through the MU Graduate School, including those specifically for minority or international students. These are considered gift-aid and do not have to be repaid. In addition, Scholarships and Fellowships are available through the School. See School / College Scholarships section below for more information.

Major Loans and Work-Study Programs are available through the MU Financial Aid Office and are comprised of major federal, state and institutional programs. Loans may or may not be based on need and must be repaid. Work-Study is a federal program based on financial need that provides jobs for students on campus, in community service, or in Columbia schools.

Traditionally Underrepresented Students in Graduate Education receive a special commitment from the School in support of a multiculturally diverse student body. Students who are awarded graduate or doctoral Fellowships may be eligible to receive matching Assistantship positions, which include work commitments.

Paid Practicums, provided by agencies, may be available on a limited basis to students in their final block placement. Students must notify the Director of Field during regular course planning to discuss need and availability.

Assistantship Positions may be available on a competitive basis through the School and require a work commitment. (See assistantships section.)

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School/College Scholarships

A number of scholarships are available to qualified students based on private philanthropy of donors who have established endowments in support of the School (listing follows) and the College of Human Environmental Sciences. These scholarships may be need-based or merit-based or both and may be geared toward a particular academic level. Full-time students are given priority. Undergraduate students should complete the MU Scholarship form available through MU Financial Aid. Graduate students must complete the School's Scholarship Application and submit it to the Graduate Support Person.

Deadlines are:

Undergraduate Student Deadlines:
Entering Freshman December 1
Continuing or Transfer February 1

Graduate Student Deadlines:
Regular Standing February 15
Adv. Standing (Summer) February 15
Adv. Standing (Spring) September 15

Doctoral Student Deadline:
Entering or Continuing January 15

If the school/college deadline falls on a weekend or MU holiday, applications will be due the following business day.

School of Social Work Scholarships

Below is a listing of some of the School of Social Work scholarships that are available.

Anita L. Hoffman Graduate Fellowship - Awarded to students pursuing a graduate degee in the School of Social Work.

Bettyann Dubansky Memorial Scholarship Fund - Established in memory of Bettyann Dubansky, a former faculty member of the School of Social Work from 1964-1992. Awarded to social work students, with preference given to students with disabilities who are pursuing a social work career working with individuals with disabilities.

Eleanor J. and John W. Watt Scholarship for Social Work - Established by faculty member, Dr. J. Wilson Watt, in honor of his parents’ memory and to increase understanding of and appreciation for gay/lesbian issues. Awarded to doctoral or master's level social work students and is intended to encourage openly gay/lesbian students who are interested in conducting research on gay/lesbian issues. May also be awarded to non-gay/lesbian graduate students who are interested in research service delivery issues for the gay/lesbian population.

Jane Bierdeman Fike Doctoral Fellowship Fund in Social Work - Established by the former director of social work at Fulton State Hospital and long-time friend of the School in support of the PhD program. Preference shall be given to doctoral students whose research focuses on public mental health services for the chronically mentally ill.

Joseph and Judith Davenport Scholarship in Rural Social Work - Established by Drs. Davenport in honor of the School’s 75th anniversary of professional accreditation. Student shall be preferably from small towns (less than 20,000) or rural areas. This does not preclude students with an interest in practice, policy or research in rural area from receiving. Recipient shall exhibit academic excellence and shall be a motivated student.

Dr. Judith A. Davenport Millennium Scholarship Fund in Social Work - Established by Dr. Davenport’s husband, Joseph Davenport, and daughter, Jennifer Kemper, in honor of her eight years as director and continuing service to the School. Awarded to social work undergraduate or graduate students with an interest in mental health. Academic performance, community service, extracurricular activites, financial need and potential for significant contribution to the field of social work should be taken into consideration.

Mariana Paull Johns Fellowship in Social Work - Established by Dr. William D. Johns, family members, and friends, in honor of Mariana Paull Johns, who received a Master of Social Work in 1988 at the age of 62. Awarded to social work graduate students who have a demonstrated financial need. Preference shall be given to the non-traditional student.

Rintha Mary Carter Social Work Scholarship Fund - Established by the Estate of Rintha Mary Carter, a 1950 Master of Science in Social Work graduate. Awarded to worthy students in the School of Social Work.

Stemmons Family Scholarship in Social Work - Awarded to students pursuing a degree in social work and who have a demonstrated financial need.

Stanley G. and Sondra S. Remer Scholarship Fund - Established by the Remers to provide awards to students in the School of Social Work who are members of the MU Association of Christian Social Workers. Awarded to social work students who exemplify the goals of the North American Association of Christians in Social Work in integrating Christian faith and professional social work.

William Bryan Myers II Memorial Scholarship - Established by Dr. Clara Louise Myers, a former faculty member, in loving memory of her son. Awarded to social work graduate students who have demonstrated academic promise for superior performance in graduate school and who have a documented financial need.

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School Assistantships**

Research, Teaching and Graduate Assistantship positions may be available to students in support of faculty research and teaching. They are available on a competitive basis with decisions made by faculty. These positions require a work commitment. Students must submit a resume and letter of interest with their applications. Applications can be downloaded or requested from the School. The application deadline for Assistantships is on or before July 15. Students must attend a Assistantship Orientation at the beginning of the semester and commit to work ten hours per week for a faculty member.

Research Assistants** may be responsible for: conducting literature searches, reviewing journal articles, managing data and research resources, preliminary data analysis, grant application preparation, and other duties supporting research and/or the school’s mission. Some of the benefits may include: in-depth research experience, mentoring from a faculty member, a monthly stipend, and a semester tuition waiver.

Teaching Assistants** may be responsible for a variety of teaching duties as determined by the faculty member. Some of the benefits may include: higher education teaching experience, mentoring from a faculty member, a monthly stipend, and a semester tuition waiver.

Graduate Assistants** may be responsible for a variety of other tasks for the School, such as recruiting, tutoring, or other support services, as needed. Some of the benefits may include: in-depth experience with School functions, mentoring from a faculty member, a monthly stipend, and a semester tuition waiver.

**Please note that at this time no research, teaching, or graduate assistantships are available through the School of Social Work for masters levels students other than those provided through the Thurgood Marshall Academic Scholarship Program, see page 7 of the Graduate Fellowships Guidelines. However, students may submit an applicaiton for consideration if an assistantship becomes available.

We encourage students with financial need to research and apply for assistantships in other areas of the university. Please refer to the Graduate School website for available positions. MSW students who have acquired assistantships outside the School have often found them to be very rewarding experience. Sometimes the work is directly related to their social work studies. Please email the School at ssw@missouri.edu, if you are chosen for such an assistantship. We would like to begin collecting information about these opportunities so that we can help future students locate financial support.

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Financial Aid Resources

MU Financial Aid Office:
Web: http://sfa.missouri.edu;
FAFSA School Code: 002516
(573) 882-7506; (800) 225-6075 MO, IL & KS

MU Graduate School:
Web: http://gradschool.missouri.edu/
Includes online funding handbook
Phone: (573) 882-6311; (800) 877-6312

MU Vice Provost for Minority Affairs:
Web: http://web.missouri.edu/~umcprovostipsi/index.htm
Phone: (573) 882-9061

MU SSW Student Services Office:
Tammy Freelin
Web: http://ssw.missouri.edu
E-Mail: freelint@missouri.edu
Ph: (573) 882-1656; Fx: (573) 882-8926

Midwest Student Exchange Program
Web: http://admissions.missouri.edu/costsAndFinancialAid/costs/MSEP.php
E-Mail: FleisherCW@missouri.edu
Ph: (573) 882-3852; Fx: (573) 882-7887

FastWeb Scholarship Search:
http://www.fastweb.com/ib/scholarships-4f

FAFSA: Web: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
Phone: 800/4-FED-AID (800/433-3243)

National Assoc. of Student Financial Aid:
http://www.nasfaa.org

Smart Student Guide to Fin. Aid:
http://www.finaid.org/

Student Gateway to U.S. Government:
http://www.students.gov/

U.S. Department of Education:
http://www.ed.gov

Additional Resources

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Costs at MU

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