Awards and Scholarships
The Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work offers over 40 scholarships and awards to current and prospective students each year. Awards vary in amount from several hundred dollars to covering the full cost of tuition and fees.
Scholarships are available to students in our undergraduate and graduate programs. Refer to the Admissions and Funding Deadlines page for scholarship application deadlines.
Fall Scholarships Competition Application
Current Social Welfare BA/BS, BSW, Full-Time MSW, and Part-Time MSW students are eligible to apply for the annual Fall Scholarship Competition. The Application for the Fall Scholarship Competition deadline is listed at this link.
For information about these awards, please view the Fall Scholarships list in the tabbed area below.
How to Apply for a Fall Scholarship
- Sign into WiSH using your Net ID and password
- Submit the General Application (this is a very short application every student is required to complete using the WiSH system)
- Note: When it asks which School/College you intend to graduate from, select College of Letters & Science which includes the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work.
- Submit the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work Application (this application is for all of the SSW Fall Scholarships and you will be considered for all awards for which you are eligible based on the answers you provide and your student status)
For questions, please contact scholarships@socwork.wisc.edu.
PhD Awards
Current PhD students are eligible for PhD Awards through nominations. The PhD Program Office will announce the call for nominations in the spring semester. For information about these awards, please view the PhD Scholarships/Awards list in the tabbed area below.
For questions, please contact phdprogram@socwork.wisc.edu.
PhD Applicants
PhD applicants are eligible for a small number of awards through the admissions process. As part of our admissions process, the PhD Committee considers all incoming students for available awards. For information about these awards, please view the Admissions Scholarships list in the tabbed area below.
Rosenbaum Award decisions have been made for the Full-Time MSW Program and Part-Time MSW Program Fall 2026 application cycle and individuals selected for an award have been notified.
Full-Time MSW and Part-Time MSW applicants are eligible to apply for the Harriet & Sandra Rosenbaum Scholarship after submitting their UW-Madison Graduate School application. See further instructions below. Additionally, Full-Time MSW and Part-Time MSW applicants are automatically considered for all other admissions awards after submitting their UW-Madison Graduate School application. For information about these awards, please view the Admissions Scholarships list in the tabbed area below.
How to Apply for the Rosenbaum Scholarship
You MUST first apply to an MSW Program through the UW-Madison Graduate School BEFORE starting the Rosenbaum application process.
Don’t wait to hear about your admission status before applying for this scholarship. If you’re applying to the Full-Time MSW Program, you’ll be notified of your admission status and if you received the Rosenbaum around the same time in early March. If you’re applying to the Part-Time MSW Program, you’ll likely be notified of your admissions status first, and then be notified if you received the Rosenbaum later in May.
- Submit an MSW application;
- Activate your NetID (instructions will be provided to you after submitting your application)
- Sign into WiSH using your Net ID and password
- Submit the General Application (this is a very short application every student is required to complete using the WiSH system)
- Note: When it asks which School/College you intend to graduate from, select College of Letters & Science which includes the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work.
- Submit the application for the Harriet & Sandra Rosenbaum Scholarship Full-Time MSW Program or Harriet & Sandra Rosenbaum Scholarship Part-Time MSW Program. Be sure to select the correct one according to which MSW Program you applied for through the Graduate School application.
If you encounter technical difficulties with the online application, please contact: scholarships@socwork.wisc.edu.
Current Social Welfare, BSW, Full-Time MSW, and Part-Time MSW students can apply for scholarships during the fall semester using one application (see How to Apply above). These scholarships range from $1,000-$5,000.
Fall Competition Scholarships
Kathryn Becker Norman Memorial Scholarship
Debra Beebe Memorial Scholarship
Donald G. Benn Scholarship
Katherine Prichard Benz Award
Norma Berkowitz International Opportunities Scholarship
Bernice Straub-Bolek and Jim Bolek Scholarship
Gerald and Karen Bougneit Scholarship
Gary S. Cohen and Lawrence H. Gard School of Social Work Fund
Joyce Carpenter Degenhart ’57 Scholarship
Robert and Lila Dibble Social Work Scholarship
Vincent (Vince) Fish Memorial Scholarship Fund
Lynn Green Scholarship for Public Social Service
Tamara Grigsby Scholarship
Ed Erwin Memorial Scholarship
Anne Minahan Affecting Change Scholarship Fund
Meghan and Michael Morrissey Scholarship
Mary Ann Mutchler-Nelson Opportunity Award
Kathleen Oberbeck Van Gorden Scholarship
Richard E. Schwert Award
John Cordts Slack Memorial Scholarship
Heather Milne Southwick ’53 Scholarship
Dr. Marion L. Usher School of Social Work Scholarship
Bob and Melida Wagner Excellence in Social Work Scholarship
Joseph and Elaine Wojtowicz Scholarship
Lillian Aked Yatvin Scholarship
In addition to the above awards, the school gives out several general scholarships to students each year thanks to donor support.
Incoming PhD, Full-Time MSW, and Part-Time MSW students are eligible for awards through the admissions process. Students are automatically considered for these awards and do not need to fill out a separate application, EXCEPT for the Harriet & Sandra Rosenbaum Scholarship which requires a separate application (see How to Apply above).
Award decisions have been made for the Full-Time MSW Program and the Part-Time MSW Program Fall 2026 application cycle and individuals selected for an award have been notified.
Admission Scholarships
Helen I. Clarke Award (In-state tuition and fees)
Martha N. Ozawa Scholarships (Full tuition and fees)
Harriet Rosenbaum Scholarships (Full tuition, fees, and yearly stipend)
Lois Palmer Shimpa Memorial Scholarship
Topitzes Family Scholarship
For more information on PhD program funding, please visit our Funding page.
As part of our admissions process, the PhD Committee considers all incoming students for available awards, including;
- Graduate Research Scholar fellowships (also called GRS or AOF)
- IRIS Area and International Studies Awards for Incoming Graduate Students
In the spring, the PhD Committee awards current students PhD Scholarships and Awards including;
- DEI Leadership Award
- Exceptional Service Award
- Irving Piliavin Award
- Doctoral Research Paper Award
- Dorothy M. Pearson Graduate Fellowship
- Sheldon D. Rose Memorial Scholarship
- Teaching Excellence Award
New for 2025, the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work is proud to support Social Welfare PhD students with Doctoral Student Dissertation Grants (DSGS). The DSGS provides up to $5,000 to support PhD students in conducting dissertation research. The DSGS is designed to alleviate financial barriers associated with specific research-related expenses.
The UW- Madison International Student Services (ISS) Office offers information on scholarships and grants for International graduate students, as well as educational loan options. See more here: ISS: https://iss.wisc.edu/funding-scholarships/
Additionally, we recommend applying for outside awards and funding. The Wisconsin Scholarship Hub, or WISH, is a great place to start the graduate scholarship search. Visit the site here: https://wisc.academicworks.com/
UW-Madison Graduate School
The Graduate School provides an extensive list of funding resources. Visit the Graduate Student Funding page for more details. Additionally, you can look at the Grants Information Collection.
Public Child Welfare Training Grant
For BSW, Full-Time, or Part-Time MSW Students
The School offers a limited number of public child welfare training grants. These grants provide a stipend, books and supplies funds, full tuition costs, and mileage to and from field sites. Interested students may apply for the Title IV-E Training Program once admission to the MSW Program (Full-Time Program or Part-Time Program) or BSW Program is confirmed. Upon graduation, trainees agree to accept employment with the State of Wisconsin in the area of public child welfare for a period of time equal to the amount of time they receive funding.
Visit the Child Welfare Training Program website for more information, including traineeship provisions and applications.
The application deadline for the Title IV-E Public Child Welfare Training Program is listed here
LEND Trainee Program
The Waisman Center’s Wisconsin Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program provides interdisciplinary and disciplinary leadership training in order to improve systems of care that promote the prevention of disabilities and assure access to family-centered, community-based services and supports for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. The program trains around 30 trainees and fellows per year from a wide array of disciplines and provides a stipend to eligible trainees.
Learn more from the WI LEND Program website.
Advanced Opportunity Fellowships
For Incoming PhD
For more information, visit Graduate Research Scholar Communities (GRS) on the UW-Madison Graduate School’s site. PhD students are eligible to receive AOF funding through the Letters & Science Community of Graduate Research Scholars (L&S C-GRS).
International Graduate Students
AAUW International Fellowships: For women of countries other than the United States. Stipends up to $20,000. Applications can be downloaded online at the AAUW website .
P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship: For women from countries other than the U.S. or Canada that plan to return to their own country after completion of degree. Stipend up to $6,000. Open to full-time graduate students (except dissertators). Write: P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship Fund, 3700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312, U.S.A.
Information on Fulbright International Exchange Scholarships can be found at the Institute of International Education.
Employment Opportunities
The Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work only can guarantee Teaching Assistant positions to our PhD students. On rare occasions there may be an opportunity for an MSW student to be a TA and you will be contacted if this is the case. There are employment opportunities at UW-Madison for students, to be found at the Office of Human Resources. You may find student positions through the Student Job Center.
Graduate Assistantship Policy for the Part-Time MSW Program: Per university policy, 131 students (which includes the Part-Time Program) are permitted to hold TA/RA/PA positions (including those above 33%) but will not receive the tuition remission that is typically part of the compensation package for a graduate assistantship. Limited School funding may be available to support Part-Time MSW students working as a TA for the School.