Awards and Scholarships

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).

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 Financial Support 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

• Kemper Knapp Fellowship
• Lois Palmer Shimpa Memorial Scholarship

In the spring, the PhD Committee awards current students PhD Scholarships and Awards including;

• Alfred Kadushin Dissertation Research Award
• Arthur P. Miles School of Social Work Scholarship

• 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

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

Leading Educators to Advance School-Based Services in Mental Health

For Full-Time or Part-Time MSW Students

This grant provides four semesters of scholarship funding for School Psychology Ed.S students and MSW students interested in School Social Work and mental health for K-12 students. Project LEADSS (Leading Educators to Advance School-Based Services in Mental Health) is a training grant focused on preparing school psychology Ed.S and social work MSW students in school mental health (SMH) practices and in leadership of interdisciplinary SMH teams.

Learn more about this grant, including how to apply, from the Project LEADSS website.

The application deadline for Project LEADSS is listed here

LEND Trainee Program

The Wasiman 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 and Full-Time MSW Students

Advanced Opportunity Fellowships (AOF) or Graduate Research Scholar Fellowships are intended to support the recruitment and retention of highly qualified underrepresented students in UW-Madison graduate programs. Students receiving an AOF are offered a generous funding package covering tuition and other expenses. For more information about the award package, visit Graduate Research Scholar Communities (GRS) on the UW-Madison Graduate School’s site. PhD and Full-Time MSW students are eligible to receive AOF funding through the Letters & Science Community of Graduate Research Scholars (L&S C-GRS).

To be considered for AOF funding through the L&S C-GRS, applicants must submit an application to the PhD Program in Social Welfare or Full-Time MSW Program and be United States citizens or Permanent Residents. Students on probation cannot receive AOF funding. Beyond merit, preference is given to Wisconsin residents. Award nominations are made by the PhD and MSW Admissions Committees. In addition, the criteria listed below apply:

1. Students from the following racial/ethnic groups:

• African American or Black
• American Indian or Alaskan Native
• Hispanic/Latino
• Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian, or Hmong
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

OR

2. Economically disadvantaged students

• First-generation college students who participated in one of the following TRIO programs: Upward Bound, Talent Search, Educational Opportunities Centers, or Student Support Services
• First-generation college students who graduated from the PEOPLE Program
• UW-Madison bachelor’s degree recipients who were in the FASTrack or BANNER programs

OR

3. McNair students:

• Students who participated in a Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program

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: Students enrolled in this program are not permitted to accept teaching assistantships, project assistantships, research assistantships, or other appointments that would result in a tuition waiver.