Scholarship Opportunities

Scholarship applicants are automatically considered for all available scholarship opportunities.

The Scholarship application for the 2024-2025 Academic Year is now closed. Please check back in Spring 2025 for the scholarship application for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Available Scholarships

Scholarship Committee reviews applications selecting undergraduate and Master level students who plan to work in education or mental health settings with children. Mental health settings include: public schools, in-patient psychiatric hospitals, adoption/foster care agencies, youth leadership development programs, special education or child welfare agencies, or doctoral students interested in unique mental health needs of children.

This scholarship is awarded to a Bachelor, Master, or Doctoral Social Work student. To be eligible for this scholarship, you must be currently admitted and in good standing.

Scholarship Committee selection from financial aid applications of a undergraduate or Master level student: 1) residing in a rural area of Kentucky with a county population of less than 100,000; 2) also actively involved in research to enhance quality of life of rural Kentuckians. Doctoral student requirement: 1) studying social services or income support systems in rural areas of US or abroad and plans a social work teaching career; 2) studying social services or income support systems in rural areas of US or abroad with no plans for a social work teaching career.

This is awarded to a Bachelor and Masters of Social Work Student. To be eligible for this scholarship, you must meet all of the following criteria: 1) Age 30 or older; 2) Responsible for minor children; 3)Returning to school after an absence of 5 years or more; 4) In need of Financial Assistance. If you meet all of the aforementioned criteria, please include these details in your essay in the scholarship application.

Awarded to currently admitted/enrolled Social Work junior or senior undergraduate or master’s level students with a SW 3.0 GPA & financial need. Criteria for this scholarship is currently under review. Check back soon.

Selection for internship by Field Director and Department of Public Advocacy’s Juvenile Block Grant Administrator or his/her designee. Student must have demonstrated leadership skills and demonstrated commitment to the discipline of social work.

Applicants must be entering senior year or first year of graduate school that has shown a continuous interest in the needs of senior citizens.

Scholarship Committee reviews applications of students who are pursuing their undergraduate or graduate degree in SW and 1) are studying Gerontology in CoSW; and 2) have a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Awarded to a graduate student who: 1) has been a practicing social worker in western Kentucky or demonstrated through work experience a commitment to serving the population of that area & will be actively involved in research designed to enhance quality of life for those living in western Kentucky; 2) if no candidates meet #1, then students from outside western Kentucky who meet remainder of criteria shall be considered.

Applicants may be: 1) Master’s level student that is a resident of southeastern Kentucky & will serve same population, or 2) MSW student, native Kentuckian & will serve the SE Kentucky community, or 3) Doctoral student, native Kentuckian & will serve the community in SE Kentucky.

Committee reviewed applicants will be 1) a graduate student who has been a practicing social worker in eastern Kentucky or has demonstrated through work experience a commitment to serving that population and actively involved in research designed to enhance quality of life of eastern Kentuckians (counties specified) or 2) a graduate student not born or residing in eastern Kentucky but who is or will be actively involved in research designed to enhance the quality of life of eastern Kentuckians.

Scholarship Committee reviews applications selecting a student who is a resident of eastern Kentucky, will serve the same population, has a GPA of 2.75 or above, has participated in community-based activities and has good citizenship/leadership qualities and has been accepted into the MSW program.

Awarded to a student who has a Bachelor Social Work degree from accredited program; completed all 600 level or equivalent courses required for Master Social Work program; exhibits interest in specified field of study & interested in cooperative educational program sponsored by donor.

This scholarship is awarded to Master level Social Work students who are from eastern Kentucky.

Scholarship Committee selects from applicants who have completed an essay and are 1) a second year graduate student; 2) received a minimum of 1,000 on the Graduate Record Examination; 3) demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership qualities, and a potential for making a major contribution to the field of social work as determined by the Scholarship Committee. Preference given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to the field of mental health.

Awarded to applicant with preference given to: 1) native Kentuckian engaged in research of developmental disabilities; 2) native Kentuckian engaged in research in human services delivery; 3) native Kentuckian engaged in research in social work practice or education; 4) UK SW doctoral student.

Support through research on race and ethnicity. Scholarship Committee reviews applications and selects 1) student committed to Social Work; and 2) holds a GPA of 3.0 or better; and 3) preference given to international student studying at UK CoSW.

First preference given to full-time, tenure-track faculty member. Second reference is a doctoral student beginning dissertation work.

Scholarship Committee selects students currently admitted and enrolled in Social Work who are: 1) enrolled in the BASW or MSW program; 2) have unmet financial needs as determined by the University, which is currently determined by Federal Application for Student Financial Aid.

Demonstrated commitment to implementing effective youth development programs, child welfare services or public policy for youth in urban communities in Kentucky or Indiana; if no student meets criteria, consider students who have demonstrated a commitment to quality child welfare and juvenile justice services and policies for urban youth.

First preference to graduate or undergraduate who is a resident of Virginia Place. If no student resides at Virginia Place, second preference is undergrad or grad whose research focuses on maternal/child well-being; if no research focus on maternal/child well-being, third preference to student single-parenting minor children.

This scholarship is provided by the Wiley Publishing Company and supports students in the online MSW program.

GPA at least 3.0, demonstrated record of personally overcoming adversity and/or working with others to overcome adversity. Adversity is defined as physical, social, financial barriers; interest in studying and working in field of community organization; demonstrated record of volunteer service in home community.

CW PREP is a collaboration between UK and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services designed to add highly trained social work graduates to the ranks of child protection workers throughout Kentucky.  This is a competitive program that provides in-state tuition, a stipend each semester, and a job upon graduation through a two-year employment commitment with the Cabinet following successful completion of the program. Interested students should contact Erin Mayhorn at erin.mayhorn@uky.edu.