College of Arts and Sciences
Renewed Funding for Social Work Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students
Monday, 02 November 2026 - The School of Social Work is pleased to announce renewed funding for the Mid-South Social Work Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (MSW-SDS) program.
The program will receive a $3.25 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) over the next five years to support seventy-seven Master of Social Work (MSW) students.
The MSW-SDS program is a federally funded grant program that supports MSW students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Scholarship recipients can receive:
- Up to $40,000 per year, depending on financial need
- Training in integrated behavioral health and practice in rural and underserved communities
- Enhanced advising and mentoring
To date, the program has trained eighty-six MSW students who have graduated and are now practicing in the community. This grant renews funding from 2020–25, enabling the program to support more students.
"We are thrilled to be able to continue this program. The first round of funding helped students engage more fully and succeed in their MSW degree program. It also strengthened the commitment of our funded students to serving disadvantaged populations upon graduation," said professor of social work and MSW-SDS program director Dr. Susan Neely-Barnes. "We plan to build on that success and make the program even stronger during the next five years."