Competitive Awards at CSSW

The School offers competitive scholarships and fellowships for students entering their final, or advanced, year of study. Eligible students will receive application instructions by email from the Office of Financial Aid when applications open. 

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for a competitive award at CSSW, you must be entering your final or advanced year of study and be enrolled full time (taking at least 10.5 credits).  

Need-based awards also require a completed FAFSA on file. 

Note: Recipients must maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA in the MSSW program to keep the award. Recipients are also asked to take part in donor stewardship activities (see If You’re Selected).

How to Apply

Eligible students will receive applications by email in mid to late Spring 2027. Deadlines vary by award and will be communicated in the email. Applications must be submitted using the required forms.

Standard Application Materials

Most awards require the following. Where an award differs, it’s noted in that award’s section.

  • A current resume
  • A one-paragraph bio: Written in the third person, including your education, field of practice, work/volunteer experience, and career aspirations
  • One or two letters of reference: From a field advisor, supervisor, professor, or equivalent academician who can speak to your qualifications for the specific award. Letters are submitted through a specific form sent by email from the Financial Aid Office. When you request a letter, be sure to provide this link to the writer. 
  • A one- to two-page personal statement (single- or double-spaced) describing your social work career, including academic and field performance, courses taken, co-curricular and extracurricular activities, and any special circumstances you’d like considered

Competitive Awards

Biographical information on the donors is available at Biographies of Competitive Fellowship Funders.

Paige E. Cook Jr. Fellowship

Need- and merit-based

Given on the basis of excellence. Preference goes to applicants with a career interest in substance abuse, world of work, men's issues, and cross-cultural clinical practice. Your application should reflect this interest through concrete examples, such as work experience or volunteer positions.

Materials: Standard (see above)

Benjamin and Agnes Louard Fellowship

Need- and merit-based

Awarded to full-time CSSW students with academic and leadership potential. Preference goes to applicants committed to employment in the public or voluntary non-profit sector, or in local grassroots groups serving primarily, but not exclusively, an African-American population. Your personal statement should reflect this commitment.

Materials: Standard (see above)

Overbrook Fellowship for Advanced Study in Clinical Social Work

Need- and merit-based

A partial tuition award for students who show leadership potential in clinical social work. Your personal statement should reflect your interest and leadership opportunities in clinical social work, which can be shown through classwork, field placement, or volunteer experience.

Materials: Standard (see above) 

Mae L. Wien Prize in Family Planning, Counseling, and Population Control

Merit-based | International students eligible

Awarded to students who have shown excellence in family planning, counseling, and population control.

Materials: Standard (see above)

Fisher Cummings Washington Fellows Program

Merit-based 

For final-year Policy Practice students who aspire to lead in social policy, administration, and community practice at the national level. Fellows complete their final placement as a block field placement at a federal agency or nongovernmental organization in Washington, D.C. Fellows who qualify for financial aid receive additional scholarship aid as part of the program.

Materials: Required materials to be announced via email. 

Lowenstein Loan Repayment Fellowship

Need-based

Awarded to graduating students to help repay borrowed loans. Applicants must demonstrate need and have borrowed at least $20,500 in loans during their final year at CSSW.

Materials: 

  • Resume and bio (as above)
  • Personal statement, no more than 500 words, covering:
    • Your career objectives and why you should be selected
    • Relevant features of your social work school career, such as academic and field performance, coursework, and co-/extracurricular activities
    • Your intention to enter a full-time not-for-profit social work agency after graduation
    • Any special circumstances you'd like considered. You're encouraged to discuss your level of debt and how this fellowship would help.
  • Reference letters are not required.

Laura Rivera and Sor Rosa Scholarship

Need- and merit-based

Awarded to students pursuing a career in clinical practice in which the social work profession's core values, as set out in the NASW Code of Ethics, are fully employed. Selection is based on the quality of the required essay, and a copy is provided to the donor.

Materials: 

  • Resume, bio, and reference letters (as above)
  • 750 to 1,000 word essay in place of the personal statement, based on chapters 15 and 18 of In Search of the Luminous Heart (a link to access these readings will be provided in the application form). In your essay, respond to the following:
    • Social justice, dignity, worth of the person, and integrity are core values of the social work profession. Describe how Laura and Sor Rosa Rivera embodied these values.
    • Discuss lessons from their history and experience that relate to your own life journey, your choice of profession, or these values.

If You're Selected

All applicants will be notified once decisions are made. Please know that in addition to maintaining the minimum GPA, recipients are expected to partner with the School to help the donor, or their family, understand the impact of their gift. This may include one or more of the following: phone calls, personalized thank-you notes, brief meetings, or attendance at CSSW’s annual scholarship event.

Note: Financial aid and scholarship awards depend on the availability of funding, CSSW may adjust an award if needed.