Scholarships for Counseling Graduate Students: Funding Your Path to Helping Others

For aspiring counselors driven by a desire to help others, graduate school is a crucial step toward a fulfilling career. However, the cost of a master's degree can be a significant obstacle. Fortunately, numerous scholarships are available to support graduate-level counseling students. With over 1.7 million scholarships awarded each year, aspiring counselors can find financial aid to focus on their education and future careers. This guide provides information on top scholarships for graduate-level counseling students, answers frequently asked questions about funding, and offers resources for future studies.

Scholarships for Specific Counseling Specialties

Counseling is a broad field, and many scholarships target specific sub-disciplines such as addiction counseling, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, and school counseling.

Scholarships for Addiction & Substance Abuse Counseling

These scholarships support students who aim to help clients overcome addiction to drugs or alcohol by developing healthy coping mechanisms and maintaining sobriety.

APA Services for Transition Age Youth Fellowship: This grant from the American Psychological Association (APA), funded by SAMHSA, awards $10,000 to counseling students in master’s programs focusing on addiction counseling and mental health care for clients aged 16-25. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a terminal master’s program at an APA-accredited institution and commit to seeking licensure and working with communities of color for at least two years post-graduation.
LCCNC Nancy Howell Scholarship: The Licensed Clinical Counselors of North Carolina (LCCNC) offers this scholarship to addiction counseling students demonstrating leadership and advocacy potential. Recipients gain professional experience working with the LCCNC board. The amount varies based on funding. Applicants must be North Carolina residents, student members of the LCCNC, and attending a CACREP-accredited graduate program.
Live for Lou Drug Counseling Scholarship: This scholarship, administered by The Cape Cod Foundation, supports future substance abuse counselors from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, who plan to return there after graduation. It honors the memory of Louie Lebart. Awards range from $3,000 to $5,000. Preference is given to students from the Cape Cod area pursuing a degree in addiction or substance abuse counseling.
NAADAC William White Scholarship: This scholarship recognizes exceptional student research in addiction studies. Applicants are evaluated on a 10-12 page research paper focusing on emerging topics in addiction, ethics in substance abuse counseling, or addiction treatment. The award is $2,000. Applicants must have at least one year of coursework remaining, a GPA of 2.7 or higher, attend an accredited institution, and be a NAADAC member.
NBCC Minority Fellowship Program: The National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) offers this fellowship to 40 master’s-level addiction and substance abuse counseling students planning to work with underserved minority communities. The award is $15,000. Students must be enrolled in a CACREP-accredited graduate program and commit to working with underserved populations for at least two years after graduation.

Scholarships for Marriage & Family Therapy

These scholarships are designed for students who want to help clients navigate conflicts and challenges within couples or family units.

AAMFT Diversity Scholarship for Emerging Leaders: The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) offers this award to minority students to promote the training and retention of minority marriage and family counselors. The award is $3,000. Recipients must demonstrate commitment to the field, future potential, and be from a marginalized group. Students must be current students or recent graduates of an accredited marriage and family therapy program and be nominated by an AAMFT member.
CAMFT Educational Foundation Scholarships and Grants: The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) offers several scholarships to California graduate students pursuing careers in marriage and family therapy. The organization administers six awards targeted at diverse groups, including minority students, LGBTQ+ students, students with financial need, and students with a record of excellence. The amount varies. Applicants must be pursuing an advanced degree in marriage and family counseling from an accredited institution. Specific scholarships may have additional criteria.
Kenneth W. Morrison Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship recognizes graduate-level counseling students at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, who demonstrate a commitment to diversity, advocacy, and leadership. The award is $600. Applicants are evaluated based on academic achievement, counseling philosophy, and history of leadership and activism. Applicants must be a counseling graduate student at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Roy Scrivner Memorial Research Grant: This research grant supports projects that address the unique challenges LGBTQIA+ individuals encounter in defining, building, and maintaining family structures. The award is $9,000. Applicants should demonstrate a record of research in the field and propose projects that advance the understanding and support of LGBTQIA+ families. Applicants must be graduate students in good standing who have demonstrated a commitment to LGBTQIA+ family issues in their research and coursework.

Scholarships for Mental Health Counseling

These scholarships are aimed at students who want to address emotional and behavioral challenges in individual clients.

Read also: Camp Scholarships Guide

David H. and Beverly A. Barlow Grant: This grant funds graduate and early-career clinical research projects that deal specifically with the treatment of anxiety and anxiety-related disorders. The award is $8,000. Applicants must be affiliated with a credible research institution, demonstrate knowledge of the field, and demonstrate the capacity to complete their proposed work.
Jane Roiter Memorial Scholarship in Counseling: This scholarship supports students at National Louis University who demonstrate financial need, academic achievement, and a commitment to the field. The scholarship takes the form of tuition reimbursement and is only available to counseling graduate students in their final year of studies. The amount varies. Students must demonstrate financial need and dedication to a career in counseling and be in their program’s final year.
The Melanie Foundation Scholarship: This scholarship honors the memory of Melanie Merola O’Donnell by supporting promising students specializing in mental health. The award is $2,500. Recipients demonstrate compassion, leadership, and a commitment to demonstrating the link between individual mental health and community issues. Awardees are expected to focus their work on the needs of victims of violence, emergency management professionals, and health care practitioners. Students must be enrolled in a graduate-level counseling program with programmatic accreditation.
The Violet and Cyril Franks Scholarship: This scholarship supports graduate student work that applies academic research to understanding and reducing the stigma of mental illness. The award is $5,000. Applicants must be graduate students with good academic standing at an accredited institution.
Department of Veterans Affairs Scholarship: This scholarship seeks to recruit and train mental health providers for V.A. facilities. The award offers two years of funding for graduate-level mental health counseling students who will commit to working in V.A. facilities for six years following graduation. The amount varies based on tuition costs. Applicants must be pursuing a graduate-level counseling degree in a field relevant to veteran care and commit to working in V.A. centers for six years following degree completion.

Scholarships for School Counseling

These scholarships support students who plan to work with students to address emotional or behavioral challenges in the classroom or resulting from other circumstances, and may also provide support to gifted and talented students or students with specialized educational needs.

Association of Illinois Township Committees on Youth: This scholarship recognizes counseling graduate students in Illinois who plan to work with youth populations after graduation. The award is $1,000. Candidates are evaluated based on their experience and goals related to youth and social services and their history of leadership. Applicants must be Illinois residents planning to work in youth services fields after graduation.
Elizabeth Munsterberg Koppitz Child Psychology Graduate Student Fellowship: This fellowship supports graduate research and scholarship within child psychology, including topics in school psychology. The award is $25,000. Applicants must be affiliated with an accredited institution and demonstrate expertise in child psychology.
Esther Katz Rosen Fund Grants: This grant funds research into the psychology and development of gifted and talented students. The award is $50,000. Proposals should focus on innovative research that targets children and adolescents. Applicants must be graduate students at an accredited institution or university for research proposals.
Harry and Susanne Clay Scholarship for Graduate Study in School Counseling: Administered by the Michigan School Counselor Association, this award provides financial assistance for Michigan residents pursuing advanced degrees in school counseling. The amount varies based on funding. Applicants must be pursuing a degree related to children’s mental health or education and intend to work with children after graduation.
OSCA Graduate Student Scholarship: The Ohio School Counselor Association offers two $1,000 scholarships to support future Ohio-based school counselors. One is available to all graduate-level school psychology students in Ohio committed to school leadership and advocacy. The second focuses on increasing diversity in the school counseling profession and recognizes promising school counseling students from marginalized backgrounds. Applicants must be enrolled in an Ohio-based accredited school counseling graduate program.

More Counseling Scholarships for Master's Students

Beyond specific specializations, some scholarships support counseling students more broadly.

A Dream Decided Scholarship: This scholarship offers $8,000 per year to an undocumented or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) student working towards an advanced degree in counseling. Applicants must be undocumented or DACA students enrolled full-time in a CACREP-accredited program and commit to becoming board-certified and providing mental health care to underserved populations for at least two years after graduation.
APA Social Justice Task Force Research Grant: This APA grant funds graduate student research projects that study the intersection between underrepresented populations and religion or spirituality. The award is $1,500, plus $500 for travel. Preference is given to researchers from underrepresented groups. Applicants must be enrolled in a masters-level mental health-related program at an accredited college or university.
APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology: This annual award recognizes outstanding graduate work that focuses on caring for underserved populations. Applications are judged based on how a project identifies, evaluates, and addresses the needs of an in-need population.

The Importance of Mental Health Scholarships

Mental health scholarships are crucial because they address the growing need for mental health support, especially among young adults and students. In 2021, the rate of teens experiencing depression increased by 59% since 2007, and a significant portion of young adults struggle with mental health conditions.

These scholarships aim to:

Provide financial assistance: Mental illness can make it difficult for students to manage daily tasks and the stress of funding their education. Financial anxiety is a significant cause of mental health challenges for undergraduate students.
De-stigmatize mental illness: By offering financial support, these scholarships help raise awareness and understanding of mental health conditions.
Support aspiring professionals: Scholarships for those majoring in psychology or pursuing psychiatric degrees help ensure a well-supported future generation of mental health professionals.

Types of Mental Health Scholarships

For a specific diagnosis or condition: These scholarships require applicants to have experience living with specific mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder or anxiety disorders.
For greater awareness: These scholarships focus on the ability to bring a greater sense of mental health understanding to the general public.
For aspiring professionals: These scholarships support those majoring in psychology or pursuing psychiatric degrees.

Tips for Applying to Mental Health Scholarships

Make sure you qualify: Ensure your location, identity, education, background, and goals align with the application requirements.
Find scholarships that apply to your personal experiences: Connect with the application's mission and demonstrate how your experiences align with its purpose.
Tell your story: Share your personal experiences dealing with mental illness or elevating awareness in your community. Convey how dealing with a mental illness has made you the person you are today.
Keep applying: Apply to as many scholarships as you can to increase your chances of securing financial assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mental Health Scholarships

Can you get a scholarship for mental health? Yes, many scholarships provide financial assistance to students pursuing higher education who also struggle with their mental health.
How do you qualify for a mental health awareness scholarship? Ensure your information aligns with the requirements, including educational level, GPA, major, age, career goals, personal identity, and mental health-related qualifications.
When should you start applying to mental health scholarships? Start as soon as possible to minimize college loan debt.
Do mental health scholarships need to be paid back? No, scholarships are awards given to students and do not need to be repaid.
What happens when you win a scholarship? The financial award goes directly to your university's financial aid office and can be used to pay for tuition.

Additional Scholarship Resources

Bold.org: This platform matches you with scholarships based on your individualized profile.
Professional Associations and Organizations: These groups often offer scholarships for students pursuing careers in specific counseling fields.
Colleges and Universities: Many institutions offer their own scholarship and fellowship programs.
Federal Government's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): The RSA partners with select colleges to fund scholarships for students majoring in rehabilitation counseling and therapy, requiring recipients to agree to a service obligation.

Read also: Benefits of NSHSS Scholarships

Read also: Scholarship Guide

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