CU In Schools Scholarship

What is CU in Schools?

The CU in Schools Scholarship is a scholarship for MSW students who want to become school social workers. This scholarship is made possible through funding from the US Department of Education. The intention of this scholarship is to help meet West Virginia’s need for school social workers. Our program focuses attention on the specific needs of students, families, and school systems in rural communities and gives students opportunities to learn knowledge, skills, and values that rural school social workers need to succeed in the field. This opportunity requires an additional application and interview process. Students are eligible to apply for this scholarship during the first semester of their advanced standing curriculum. After the first semester of their advanced standing year, CU in Schools Scholars will transition to a part-time progression. CU in Schools has a specific course progression, electives for the scholarship are: Rural School Social Work, Rural Child Welfare, and Psychopathology. CU in Schools Scholars are expected to complete their advanced-level field placement in a high-need school in WV. 50 of West Virginia’s 55 counties meet the criteria to be considered high-need. In the remaining five counties, at least 50% of schools are “high-need.” The CU in Schools Liaison will be the person responsible for pairing students with high-need schools and developing the appropriate support to help create a successful field placement experience for CU in Schools Scholars.

Scholarship recipients receive the following benefits:

  • The CU in Schools Liaison will be available to answer the Scholar’s questions; offer support and assistance to the scholar in their efforts to fulfill the Scholar’s responsibilities and expectations outlined below; and coordinate field placement in a high-need school (Local Education Agency);
  • Paid tuition, books, and fees: Scholars are expected to transition to CU in Schools Progression (part-time in advanced-standing course work with the following elective courses: Rural Child Welfare, Rural School Social Work, and Psychopathology). Tuition payments begin the semester after the Scholar is admitted to the program through graduation. The Scholarship pays for 9 courses over 5 semesters.
  • A competitive stipend during field placement (SOWK660 A, B, and C). The scholar will receive payments totaling $21,500 over three semesters, to be paid twice monthly. The stipend is subject to all applicable State and federal taxes;
  • The scholar is expected to present their research at the School Social Work Association of America Conference or the WV National Association of Social Workers Conference. The Scholarship will pay for presentation materials, registration, hotel, and travel to and from the conference, in accordance with Concord University’s travel policy. Scholars who attend and present at a conference will receive $1,000 to defray costs associated with travel (not covered by Concord University’s travel policy);
  • Pay for Student Membership to the School Social Work Association of America ($80 annually);
  • Provide the Scholar with a laptop and pertinent software. (If the student leaves the program before completion, the laptop must be returned).

School social work is a specialized area of practice within the social work profession. School social workers bring unique knowledge and skills to the school system and the student services team. They are trained to see the complex interactions between the school, family, and community systems that directly and indirectly affect students. They use that information to strengthen the relationships between those systems to improve the lives of students. School social workers are trained mental health professionals who can assist with mental health concerns, offer classroom support, and consult with teachers, parents, and administrators to advocate for their student clients. Sometimes, they provide individual or group-based counseling to students. School social workers are instrumental in helping the school support staff, faculty, and administrators create a safe environment at school for students to support academic, social, and emotional learning. Often school social workers are the “safe person” for students at school. Lastly, by providing social work in the school setting, school social workers begin to address disparities in access and ability to afford mental health care. West Virginia’s schools struggle to meet the mental health needs of their students. According to Hopeful Futures, West Virginia ranks 44th out of 50 states in youth mental health services and the ratio of school social workers to students is 1 to 15,433. The recommended ratio is 1 to 250. At Concord, we believe we can do better for our children and are actively working to teach the next generation of school social workers and help our schools address this need.

For more information on qualifications, roles and responsibilities, and licensure in West Virginia, check out the WV Department of Education’s one-pager on School Social Work.

Still looking for more information about school social work? Check out the School Social Work Associated of America.

Social workers in child, family, and school positions will grow between 7-9% between 2022 and 2032, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. Post-COVID, there is a growing awareness of an increasing need for services to address children’s mental health needs in the United States. School shootings, serious bullying, and an increase in students with mental health diagnoses are motivating schools to prioritize mental health support. The challenge with these projections is that school social work positions are often limited by budgetary constraints at the federal, state, and county levels or educational policy changes.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual average salary for child, family, and school social workers is $41,110. It is important to remember that school social work positions often include the following benefits: state public school employee pension, a 9-10 month contract that follows the public school calendar, public employee medical, dental, and optical insurance, and social security and disability benefits.

Fall Start
Fall SOWK 613 HBSE

SOWK 633 Rural Practice Ind.

SOWK 661 Appalachian Culture
Spring SOWK 634 Rural Practice Comm.

SOWK 670 Rural Research
Summer I SOWK 620 Rural School Social Work
Summer II SOWK 660A Field

SOWK 620 Rural Child Welfare
Fall SOWK 660B Field

SOWK 622 Policy
Spring SOWK 660C Field

SOWK 660 Psychopathology
Spring Start
Spring SOWK 613 HBSE

SOWK 633 Rural Practice Ind.

SOWK 670 Advanced Research
Summer I SOWK 620 Rural School Social Work
Summer II SOWK 660A Field

SOWK 620 Rural Child Welfare
Fall SOWK 660B Field

SOWK 661 Appalachian Culture
Spring SOWK 660C Field

SOWK 634 Rural Practice Comm.
Summer I SOWK 660 Psychopathology

SOWK 622 Policy

  • Wait, this scholarship covers tuition?
    Yes, students who are awarded the CU in Schools Scholarship will tuition, including books and fees. This benefit begins the semester following acceptance to the program. During the first semester of their advanced-standing year, students are responsible for their tuition, books, and fees.
  • What does “competitive pay” mean?
    Scholars will receive a total of $21,500 (minus applicable taxes). Scholars will be paid twice monthly throughout their placement.
  • Could you tell me more about this laptop and other supplies?
    CU in Schools will provide participants with a new laptop, loaded with software to assist in field placement.
  • When do CU in Schools students take field?
    Field placement or practicum takes place over 3-semesters (Summer II SOWK660A, Fall SOWK660B, Spring SOWK660C).
  • Wait, but prek-12 students are on summer vacation Summer II, what will CU in Schools Scholars do then?
    No worries, we will have plenty to do to help get you started and acclimated to the school environment. We want scholars to have time to settle in before schools are back in session and be ready to roll when students return to school.
  • What’s this presentation of research at a professional conference all about?
    This is another way CU in Schools will help its scholars stand out to future employers (Hello, resume booster!). Beyond that, the intention behind this is to offer MSW students an opportunity to actively contribute to the field of social work (how cool is that?!). During field placement, CU in Schools cohorts will develop and work on a research project to present at a professional conference. There is limited research on social work in rural and Appalachian settings; this research will increase the profession’s understanding of what works and what does not work in rural WV schools. CU in Schools will cover the cost of the conference and associated travel costs.
  • What is SSWAA and what does it mean to be a member?
    SSWAA is the School Social Work Association of America. CU in Schools will cover “student” membership for participants beginning the semester after enrollment and continuing through graduation. Membership offers awesome resources for school social workers! Check their website for more details: SSWAA Student Membership
  • How will my progression through my MSW change?
    If you are currently full-time, the CU in Schools program will probably extend your progression by two semesters. If you have specific questions, please click here to contact the CU in Schools Liaison Emily Landseidel.
  • Do you expect scholars to continue working at their placement after completion of field or graduation?
    Our schools and students need more social workers! The intent of this program is to increase the number of highly trained school social workers in West Virginia’s schools. However, we cannot obligate scholars to take a job in school social work after graduation.
  • What if I decide that CU in Schools is not a good fit for me?
    Please let us know as soon as you begin questioning your participation in the program – we are here to help you succeed. If we cannot work something out together, and you determine it is best to withdraw from the program, tuition and competitive stipend do not need to be repaid but will not continue. The laptop will be returned CU in Schools Liaison and SSWAA membership will be canceled.