Graduate Funding

Graduate tuition scholarships

The Graduate Tuition Scholarships are intended for graduate students who do not hold graduate assistantships or have tuition support from their employer.

Preference will be given to students who:

Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor's degree),
Grew up with a socioeconomically disadvantaged background (e.g., were or are Pell eligible, were or currently are homeless, were in the foster care system),
Have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended),
Are graduating in the semester they are applying funds, and/or
Had little or no previous funding from the Graduate College.

Students who are underrepresented minorities are encouraged to apply.

tuition scholarship

Graduate assistantships

We are no longer accepting applications for 2026-2027 academic year. Questions should be directed to Chuck Wieland, Administrator, electronically at charles-wieland@uiowa.edu.

School of social work scholarships

Students must be enrolled in required social work courses to be eligible to apply.

Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site to view details about criteria and to submit an application for each scholarship.

Contact Tomeka at ssw-dept@uiowa.edu with questions about these scholarships.

ABCD Therapy scholarship

The ABCD Therapy scholarship in Social Work is to provide one or more annual scholarship(s) to Master of Social Work (MSW) students with lived refugee experience: defined as individuals who have been displaced from their home or who are unwilling to return home due to fear, war, natural disaster, persecution, or for other harmful reasons outside of their control. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

Alberto Rangel Social Work Scholarship – Deadline April 10, 2026

$1,000 award supports a social work student who will be enrolled in required social work courses in fall 2026. The eligible recipient shall be a student from Iowa, preferably a first-generation college student, who shows merit, remains in good academic standing, and demonstrates a commitment to advancing compassionate clinical practice, advocating for vulnerable or underserved populations, or preparing for a career in an area such as family counseling, trauma recovery, crisis intervention, or community mental health. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

The Lorraine T. Dorfman Gerontological social work award

A scholarship for PhD students who have demonstrated a commitment to gerontological research in social work. Incoming PhD students are eligible for up to three years of support. Current PhD students are eligible for one non-renewable award.

Constance Swank Fund for aging research

Provides support to graduate students conducting applied research in aging, including but not limited to work in gerontology, geriatrics, public policy, communications, social sciences, or humanities. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

Callie Ann Hall Award in social work

A $2,000 award given annually to support a social work graduate student who is conducting research on chemical dependency: its impact, prevention, and treatment. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

Christensen-Klein scholarship

A $1,000 award supports a graduate social work student who demonstrates merit and is in good academic standing. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

Lola Moeller Zook & Leslie G. Moeller Community Service Award

One annual award of up to $2,000 is made to an MSW student who is studying, is active in, or intends to pursue employment in the field of community service. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

Dianne Orton & Stephen Grant Orton scholarship

It is the donor’s desire this $2,000 award be given to students who show an interest in medical social work and doing their specialized practicum within the Department of Pediatrics. Preference will be given to students doing their practicum at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Special consideration may also be given to students with an interest in pediatric asthma and/or allergies or other chronic childhood illnesses. If a recipient matching the stated preferences cannot be found, the support may be given to individual(s) who meet the requirements stated above but are doing their placement at another medical facility. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

Janice Baumback scholarship award

Annual $1,500 award made to an MSW student entering specialized courses and/or specialization practicum focused on counseling or mental health. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

Mildred J. Snider Memorial scholarship

One $2,000 annual award to help fund a graduate student for an internship in policy studies in an approved national public or private agency, or to support policy-related research. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

John Craft Excellence in research award

This research award is made to honor the memory of John Craft, former Professor of Research at the School of Social Work. PhD students are eligible to receive this award to carry out a research project on children or families. Competition for the award is based on the quality of a proposed research project. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

The former faculty scholarship

Funded by memorial donations and other gifts made in honor of retiring faculty members and their contributions to the School. Each year a $1,000 award is given to one graduate student. This scholarship considers academic excellence but also places an emphasis on supporting future-oriented students who have diverse experiences, cultures, and extracurricular activities. Visit the SSW Scholarship ICON site for more information.

Other scholarships

Check with your local bank for scholarship opportunities.

The Graduate College

The Graduate College offers a wealth of information about funding for graduate students through additional methods. You can learn more about funding your education on their site:

Grad College Funding