1. Assistantships, Fellowships, Tuition Scholarships, and Health Care

First and second year doctoral students are guaranteed two years of School of Social Work (SSW) financial support. Funding in Years 3 and 4 is contingent on student progress and available funding. This year, students in Years 1 – 4 received the following awards:

First year (10 hours of service required): $9,532 assistantship + $6,000 fellowship + tuition + standard UI fees, including health and dental insurance allowance = 19,957-20,086. Out-of-state and international students: $28,364-28,493.For 2007-2008 School of Social Work financial award letter, click here.
See http://www.uiowa.edu/financial-aid/costs/graduate_07-08.html for 2007-2008 for 2007-2008 Graduate Cost of Attendance.

Second year (10–20 hours of service required): assistantship and/or fellowship + tuition + standard UI fees, including health and dental insurance allowance= 19,957-23,085. Out-of-state and international students: $28,364-28,493.

Third year (10–20 hours of service required): assistantship + tuition + standard UI fees, including health and dental insurance allowance=up to $20,000. This year students who were making excellent progress received a $7,500 fellowship from the Graduate College.

Dissertation year: Students who were making good progress received the same award as Year 3 or received funding from sources external to the School of Social Work.

Beginning Fall 2009, the SSW will be awarding six types of fellowships (below). Applicants DO NOT need to apply for these awards. They will be awarded by the admissions committee based on students’ description of their interests in their essays.

(1) Gerontological Social Work. For students interested in conducting research to improve the health and well-being of older persons, their families and caregivers or to improve those systems designed to serve older persons.

(2) Child welfare. For students interested in conducting research to improve the health and well-being of children, their families and caregivers involved in the child welfare system; to understand the relationship between child maltreatment and domestic violence, substance abuse or mental health; or to improve the child welfare system.

(3) Social Policy. For students interested in conducting research on social policies affecting disadvantaged/marginalized groups or on social problems with the purpose of informing policy development.

(4) Human Diversity and Critical Cultural Competence Doctoral Fellowship. For students interested in conducing research to understand the nature of human diversity with respect to, but not limited to, race/ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

(5) Substance Abuse or Mental Health. For students interested in conducing research to understand the nature of substance abuse, mental health, or their co-occurrence or to understand treatment effectiveness for these populations.

(6) School of Social Work. For students whose research interests do not fall into one of the categories listed above.

2. Students from Under-represented Groups

Students from under-represented groups are eligible for Dean’s Graduate Fellowships, which include substantial financial support for four years. The SSW applies to the Graduate College to secure these awards at the time applicants are selected into the program. For a description of the award, go to: http://www.grad.uiowa.edu/students/FinancialSupport/Fellowships/Index.asp

For under-represented students not receiving Dean’s Graduate Fellowships, the Graduate College (Office of the Dean, Human Resources & Finance) awards Graduate Diversity Scholarships to cover tuition for students from under-represented groups. These awards supplement the partial tuition award that students receive through their SSW assistantships, often resulting in students from under-represented groups not paying any tuition for those semesters in which they have an assistantship. Students must apply directly to the Graduate College (335-2144) at the time they are selected into the program and for each additional year they are earning course credit. Contact Donna Welter, Director (donna-welter@uiowa.edu).

3. Dissertation and Travel Grants

The SSW recognizes that students who undertake the PhD may incur expenses related to attending conferences and conducting their dissertation research. Consequently, a fund has been developed to support travel to conferences and dissertation related expenses. Students who are completing a dissertation on children or their families may also submit a proposal to the John Craft Research Award competition. This research award is made to honor the memory of John Craft, former professor of research at the SSW.

4. For applicants with English as a second language and/or who are not US citizens, a minimum TOEFL score of 100 (internet-based), 250 (computer-based) or 600 (written) is required.

The Graduate College awards fellowships for incoming students, dissertation-year fellowships, summer fellowships, and travel awards. A complete list of awards can be located at: http://www.grad.uiowa.edu/students/FinancialSupport/Fellowships/Index.asp

International travel awards are available from the Office for Study Abroad: http://www.uiowa.edu/~uiabroad/financing/FINANCEgraduate.html

Student who are differently-abled (cf. disabled) are eligible for awards through the Student Disabilities Services Office: http://www.uiowa.edu/~sds/scholarships/index.html

Additional grants and scholarships are available through the Office of Student Financial Aid:
http://www.uiowa.edu/financial-aid/graduate/

Information about funding for social work doctoral education, including dissertation support, from outside the University of Iowa can be obtained by going to:

The Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research’s website (IASWR): http://www.iaswresearch.org/ Click on “technical resources” and download list.

The Council on Social Work Education’s website (CSWE): http://www.cswe.org/CSWE//

The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education’s website (GADE): http://web.uconn.edu/gade/

The Society for Social Work Research’s (SSWR) website: http://www.sswr.org/membership.php

The Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation, a donor-advisory fund established with The New York Community Trust, announces two grant programs that are difficult locate at the SSWR’s site. Grants of up to $3,000 are available to help support doctoral dissertation expenses of students in the United States or Canada. Proposals must have clear relevance to major social problems affecting families or individuals or to interventions designed to assist individuals, couples, or families in their functioning and well-being. Deadlines: Twice annually - May 1 and November 1. To obtain an application, go to:
http://sswr.org/FahsBeckDoctoralDissertation.pdf