Practicum Support Award
Supporting your education. Investing in your future.
The Practicum Support Award is designed to remove one of the biggest barriers students face during social work training: unpaid practicum experiences. Beginning in fall 2026, the Brown School will fully fund required practicum credits and provide a living stipend for all Master of Social Work students.
This support allows you to focus on learning, professional growth, and serving communities without taking on additional debt or sacrificing your well-being to make ends meet.
What is the Practicum Support Award?
The Practicum Support Award is a comprehensive financial support initiative for MSW students completing required practicum education. It includes:
- Full tuition coverage for required practicum credits
- A living stipend distributed throughout your program
The award is available to all MSW students, including new and returning students, beginning in fall 2026.
Why this matters
Practicum education is a core requirement of social work training. Across the country, most practicum placements are unpaid, even though they demand significant time and professional responsibility. Many students balance coursework, practicum hours, paid employment, and family obligations at the same time.
The Practicum Support Award directly addresses these challenges by helping cover the real costs associated with practicum, including:
- Lost income from reduced work hours
- Transportation expenses
- Childcare and caregiving responsibilities
- The financial strain of unpaid professional training
By reducing these pressures, the award helps ensure that financial circumstances do not limit who can pursue a career in social work or how fully students can engage in their training.
How the award helps you succeed
With practicum tuition covered and a living stipend in place, students are better positioned to:
- Focus fully on their practicum and coursework
- Choose placements that align with their professional goals, not just their financial needs
- Reduce reliance on loans and minimize additional debt
- Enter the workforce prepared, confident, and supported
This approach strengthens not only the student experience but also the quality of practicum learning and professional preparation.
A national commitment to social work education
The Brown School is the first social work school to offer support that covers both practicum tuition and living expenses for all MSW students. The Practicum Support Award reflects the school’s long-term commitment to affordability, access, and educational excellence.
This initiative is also a step toward a broader vision of a more affordable MSW education, ensuring that future generations of social workers can lead, serve, and innovate without being held back by financial barriers.
Learn more
- Explore how practicum education works in the MSW program
- Review additional funding and scholarship opportunities
- Contact admissions or student services with questions about eligibility and timing
The Practicum Support Award is about more than funding. It’s about valuing your time, your training, and the essential role social workers play in communities everywhere.