Substantial funding from a private foundation is removing one of the biggest barriers keeping talented social workers from reaching their full potential — and addressing Texas’s urgent need for more licensed mental health professionals.
The reality is stark: social work professionals deliver 60% of behavioral health services nationwide (according to Health Resources and Services Administration, 2023), yet financial and logistical hurdles prevent many qualified graduates from advancing to full clinical licensure. At The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work, 84% of students pursue the clinical concentration with intentions of becoming Licensed Clinical Social Workers, but many students note cost as a significant challenge to completing the licensure process.
The new funding will enable Texas Social Work to launch an innovative two-year scholarship program targeting this critical need. Twenty-seven scholarships will support recent graduates — with priority given to the 2024 class — through the complex licensure process that requires 100 clinical supervision hours and 3,000 hours of supervised work experience.
Recipients receive comprehensive support that will cover LCSW supervision with board-approved supervisors, $3,300 annual stipends, exam preparation materials, and coverage of exam costs. The program addresses the financial reality that supervision alone typically costs graduates $3,600 out-of-pocket — a significant burden for new professionals already managing student debt.
Texas Social Work students understand the transformative power of removing financial barriers. “You’re not just investing in our futures, but your own future and the future of those around you,” said Marissa Gomez, a current scholarship recipient. “Financial support gives us the ability to focus on our goals and our mission, which is to get the degree to become the social workers that we want to be and to help others out there.”
The ripple effect extends far beyond individual careers. “Investments in our education continue on with the individuals that we serve, the communities that we serve, and the thousands of people that we will serve throughout our career,” another student notes. “When you don’t have to stress about the money, it just makes it such a more wonderful experience. This funding changes lives, and it also just eases our lives.”
“One of our goals has long been to make debt and financial burden less of an issue for students every year, and this scholarship program represents a critical step forward in that mission,” said Dean Allan Cole. “Our graduates are remarkable — they’re passionate, innovative and committed to making the world better. This investment ensures that financial barriers won’t prevent them from reaching their full potential as licensed clinicians when Texas communities need them most.”
This targeted investment directly addresses findings from the 2024 Texas Social Work Workforce Study, which identified licensure costs as a major barrier to expanding the state’s social work capacity. The scholarship creates a sustainable pipeline for licensed therapists when communities need them most.
“This comprehensive study revealed a significant deficit in social workers in Texas, with rural regions facing the most severe shortages,” said Cynthia Franklin, Ph.D., LCSW-S, lead author of the study. “This program gives us the funds we need to directly address that shortage and deploy social workers where they are needed most.”
To qualify, applicants must be graduates of the School’s clinical program, hold current LMSW licensure in Texas, demonstrate financial need, and work at agencies providing assessment, diagnosis and treatment services.
Application information will be available at Scholarships for LCSW Workforce Development.
The initiative reflects Texas Social Work’s commitment to removing financial barriers that can prevent qualified professionals from serving communities in critical need of mental and behavioral health services.