Counseling Scholarships
Careers in Rehab, Education and Substance Abuse Fields
The field of "counseling" is vast, covering rehab counseling to substance abuse and educational counseling. Most professionals in any counseling career are expected to have a Masters degree at the least.
Scholarships
Rehabilitation Counseling
Counselors who work in the field of rehabilitation offer their services to an unending population of disadvantaged people. Clientele may include the elderly, mentally and physically challenged, and those recovering from serious illnesses and surgeries. In the grand scheme of things the rehab counselor works to facilitate independence for persons often considered unable to care for themselves.
The U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration funds a scholarship for students willing to exchange tuition for service.
Minnesota State University-Mankato provides the C. Esco Obermann Rehabilitation Counseling Scholarships. The scholarship is coveted and available to the most financially disadvantaged scholars.
The Martin-Thacker Scholarships are funded by the University of Kentucky and are designed to recognize and encourage those students interested in counseling in underserved areas and helping developmentally challenged persons. Students with a disability themselves will be considered first.
Marriage and Family Counseling
Married couples and families, individual members or as a group, create quite a unique realm. Families and couples often have deep emotional entanglements as well as a stable of problems from sexual abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, personal tragedies, and communication issues.
The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy funds a number of scholarships to offer assistance to undergraduate and graduate students. Scholarships are available through accredited programs:
- AAMFT Graduate Student Research Award gives a couple of lucky grad students up to $1200 plus a travel stipend.
- AAMFT Thesis/Dissertation Award recognizes the noteworthy research of a graduate student.
- AAMFT Minority Scholarship awards up to $1,000 to minority students pursuing Marriage and Family Counseling.
Scholarships through the University of Maryland include, but are not limited to:
- Ned Gaylin Endowed Scholarship is awarded to a Marriage and Family Services student.
- Andrew Billingsley Endowed Scholarship goes to a student pursuing ethnic or minority counseling.
- Jennifer Becker Carswell Award is designed to assist a financially disadvantaged student.
Educational Counseling
Otherwise known as school counselors, educational counselors are those that serve as guidance counselors in primary and secondary schools.
The American School Counselor Association Scholarship awards funds up to $1,000 for graduate students in a school counseling degree program.
The Beulah C. Martin Scholarship and the College of Education Scholarships are sponsored by the University of Idaho's College of Education.
Geriatric Counseling
Sometimes called geriatric social work, counselors who specialize in the needs of older persons work to create understanding and address issues that may be impeding their independence. As Americans live longer and more active lives, the more the needs of the geriatric population grow. The field is wide open and there's plenty of room for specialists.
The Geriatric Social Work Initiative sponsors graduate fellowships:
- Hartford Doctoral Program provides monetary assistance to fellows who are researching gerontological topics for noteworthy papers.
- Pre-Dissertation Awards offers travel stipends as incentives to pursue geriatric counseling careers.
