MSW Financial Resources

Are you a current or prospective Master of Social Work (MSW) student looking for additional information and resources about funding your degree? Look no further! Below is information on the most common questions and concerns that MSW students have about their finances.

FAFSA

For many students, the first step in getting federal financial aid is filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available at https://fafsa.ed.gov.

It is a common misconception that graduate students should not fill out the FAFSA – that’s not true! However, it IS true that for many graduate students, the primary type of federal financial aid that is offered is student loans. It is still important to complete the FAFSA as a master’s student, since the FAFSA will help to establish your level of financial need (which is required for many private scholarship applications).

In order to fill out the FAFSA, you will need:

An FSA ID: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid
Your prior prior year tax information. That means that you need 2019 tax information in order to complete the FAFSA for the 2021-2022 school year.

The FAFSA for the 2021-2022 school year is now open and ASU has a priority date of January 15, 2021. If you submit your FAFSA by the priority date, you will maximize the amount of aid you receive. Eligible students who apply by this date have a greater chance of receiving need-based aid. The priority filing date is not a deadline, so still submit your FAFSA even if the priority filing date has passed.

For more details on ASU Financial Aid deadlines, check out the ASU Financial Aid calendar:

Student loans are not created equal, so make sure to compare the different types of loans available before deciding which type is best for you.

Tuition costs

Use the Tuition Calculator to estimate your tuition and mandatory fees based on where you’re from and the program you select. Knowing exactly what to expect will help you develop a plan to pay for your MSW.

SSW scholarships

The School of Social Work has many scholarships for MSW students- both online and in-person. Check out their scholarship offerings here: https://socialwork.asu.edu/content/scholarships

Child Welfare Education Program

One unique funding option for Arizona residents is the Child Welfare Education program: https://socialwork.asu.edu/childwelfare/msw. This is a unique partnership between the School of Social Work and the Arizona Department of Child Safety. Students who are accepted into the program receive their in-state tuition, mandatory fees, and a stipend paid through the Title IV-E, Child Welfare Field Education and Student Support Project.

RA positions

Many incoming students ask about Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant positions. These are administered by the School of Social Work and the Graduate College. Positions tend to be tied to grants, so are generally funded beginning July 1st or October 1st, depending upon the source of funding. You may find a position in social work or a different department.
**Keep an eye out for emails from the School as they send RA announcements out to the student listserv.

Contact info for Financial Aid

For most individual financial aid questions, you should reach out to ASU Financial Aid for support.

Phone: 855-278-5080 (toll free)

Chat with a financial aid rep
Submit a case

**note: The help desk’s busiest times are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shorter wait times are available before or after these hours as well as on weekends.**