29-04-2025
State pours $25M into scholarship program for counselors, social workers
Massachusetts doesn't have enough social workers, mental health counselors and dozens of other types of professionals associated with behavioral health — and the shortage is growing.
That's why the Healey administration is launching a two-year $25 million scholarship program for Massachusetts graduate students completing degrees or certificates in behavioral health fields.
'We need to take care of our residents in Massachusetts who are facing mental health, substance use or other behavioral health challenges and need help from highly trained professionals,' said Governor Maura Healey. 'By supporting graduate students who are building specialized knowledge in behavioral health, we're building a workforce that can support members of our communities who need care.'
Kiame Mahaniah, undersecretary for health at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, told MassLive that the scholarship is about building a resilient community through mental wellness.
'Our interest is really in how we make sure that as we come out of this pandemic, that we have the people that concerned parents can take their kids to, that schools can take their students to, that employers can refer their employees to,' he said.
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Noe Ortega, who is the state's secretary of higher education, agreed, stating that if there is one thing the state doesn't want to erase from the pandemic, it is the increased attention that people have been giving to the behavioral and mental health fields.
Students offered the scholarship will be awarded up to $12,500 for tuition, fees and stipends for each academic year. The maximum amount given will be $25,000 per recipient across two academic years.
Students have to reapply for the second year of scholarship funding.
Since the pandemic, burnout and turnover in behavioral health fields have been concerns as the need for more providers has increased, especially in underserved communities, according to a 2024 Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation report.
Thirty communities across the state have been experiencing the largest health inequities leading to premature death in Massachusetts, both in maternal/perinatal health and cardiometabolic health, according to the state initiative Advancing Health Equity in MA.
Many of those communities, such as Greater Springfield, Roxbury and Lynn, are where more people of color reside.
At the same time, only 22% of behavioral health clinicians in the state are people of color, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
Given the ongoing challenges the behavioral health field has endured in Massachusetts, the state will prioritize certain applicants, such as students who speak more than one language and either live or work in communities that are experiencing high levels of racial disparities, Mahaniah said.
'One of the goals is to really focus on those communities where there are the greatest disparities and the greatest needs and obviously the hope is that if you're prioritizing people who live, study or work in those communities, you will get a more diverse workforce,' he said.
The scholarship is also an attempt to have more people go into the behavioral health field, which isn't as well compensated as other health professionals are.
'The ... thing about behavioral health is that as professionals, they're also not as well paid as physicians and nurses. And so this is also an effort to try to keep making the fields more attractive by taking away as much as possible from the pain — the financial pain — of studying to compensate to some degree for also the lower salaries that they get,' Mahaniah said.
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The scholarships are funded by Massachusetts' Behavioral Health Trust Fund, which was established with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and is managed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The Behavioral Health Trust Fund was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Advisory Commission, which was comprised of 22 members from government and the behavioral health sector.
The new program follows in the footsteps of another initiative that launched last December, where institutions with behavioral programs were offered grants to support students completing unpaid internships and field placements in behavioral health fields.
The applications for the scholarship program are open and can be retroactively given for the fall 2024 semester.
Students enrolled in private and public institutions are able to apply through June 15, 2025, through this website.
In order to qualify, students need to:
Be enrolled in an eligible institution
Physically reside in Massachusetts for at least one year, as of the start of the enrolled term, with an intent to remain in Massachusetts consistent with Board of Higher Education (BHE) policy
Be a U.S. Citizen, lawful permanent resident or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations; or have an approved eligibility status designated by the BHE pursuant to the Massachusetts Tuition Equity Law or otherwise
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Massachusetts Application for State Financial Aid (MASFA) as applicable for eligible students under the Massachusetts Tuition Equity Law annually
Comply with financial aid verification requirements
Not be in default on any federal or state student loans for attendance at any institution, or owe a refund for any previous state financial aid program
Enroll, as a matriculated student, on a full-time or part-time basis (minimum of 6 credits, or the equivalent) in an eligible behavioral health program of study leading to a baccalaureate or graduate level degree
Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) according to the institution's requirements and federal standards
For more information about eligibility and the process, visit this website or reach out to the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
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