1. Thinking Ahead: Funding Your Education and Career Outlook
Paige Mills, MA

2. Session Outlook… Funding your MSW Career outlook: salary and jobs
Panel: funding and careers

3. Funding Your Education

4. MSW Program Cost: Colorado Resident
Academic Year (per semester)
Mixed Traditional Course Delivery
Credits
Tuition
Fees
Tuition & Fees Total 6
$2,840.40
$538.95
$3,379.35 9
$4,260.60
$621.35
$4,881.95 15
$7,101.00
$710.55
$7,811.55
Fully Online Course Delivery
Credits
Tuition
Fees
Tuition & Fees Total 6
$2,840.40
$339.20
$3,179.60 9
$4,260.60
$469.10
$4,729.70 15
$7,101.00
$659.00
$7,760.00
Numbers for the academic year. Tuition increases 6-9% each academic year. (Full-time is 15 credits, part-time is 6 or 9 credits each semester)

5. MSW Program Cost: Non-Resident
Academic Year (per semester)
Mixed Traditional Course Delivery
Credits
Tuition
Fees
Tuition & Fees Total 6
$3,976.80
$538.95
$4,515.75 9
$5,965.20
$621.35
$6,586.55 15
$9,942.00
$710.55
$10,652.55
Fully Online Course Delivery
Credits
Tuition
Fees
Tuition & Fees Total 6
$3,976.80
$339.20
$4,316.00 9
$5,965.20
$469.10
$6,434.30 15
$9,942.00
$659.00
$10,601.00
For the academic year. Tuition increases 6-9% each academic year. (Full-time is 15 credits, part-time is 6 or 9 credits each semester)

6. Textbook Costs Enrollment Avg. number of books/semester
Avg. total book cost/semester (new)
Avg. total book cost/semester (used)
Full Time
(15 credits/semester) 10
$1,093
$822
Part Time
(6-9 credits/semester) 5
$547
$411

7. Estimated Total Program Costs for students starting in 2018-19
Advanced Standing Program (1 to 2 years to complete)
Mixed Traditional
Fully Online
Colorado Resident
$21,700
$21,400
Non-Resident
$28,600
$28,300
Regular Program (2 to 4 years to complete)
Mixed Traditional
Fully Online
Colorado Resident
$35,600
$35,400
Non-Resident
$47,000
$46,800
Calculated using tuition and fees, tuition does increase 6-8% from year to year
Includes textbook cost (new)
Part time students may pay slightly more due to being here for more of those slight increases

8. Financial Aid Options Public Loans Private Loans
MSU Denver Scholarships
Department of Social Work Scholarships
Department of Social Work Stipends
Private Scholarships
Currently no MSU Denver scholarships for grads.

9. Scholarships and Stipends
The Department of Social Work is pleased to offer several financial assistance programs for graduate students:
Name of Award
Type
Award
Diversity Scholarship (2 awarded/year)
Scholarship
$5000
Gerontology Scholarship (2 awarded/year)
Bilingual & Bicultural (Latino/a/Hispanic) Scholarship (1 awarded/year)
$10,000
Child Welfare Stipend Program
Stipend
$8,000-$14,000
HRSA BHWET Stipend Program
HEALS Scholar Program
(must apply during priority consideration)
$4,000 + trip to policy and education event in DC
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)
Hourly
TBA based on hours worked, $15/hour
Must apply for FAFSA to be eligible for departmental scholarships
Handout

10. Public Financial Aid Loans
Complete FAFSA to be eligible for:
$20,500 Unsubsidized Direct Loan (can receive each academic year)
Graduate Plus Loan for up to your cost of attendance
Unsubsidized loans-Accrue interest while in school
Only take out as much as you need to pay for school

11. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Dates for submitting the FAFSA depending on when you plan to go to school:
Advanced Standing applicants: if you will need financial aid support for the summer bridge courses, you will need to submit BOTH the FAFSA and the FAFSA
In order to receive graduate level financial aid, your undergraduate degree must be conferred. If you are starting the MSW Advanced Standing Program directly after graduating from a BSW Program in spring 2019, you may be ineligible for summer financial aid depending on how long it takes for MSU Denver to receive proof of degree conferral.
IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND COLLEGE FROM
YOU WILL SUBMIT THIS FAFSA
YOU CAN SUBMIT THE FAFSA FROM
USING INCOME AND TAX INFORMATION FROM
JULY 1, 2018 –
JUNE 30, 2019
2018–19
OCTOBER 1, 2017 – JUNE 30, 2018
2016
JULY 1, 2019 –
JUNE 30, 2020
2019–20
OCTOBER 1, 2018 – JUNE 30, 2019
2017
Apply for FAFSA BEFORE you are accepted to any programs!
First come first served money!
Do not PAY to file the FAFSA, it is free!

12. National Student Loan Debt for MSW Graduates
CSWE- (Counsel on Social Work Education, our accrediting body) Reports…
(Council on Social Work Education, 2016)

13. MSU Denver Affordability
Total MSU Denver Regular Program Cost
(estimated for a Colorado Resident, including textbooks)
$35,600
National Average MSW Student Loan Debt
(CSWE, 2016)
$40,815
Our regular two year program is less than the national average loan debt for people with an MSW!

14. Career Outlook
Talk to you about some US Bureau of Labor Statistics in regards to social work. AND our most recent survey of our MSW graduates.

15. Employment Rate Growth for Social Work Profession
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Employment of social workers is expected to grow 16% from 2016 to 2026
Average occupational national growth rate is 7%

16. Employment Rates: MSW Program Graduates
The majority of 2015 and 2017 graduates found a job in social work in 2 months or less of graduation from the MSW Program.‡

17. Recent Survey of MSW Alumni
Note: alumni may be working in multiple areas, and were able to select multiple options

18. Career Outlook

19. Licensure Information
Complete post graduation requirements to earn:
Licensed Social Worker (LSW)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
School Social Worker Licensure
After graduation, students can complete additional state requirements to earn Licensed Social Worker (LSW) and/or Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) status. Students are also eligible to obtain school social worker licensure.
Licensure in Colorado is only available to graduates of CSWE accredited MSW Programs. Students may not apply for licensure prior to graduation. The LSW license is the first step in obtaining the LCSW license.

20. Licensure Pass Rates
Over 141 MSU Denver Graduates who took the ASWB Clinical Exam over the last 6 years passed at a rate of 81%
- that’s well above the North American average of 66%!

21. Salary Range: Social Work Profession
The National Bureau of Labor Statistics reports:
Nationally, 80% of social workers make between $29,560 to $79,740 per year, with an average salary of $51,630
In Colorado, 80% of social workers make between $30,331 to $75,249 per year, with an average salary of $50,000

22. (National Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017)

23. Annual Income: MSU Denver 2018 Graduates
30% of 2018 graduates make over $50,000 per year, which is above the national average salary for social workers!

24. Annual Income: 1 and 3 Years after Graduation
54% of alumni working in the field for 1+ years are making more than $50,000 per year!

25. Questions?

26. Let’s Ask The Panel

27. Who are the Panelists? Name Credentials
When and where you earned your credentials
Where you work now

28. Panel Questions What drew you to social work?
Why did you choose social work over other similar fields?
Did your interests within social work change during your time as a student and/or during your time as a professional?
What has your experience been like in the field of social work so far? Why/how did you end up in the area of social work you are currently in?
How did you fund your education? What tips do you have for people in funding their graduate education in Social Work?
What advice would you give someone starting in the field of social work/furthering their social work career by pursuing an MSW?