SCDSS Continues Commitment to Serving Children and Families with Launch of MSW Scholar Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Will Batchelor
803-898-7835
publicinfo@dss.sc.gov
SCDSS Continues Commitment to Serving Children and Families with Launch of MSW Scholar Program
Columbia, July 13, 2023- The South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS) is looking to recruit, retain, and promote a well-educated, well-trained team to work with children and families served by the state's child welfare system. The agency is accepting applications from current SCDSS Child Welfare professionals to be admitted to a newly launched program, which provides financial tuition assistance to select DSS professionals seeking a Master's in Social Work at the University of South Carolina or Winthrop University. Those professionals will need to commit to continue working with the children and families served by SCDSS in Child Welfare Services for a minimum of two years after graduation in exchange for tuition assistance.
“The Department of Social Services is always looking toward the future. We want to make sure our DSS professionals have the support they need to further their education and sharpen their skills in order to better serve the children and families of South Carolina,” said Michael Leach, DSS State Director.
DSS professionals admitted to the program will receive the following benefits in exchange for committing to employment with DSS for two years post-graduation.
- Full tuition each semester
- Reimbursement for required books and course materials (does not include notebooks, folders, paper, etc.)
- Eligible for salary increase upon graduation, according to the published Child Welfare Salary Plan Schedule
To be eligible to apply for the DSS Child Welfare Employee MSW Scholars Tuition Assistance Program, students must:
- Be a current employee of DSS CWS for at least 1 year
- Currently hold a bachelor’s degree
- Obtain admission into the Graduate School and/or Master of Social Work program at the University of South Carolina or Winthrop University
- Have no pending or previous disciplinary action within the last 12 months of employment at DSS
To maintain good standing, employee program participants must:
- Apply and be accepted into the Child Welfare Scholars Program with DSS
- Maintain part-time enrollment in an MSW Program at one of the participating State of South Carolina universities' social work programs
- Must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher in all coursework
- Satisfactorily complete a DSS Child Welfare internship
- Maintain employment with DSS Child Welfare during the program and for at least two years post-graduation
Learn more about the application requirements, deadlines, and how to apply here.
This past August, SCDSS announced the BSW Scholars Tuition Assistance Program. The program shares the same goals as the MSW Program. During the Fall 2022 semester, social work scholars from each partner institution were awarded with tuition assistance to aid the student in paying for their education. This award covers up to $5,000 of relevant social work courses minus any other eligible financial aid for the final three semesters needed for the student to complete their BSW program. In exchange for the tuition assistance, the student had to complete an internship with the agency, as well as a SCDSS Child Welfare Services employment commitment of at least two years upon completion and graduation with a BSW degree.
Learn more about additional SCDSS career opportunities here.
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