Child Welfare Stipend Program

In exchange for the $10,000 stipend and extensive child welfare training, accepted students must commit to work at a local Department of Social Service agency within the state of Virginia one (1) calendar year for each academic year the stipend was received. This employment obligation begins six (6) months after graduation. Once a student graduates and begins working for a local DSS agency, the graduate will keep their earned paycheck. Graduates working for local DSS agencies do not repay the stipend to the Virginia Department of Social Services if they obtain a qualifying position. 

Program benefits and support at GMU include:

• Workshops relevant to child welfare practice.
• Support with the employment search process.
• Required training through the Commonwealth of Virginia Learning Center.
• Field internship with a local Department of Social Services agency.
• Opportunities to connect with child welfare professionals and CWSP alumni working in Virginia.

• Eligible students must be enrolled full-time in the BSW or MSW program.
• For BSW Students:
  • CWSP only accepts rising BSW seniors (students should apply during their junior year.) 
• Students must be ready to enter field practicum. 
• Students must have a valid driver's license in good standing.

• Eligible students must be enrolled in a full-time BSW or MSW program.
• Stipend students must successfully complete two Child Welfare courses (Child Welfare Policy and Child Welfare Practice electives).
• MSW Stipend Recipients must complete one field practicum in a child serving setting, and one field practicum at a local Department of Social Services (primarily in a foster care/adoption, & in-home services).
• BSW Stipend Recipients and MSW Advanced Standing Stipend Recipients must complete one field practicum at a local Department of Social Services (primarily in a foster care/adoption, & in-home services).
• CWSP recipients are required to complete the VDSS new worker state training.*
• Accepted students must enroll and attend the weekly Field Practicum & Seminar class for CWSP students.
• Accepted students in the Child Welfare Stipend Program at GMU must attend the synchronous field and seminar class for their cohort. MSW online students are required to attend training sessions and the weekly seminar class in-person held on the GMU Fairfax Campus. 

*Mandatory VDSS state trainings vary each academic year. Students will be provided detailed training information after they have been accepted into the program.

Application Instructions:

Interested applicants should complete this application form and submit the following supporting documents. 

• Application form: 2026-2027 CWSP Application
• Personal Statement 
• Resume
• Two Professional References
• Rising MSW Specialization Year Students ONLY: Copy of fall 2025 semester practicum/field internship final evaluation.

Applications without the supporting documents are incomplete and will not be considered. 

Personal Statement information 

Before writing your personal statement, please listen to the following podcasts
1.Casework: What it Really Takes 
2.Pathways to Child Weflare Careers

After you have reflected on the materials above, please submit your responses to the following questions. Responses should be a maximum length of 2-3 three pages in total. Your statement should answer all the following questions:

1. Why are you interested in working with families in the public child welfare system, specifically in family preservation, foster care, and/or adoption services?
2. What experience have you had in public or private child welfare, as a volunteer, student or employee? How has that experience influenced you? If you do not have experience in child welfare, tell us more about what you understand to be the focus and importance of child welfare work.
3. Describe your immediate career goals. How will a social work education with a focus on public child welfare help you obtain these goals?
4. Working in public child welfare often means you are working in situations that will challenge you personally and professionally. Tell us about a time when you encountered a challenge where there was no way out but through. How did you work through that experience?
5. The Commonwealth of Virginia is investing significant resources to prepare its future child welfare workforce through this program. Tell us what strengths you will add to the child welfare workforce if chosen to participate in this program.

Professional References

Two professional references must accompany all applications to the Child Welfare Stipend Program at George Mason University. Recommenders should provide insight into why the applicant should be considered for the Child Welfare Stipend Program. Recommendation letters should address the following areas:

• Student’s academic performance
• Level of professionalism
• Written and verbal communication abilities

Guidelines for Professional References:

• References must come from professional sources, such as a current or former professor or supervisor.
• Choose recommenders who can speak to your academic abilities and professionalism.
• Provide each recommender with the 2026–2027 Professional Reference Form to complete.
• Personal references (e.g., friends, family members) will not be accepted.

Students should provide their recommenders with the following link to access the professional reference form. 
2026-2027 CWSP Professional Reference Form

Fall Semester Practicum Evaluation

Rising MSW Specialization Year students must upload a copy of their practicum/field internship evaluation from the fall 2025 semester.

Application Deadlines

There are two application deadlines. Be sure to submit all required materials by the deadline that applies to your student status.

Deadline 1: January 31, 2026

For:

• Current full-time BSW students entering their senior year in Fall 2026 
• Current full-time MSW on-ground students entering their 2nd year in Fall 2026 
• Current full-time Dual Degree MSW students entering their 3rd year in Fall 2026 
• Current MSW online students expecting to graduate in May 2027 or May 2028 
• Current MSW 3- or 4-year students entering field practicum in Fall 2026 

Deadline 2: March 1, 2026 

For:

• Prospective students applying to the MSW Advanced Standing Program* 
• Prospective students applying to the 2-Year MSW Program* 
• Prospective students applying to the Dual Degree MSW Program* 

*Some applicants may not receive their MSW admission decision before the CWSP deadline. However, applicants should still submit their CWSP application by the deadline for consideration. Late applications will not be accepted.

Student Notification and Acceptance of Stipends

Applicants will be notified in writing via email about the award decision after interviews are completed. Students who are offered the Child Welfare Stipend will be required to sign a legally binding agreement called a Student Recipient Agreement, which details the student and postgraduate program expectations. Applicants who choose to accept the stipend must sign and submit the Student Recipient Agreement to the Child Welfare Stipend Program Coordinator.

Application to CWSP and Acceptance into the MSW Program

Applicants should not wait until they receive a decision letter from the MSW program before applying to the Child Welfare Stipend Program. Applicants interested in the MSW Program and Child Welfare Stipend are encouraged to apply to both programs separately within the same time frame. The MSW and CWSP are different programs; however, the application timelines are similar.

Students in the Child Welfare Stipend Program are required to complete one (1) practice elective and one (1) policy elective, for a total of two (2) electives, before graduating from the BSW or MSW program. The Virginia Department of Social Services approves the available electives. Accepted students will receive this information during the spring semester.

BSW students 
Practice: SOCW 483 - Select Topics: Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice
Policy: SOCW 415 - Child and Family Welfare

MSW on-ground students
Practice: SOCW 677 - Family Therapy
Policy: SOCW 654 - Social Policy: Children/Youth

MSW online students
Practice: SOCW 677 - Family Therapy
Policy: SOCW 654 - Social Policy: Children/Youth

Accepted MSW online students are required to meet with the CWSP coordinator, Katherine Cornejo, and the MSW online program director, Dr. Daphne King, about the CWSP electives.

Katherine Cornejo, LICSW, LCSW
CWSP Coordinator
(703) 993-6009
kcornej@gmu.edu