Accepting offers

We’re excited that you’ve been admitted to the VCU School of Social Work. Make sure you accept your offer in time and check other important dates on the Accepted Students page. For more detailed information, see the first-year student checklist or the transfer checklist.

Scholarships and other financial aid

All outstanding freshman applicants are automatically considered for university-level scholarships if they apply for the fall semester by Nov. 1 — no separate application needed. Transfer applicants must submit VCU’s online electronic application by March 15. An optional two-page essay may be submitted. For more information, see the VCU cost and aid and scholarships and funding pages. 

Current B.S.W. students are eligible each academic year for a variety of school and university scholarships and other aid opportunities. The school emails instructions and application details in late fall or early spring. Selected scholarship recipients will be notified of their award via VCU email by the end of April.

The Child Welfare Stipend Program at VCU is a specialized academic program that accepts a small cohort each year, paying a $10,000 stipend per student. Current B.S.W. students may apply to start the program in the fall of their senior year. Each stipend recipient has a payback requirement to work at a local department of social services within Virginia, in prevention, foster care or adoption.

Orientation

Ram Ready Orientation for incoming fall students is held each summer, with sessions tailored for freshmen, transfers and veterans. Students starting in the spring semester will participate in Orientation in January. 

During Orientation, you will connect with a School of Social Work student success advisor who can assist you with planning your course schedule and registering for your classes. 

Make sure you reserve your space by registering for Orientation today. Families and/or supporters may also participate in a customized virtual Orientation and will be signed up for email notifications to stay connected. 

Office of Student Success, School of Social Work

The School of Social Work’s student success team is often referred to as OSS, and it has numerous supports and services to empower you to stay on course to graduation. Student success advisors will serve as a sounding board and referral source for academic and personal issues, stressing flexibility and, above all, empathy. To connect with your advisor, please fill out this form and an advisor will be in contact soon.

OSS oversees programs, events and student organizations within the school, manages processes and provides assistance regarding school and university scholarships for continuing students, sponsors career and job preparation workshops and networking, and addresses questions or concerns around school policies or documents.   

Contact the Office of Student Success at sswadvising@vcu.edu.

Accepting offers

Once an admission offer is made, it must be officially accepted by going into your application portal and using the link in your acceptance letter; a $100 tuition deposit (for 2021 admissions) must also be made by the indicated deadline to secure your place in the cohort. To pay your deposit, please log into eServices with your VCU eID and password and select “admission tuition deposit” under the Applicants tab.

Scholarships, stipends and other aid

Prospective students are encouraged to apply for FAFSA Graduate Student Loans and connect with the VCU Financial Aid office. 

The Child Welfare Stipend Program at VCU is a great opportunity for students interested in working in child welfare and provides M.S.W. student participants a $10,000 stipend per academic year. Learn more about the stipend program.

M.S.W. scholarship opportunities through the School of Social Work are announced at the beginning of the spring semester. There are additional graduate scholarship opportunities through VCU’s RAMS Scholarship HUB.

M.S.W. assistantships will be announced in the summer before the fall semester starts. Check the School of Social Work Resource Wire weekly email for these opportunities. In addition, Federal Work Study opportunities are typically posted in the Fall semester on Handshake.

Mandatory orientation

Once admitted, students are required to attend a mandatory M.S.W. Program and Office of Field Education Orientation. You will receive information from the program with specific details about the mandatory Orientations, including date and time.

Advanced standing

• Summer Advanced Standing orientation is held in mid-May prior to the start of advanced-standing field
• Fall Advanced Standing orientation is held in mid-August

For online students, orientation will be a mix of asynchronous and synchronous content.

Regular standing

Orientations for regular standing on-campus students are typically scheduled the week before the first day of classes in August. For information about the VCU Graduate School orientation, please view the schedule on the Graduate School website.

Deferrals

Students may defer up to one year after depositing, after which all application materials will be considered invalid. Please reach out to sswinfo@vcu.edu to request a deferral. Students wishing to defer beyond a calendar year will have to reapply to the program, as admission is no longer guaranteed.

Accepting offers

Once an admission offer is made, it will be followed with an offer letter for the Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA). Accepted applicants have until April 15 to officially accept the offer by going into your application portal and using the link in your acceptance letter.

Scholarships, assistantships and other aid

Admitted students are awarded a GRA, which provides four years of full tuition remission and a competitive stipend. In exchange, students work closely with one or two faculty members on faculty research projects. The School of Social Work also awards a number of designated scholarships to Ph.D. students, and numerous graduate scholarship opportunities are available through VCU and state/national sources. The doctoral program director and faculty advisors assist students in identifying appropriate sources of support.

Orientation

Admitted Ph.D. students are required to attend several Orientation sessions. The program will apprise them of the date and time of these sessions along with other relevant information.

Deferrals

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program are permitted to request a deferral of up to one year, after which all application materials will be invalid. Please contact the Ph.D. program coordinator at sswphd@vcu.edu to request a deferral.