Behavioral Health Workforce Scholarship Program

The Behavioral Health Workforce Scholarship Program is funded subject to the availability of funds and appropriation from the Massachusetts Legislature. The behavioral health workforce is identified as a priority workforce area. Supporting individuals in the behavioral health pipeline throughout their education and career development is essential to increasing the pool of available behavioral health professionals working to serve the needs of the Commonwealth. The Behavioral Health Workforce Scholarship program provides funds to Massachusetts public and private institutions of higher education to provide financial incentives for behavioral health students to complete graduate-level degree and graduate-level certificate programs and apply newly advanced skills to high need behavioral health settings in Massachusetts. Recipients must commit to working in Massachusetts behavioral health settings for at least six months per academic semester of award. This scholarship is considered repayment through service, and failure to complete the required behavioral health work commitment will result in repayment of funds. The program covers tuition, fees, and stipends for students enrolled in eligible behavioral health graduate programs including social work, mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, marriage and family therapy, rehabilitation counseling, psychology programs, psychoanalysis, psychiatric/mental health nursing, and pastoral counseling.