The Child Welfare Stipend program at UGA covers tuition and fees for competitively selected MSW students to prepare them for competent, professional child welfare practice. This program seeks to connect research and classroom content to child welfare practice to improve the quality of services to families served by the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services.
The goals of the program include:
- Preparing MSW graduates for competent child welfare practice
- Educating and retaining competent DFCS employees
- Improving the quality of services for families with multiple challenges and needs
- Contributing to a workforce with knowledge of systems theory with solution-focused and trauma-informed practice
- Promoting collaboration between the University of Georgia School of Social Work, DFCS, and other universities throughout Georgia
For the 2025-2026 school year, the School of Social Work covered tuition and fees, excluding parking and health insurance, for accepted MSW students in the Title IV-E program. Part-time students received a stipend of $500 for fall and spring semesters, while full-time students received a stipend of $750 for fall and spring semesters.
There is a Work Obligation if you are chosen for the Title IV-E stipend program. For every academic year you receive Title IV-E funding, you are required to work a calendar year at the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services in a social services position. The count for this time starts after you obtain your degree. This is how you “payback” the Program.
To be considered for an interview, please review the requirements below. Eligibility criteria and application deadlines differ for current DFCS employees and non-DFCS applicants. Be sure to review the qualifications and deadlines that apply to your employment status.
Title IV-E Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year are due:
- DFCS Employee deadline – December 11, 2026
DFCS employees for part-time MSW programs
The University of Georgia does not require current DFCS employees to be admitted to the School of Social Work before applying to the Title IV-E program. If you are approved for Title IV-E funding, you will then apply for admission to the School of Social Work. Approval from your leadership, documented through a signed SEED Agreement, is required before applying to the Title IV-E program. If you are not approved for Title IV-E funding, you may still choose to apply for admission and self-fund for your degree or apply to other universities Title IV-E programs.
Applications may be made online at https://iotis.org/iveprogram/.
- Non-DFCS Employee deadline – April 23, 2027
Non-DFCS employees
Applicants who are not currently employed by DFCS must be either current MSW students or admitted to the School of Social Work MSW program for the upcoming academic year prior to the Title IV-E April 23, 2027, application deadline.
Applicants are required to submit applications online through both of the websites listed below:
https://ssw.uga.edu/degrees-programs/msw/admissions/
https://iotis.org/iveprogram/
For more information, contact the UGA Title IV-E Program at [email protected].
