Mount Saint Joseph University receives grant through Ohio Behavioral Health Scholarship Program
The funding will fully fund tuition for 20 Master of Social Work students in an effort to address the state’s shortage of behavioral health workers.
Mount Saint Joseph University has received a $417,000 grant through the Ohio Behavioral Health Scholarship Program, which is a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, Health Impact Ohio, and the Ohio Department of Higher Education. The funding will provide full-tuition scholarships for 20 Master of Social Work students in order to help address the state’s shortage of qualified behavioral health workers.
According to an article on Mount Saint Joseph University’s website, Lisa Clifton, who serves as the Master of Social Work program director, was quoted as saying of the award, “This funding provides an important opportunity to recruit and support students who are passionate about making a meaningful difference in their communities. Ohio faces a critical shortage of behavioral health professionals, so this award represents more than scholarship funding. It is an investment in healthier communities and a sustainable behavioral health workforce.”
Mount Saint Joseph University is welcoming the inaugural cohort of its Master of Social Work program in the Fall 2026 semester. There are five students in the first cohort who are eligible to receive funding through the Ohio Behavioral Health Scholarship Program. Additionally, 10 advanced standing students beginning in Summer 2027 will be eligible to receive funding, and five students in the Fall 2027 semester will be eligible, as well.
In order to be eligible to receive the funding, students must be Ohio residents who are committed to working in an eligible behavioral health field in the state following their graduation and become employed therein within six months. Their commitment must be equal to the amount of time they received scholarship funding. Students are able to receive up to $15,000 per year for two years, which is the length of the program.
The Ohio Behavioral Health Scholarship Program has been established in order to bolster the number of licensed behavioral health professionals at the graduate and professional degree levels who are working in underserved communities. The program has been designed to remove barriers to obtaining the necessary education.
For more information about Mount Saint Joseph University, visit the school’s website.