30+ MFT Scholarships & Resources to Help You Graduate with Less Debt

Offered by datingadvice.com, a journalism and media site focused on relationship guidance from industry experts, this scholarship is an excellent example of how financial aid can come from surprising places. Marriage and family therapy is highly relevant to the website’s subject matter, and students earning MFTs or similar degrees are the only scholarship beneficiaries.

• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: June 30th
• Eligibility: Applicants must study psychology and pursue a profession in relationship counseling or similar. Beyond that, evaluation is based on academic performance (3.5 GPA minimum) and a companion essay that must be written as part of the application.

This fellowship is awarded by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) to members pursuing post-graduate degrees for careers in the family and consumer sciences domain. Preference is given to candidates with previous field experience (including roles with titles like assistant, intern, trainee, etc.), among other criteria.

• Amount: $5,000, plus up to $1,000 expense reimbursement
• Deadline: January
• Eligibility: The primary aspects of eligibility are based on the AAFCS’s focus—the productivity and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. To be considered, an applicant must pursue a degree and career under this purview.

This scholarship, offered by the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA), requires that applicants be New Mexico residents, commit to work their first two years postgraduation in New Mexico, and be at least bachelor-level juniors or above. Applicants from all demographics are welcome, but priority is given to those who “self-identify as Latino/Hispanic/Chicano or another ethnic self-identifier as listed on the JTR Scholarship Application.”

• Amount: Varies; award amounts tied to volunteer service hours
• Deadline: April 30th
• Eligibility: In addition to more common requirements, applicants must be U.S. citizens, legal residents, or DACA and they must be residents of New Mexico, be studying in a behavioral health program, and committed to working in New Mexico and volunteering at the NLBHA after graduation.

A program offered by San Francisco State University, the LeBlanc Scholarship is focused on promoting behavioral health and mental well-being among African Americans. While applicants don’t strictly need to be African Americans, they must show a dedication to serving and supporting them through their profession as therapists.

• Amount: One year of tuition per award
• Deadline: Varies
• Eligibility: In addition to requirements tied to GPA, class load, etc., applicants must have one graduate semester in a counseling program already under their belt. Most importantly, they must “document their demonstrated track record of service to African Americans.”

This scholarship for diversity students has a broad scope. Offered by the Foundation for the Advancement of Human Systems (FAHS), it is available to individuals who self-identify as one of several diverse groups—including people of color, people with disabilities, and the LGBT community—and helps these underrepresented students pursue careers in marriage and family therapy.

• Amount: Up to $3,000
• Deadline: May 1st
• Eligibility: In addition to minority status and intent to become an MFT professional, applicants must be either members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) or nominated by someone who is.

Members of the LGBT community often face unique challenges and opposition that can make it difficult to get an education or pursue a career. To help these students close the gap and build a better future for themselves and those like them, the Pride Foundation has a wealth of scholarship and aid programs. While not all the aid opportunities are suitable for those studying in therapy-related fields, many are, and you can apply to the whole host of them with a single application.

• Amount: Varies
• Deadline: January
• Eligibility: Scholarship awards are based on need and prioritize Pride community members and other diverse groups. The only strict requirements shared by all programs are that applicants must pursue a postsecondary education and be residents of the Northwest region—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington—though residents may study at universities elsewhere.

Offered by the American Psychology Association (APA) and funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this program helps master’s-level students in psychology programs, specifically those that prepare them to “provide mental health services to transition-age youth.” While applicants need not be transition-age youth or members of a community of color, they must demonstrate commitment to serving individuals in these groups.

• Amount: Up to $13,000 for one year
• Eligibility: The standout requirements for this program are a commitment to serving STAY individuals and communities of color (including a two-year commitment to serving professionally after graduation) and current enrollment in an APA-accredited, terminal master’s program.

The Women’s Independence Scholarship Program has a narrow scope regarding intended recipients. Recipients are female survivors of intimate partner abuse, and the program is designed to help these students gain a better position to support themselves and maintain separation from their abusers.

• Amount: Up to $2,000 per semester
• Eligibility: Applicants must be female abuse survivors and must be pursuing education via a university, community college, technical or vocational school, or similar accredited institution. Preference is given to returning WISP students, single mothers with young children, and students seeking their first degree.

Provided as one of several financial aid opportunities from the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), the Lunceford Scholarship offers support to nonwhite students who demonstrate academic achievement and financial need.

• Amount: $4,000
• Deadline: November
• Eligibility: Applicants must be BIPOC in good academic standing and demonstrate financial need. They must also pursue an approved degree program or related advanced degree/certification, participate actively in community events, and prove commitment to the MFT profession.

Created as part of the San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Workforce Partnership (SJCBHWP), this program is designed to help fill the current gap in the county’s mental health workforce. Applicants are incentivized to work in a “network adequacy-facing organization with the MEDI-CAL population” (a phrase that probably makes more sense if you already live there).

• Amount: Up to $5,000 per year, with a total max of $10,000
• Deadline: April
• Eligibility: Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and pursue a graduate program in social work, psychology, MFT, or counseling. Preference is given to students living in San Joaquin County, working at an approved San Joaquin organization, who demonstrate unmet needs.

The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT) Educational Foundation Scholarship provides financial assistance to one student participating in advanced training or an unpaid internship within the field of marriage and family therapy.

• Amount: $4,000
• Deadline: November
• Eligibility: Applicants must be and demonstrate financial need. While a CAMFT membership is not required, it is strongly recommended.

HRSA programs are another example of an attempt to meet the need for primary care professions in underserved areas. Unlike most others, these are funded via federal grants, so location-based is less a matter of geography and more one of regional disparity.

While specific institutions offer these scholarships, they’re funded through the HRSA. While the source of the funding is centralized, you’ll have to dig a little to find the appropriate school and program. The link above is for the “find grants” page, which will help you narrow that search, but you must follow up with the schools.

• Amount: Varies
• Deadline: Varies
• Eligibility: Varies, but standard requirements include area of study (some programs are only for primary care providers, like physicians, while others focus on behavioral health) and an agreement to provide care to underserved areas after graduation.

Available only to graduate students from Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin’s Bonynge Memorial Scholarship helps behavioral health students complete their education and achieve their desired careers. This scholarship does not stipulate commitments to serve the related local communities after graduation, so if you’re an eligible resident and don’t plan on staying in the state after tossing the cap, this one might be a good fit.

• Amount: $1,000/year
• Deadline: May
• Eligibility: Minnesota resident and attending high school (including home school) in a Minnesota school system. Applicants must also be graduate students enrolled in or accepted to an approved program such as LP, LICSW, LMFT, or LPCC.

The Counseling Scholarship is funded by The Heartland Counseling Center—a network of behavioral health clinics in Missouri. For this one, you don’t need to be a Missouri resident or pledge to serve communities in the state after graduation. You only need to be a graduate student attending a master’s-level counseling program at a college or university in Missouri.

• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: July 1st
• Eligibility: The primary requirement is attendance in an appropriate program at a Missouri institution. Recipients are then chosen based on academic performance and the accompanying essay.

This scholarship from the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) is offered to help increase the number of Black or African American counselors available to serve underserved populations in New Jersey’s inner cities. This fellowship explicitly requires applicants to identify as African American, which should help limit competition for those who qualify.

• Amount: $10,000
• Deadline: April 30th
• Eligibility: Applicants must be New Jersey residents or studying in the state. They must be currently enrolled in an accredited masters-level counselor program with no other behavioral health masters under their belt already. They must identify as Black or African American, and to receive the award, must commit to at least two years of providing mental health services in specified New Jersey populations after graduation.

This program, offered by the American Counseling Association (ACA), is available to postgrad students working to promote multiculturalism and diversity in counseling. While some scholarships focus on helping disadvantaged students close the gap, this program aids allies looking to do their part to make the profession more inclusive.

• Amount: $2,500
• Deadline: TBD
• Eligibility: To be eligible, applicants must be an ACA member pursuing a graduate degree in counseling, have an outstanding academic record, and have demonstrated a commitment to multiculturalism and diversity.

Another program offered by the APA and funded by SAMHSA is available to doctoral-level students in behavioral health programs. The fellowship requires a two-year commitment to serving the needs of communities of color. It provides access to several additional benefits beyond financial aid, including travel and dissertation support, assistance with the internship application process, and more.

• Amount: Three years maximum of financial support
• Deadline: November
• Eligibility: Applicants must be full-time doctoral students enrolled in an APA-accredited program and commit to serving communities of color. While being a person of color is not required, these students are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Association of Illinois Township Committees on Youth (AITCOY) offers two scholarships for students pursuing behavioral health and relationship therapy degrees, one undergrad and one postgrad. The basic requirements and awards are roughly the same, and both require that applicants be Illinois residents. The details below are for the graduate scholarship.

• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: September
• Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled or accepted in an approved master’s program, plan to pursue a career in social services with youth after graduation, and have experience working with youth programs or social services.