Becoming a licensed social work professional offers many benefits for a successful career in the field. A licensed social worker receives more job security, opportunities for career development, and often-times higher salaries.
Given the recent healthcare and social service crisis, the state of Alabama will need significantly more licensed social workers to meet the needs of citizens of our state. Providing our students the tools to pass their licensure exam immediately after graduation can help mitigate the shortage of social workers in Alabama. Taking a licensure preparation class is one such tool. The cost affiliated to take a licensure prep class ranges from $300-$400 per student. This out of pocket expense often prevents students from considering this level of advanced preparation, even though it greatly increases ones’ likelihood of success on the licensure examination. It is out of reach and unattainable for many.
To eliminate the out of pocket expense of this class, we want to raise a minimum of $7,500 that will provide funding for at least 25 graduating students who are seeking to become licensed social workers to take the licensure prep course. This will be awarded to students with the greatest financial need.
This past November there were 24 students who participated in the licensure prep class. The School of Social Work would like to double that number, minimum. By doing this, we are not only supporting our students who are aspiring social workers, but also filling a need within the state of Alabama.
Thank you for your consideration of support and generosity!
