Program Cost & Financial Aid

Applicants who are not PLU alumni are automatically considered for this one-time merit scholarship, which, if awarded, will be applied to the first term of the program.

The Dr. Ellen K. Carruth Diversity & Inclusivity in Counseling Scholarship was named after a past beloved board member and fierce advocate of diversity and inclusion for all marginalized individuals.  All applicants who meet the eligibility criteria will be entered into a lottery, WMHCA is committed to providing eight $500 scholarships.

Applications must:

• Must be a Member of WMHCA (if this is a barrier email Shannon)
• Must reside and/or attend a graduate program in Washington.
• Must be currently enrolled in a graduate program.
• Must plan to apply for the LMHCA/LMHC credential.
• Must demonstrate financial need.
• Must demonstrate a connection to one or more of the scholarship categories.
• Must demonstrate a clear understanding and connection to WMHCA’s mission and values.
• Must demonstrate a commitment to providing culturally responsive services to identified client communities.

Scholarship Eligibility Categories

• Diversity and Equity: Students of historically marginalized identities with particular attention to BIPOC, immigrant, LGBTGEQIAP+, and disability identities.
• Rural: Students from rural areas who demonstrate a commitment to work in and serve an area designated as rural by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
• Military: Students who are active-duty service members, veterans, or spouses of active-duty service members or veterans.

Apply here. Applications are due October 31, 2024

Applicants will be notified of awards December 1, 2024

The International Grant is awarded to degree-seeking international students who do not qualify for the Nordic Grant. $7,000 is awarded for the first year of the program and $3,500 awarded for the second year (only for 2-year program options). (If awarded the International Grant, applicants are not eligible to receive PLU Alumni or Graduate Academic Scholarships.)

The Ballmer Behavioral Health Scholarship is a conditional grant of up to $51,500 based on unmet need for students in accredited master’s degree programs. The grant is given on the condition of employment at select Washington state community behavioral health agencies or tribal health centers following graduation.

The Washington State Behavioral Health Workforce Development Initiative is a career-focused, place-based collaboration and conditional scholarships are competitive.

Eligibility Criteria

• Demonstrated financial need as indicated by completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)Ⓡ or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) for current academic year. If you are not eligible to apply for FAFSAⓇ/WASFA (e.g., international student), please contact your education program’s Workforce Development Initiative administrator.
• Enrolled in a master’s level counseling, marriage and family therapy, or social work program at a partnering institution. Applicants who have applied and/or accepted admission to a relevant program at a partnering institution but have not yet begun their first term of study are still eligible to apply.
• Ability to obtain employment post-graduation at an eligible community behavioral health agency in Washington state.
• Ability to maintain legal residency in Washington state for at least 36 months post-graduation for students receiving a conditional grant for an academic program longer than one year (or at least 18 months post-graduation for students receiving a conditional grant for an academic program that is completed in one academic year).

Application Process

• Apply for student financial aid through FAFSAⓇ/ WASFA.
• Complete the online Ballmer Behavioral Health Scholarship application by March 1. The application takes approximately 60 minutes to complete and must be completed in one session.
• Reply to a selection notification email by the acceptance deadline.

Deadline: March 1

Selection: Each partnering higher education program selects which of its student applicants are awarded a Ballmer Behavioral Health Scholarship, a conditional grant. Selection determinations are made holistically and include review of the following characteristics of the student: commitment to behavioral health, experience with and commitment to working with diverse communities, commitment to post-graduation employment, and financial need. Academic success and/or a letter of recommendation might be required by your university selection committee.

The Ballmer Behavioral Health Scholarship, one component of the WDI, is designed to reduce or eliminate student debt, while building capacity in the community behavioral health field therefore requires a three-year employment commitment (unless the applicant is enrolled in a one-year program).

This education and career opportunity is competitive and applicants are notified of selection by email. In accepting the conditional grant, students will sign an agreement outlining the grant commitments and responsibilities. Accepting students attend a virtual orientation at the beginning of the program.

Conditional Grant Expectations: For students attending graduate programs that take longer than one academic year to complete, the conditional grant offers up to $51,500 based on unmet financial need. For students attending graduate programs that are completed in one academic year, the conditional grant offers up to $25,750 based on unmet financial need.

Conditional grant funds are distributed each academic term (quarter or semester) of the student’s program.

Conditional grant students participate in a variety of professional development activities during their graduate education to prepare them as the next generation of clinicians for Washington’s community behavioral health workforce. Students should expect to spend approximately eight hours per month on these activities during the academic year. Activities take place virtually but may include in-person events. In addition to completing the requirements of their program, students are expected to maintain good academic standing and be enrolled at least part-time.

Following graduation, conditional grant students are expected to work in a WDI-approved community behavioral health agency within Washington state for three years for students completing their program in more than one academic year (or 18 months for students completing their program in one academic year).