MSW students at the Columbia School of Social Work spend 21 hours per week in the field, where they provide individual and group counseling, case management, referral services, and various other support services at their field placements. At this time, students do not receive compensation for these hours worked (totaling 300 hours per semester, and 1200 by graduation). 

Unpaid field positions contribute greatly to financial instability among students. In addition to high caseloads, class assignments and other commitments, many students face financial burdens due to the high cost of tuition, and therefore rely on Federal Work-Study and part time jobs in order to get through the program. The need to work additional hours on top of schoolwork and fieldwork to make ends meet affects students’ mental and physical health. 

As current first-year MSW students, we are calling on CSSW to adopt an alternate option for students who qualify for Federal Work-Study, such as those offered by other MSW programs. At the University of Pennsylvania School of Public Policy and Practice, fieldwork hours count toward Federal Work-Study awards. Per the program’s  website, “For Master of Social Work (MSW) students deemed eligible for work study, you may use your work study award at your field placement site and be paid for hours that are already counted as field placement hours.” 

While many CSSW students are awarded Federal Work Study awards as part of their financial aid package upon acceptance into the program, only a small handful are actually able to fully access their funds due to the demanding requirements of Columbia’s curriculum. We are petitioning CSSW to adopt a similar policy to that of University of Pennsylvania. Students deserve access to the money that the federal government has already determined should be theirs through a financial aid award.