California Title IV-E Education Program

• Required BSW coursework – SWRK 320: Child Welfare (Elective)
• Senior year practicum placements must be in a qualifying California Public Child Welfare Agency.
• Attendance to all scheduled (on-campus) Title IV-E workshops and trainings, including monthly practice labs.
• Sign a contract agreeing to pay back this award by securing employment in a qualifying California Public Child Welfare Agency within six months of graduation. They must complete one year of full-time, continuous employment to "pay back" the full-time stipend. Monetary repayment is only required when appropriate and/or approved employment is not obtained.
• Students who are employees of a DSS/CDSS or CWS employees on educational leave must return to work in their home county upon graduation.

Students must be enrolled in the California State University, Chico, School of Social Work to be eligible to apply for the BSW Title IV-E Program. The number of stipends is limited. Applications must demonstrate commitment to public child welfare. Fluency in a high demand language is given priority.

Applying for Title IV-E BSW Stipend Program is a three-step process.

Step 1: Apply for admittance to Chico State.

Step 2: Apply to the CSU, Chico, School of Social Work BSW Professional Sequence Program. Download all application materials from the web site, complete the application, and mail or deliver to the School of Social Work. 

Step 3:Applicants must be accepted into the professional sequence and be in good standing to complete their junior year before applying to the California Title IV-E Education Program. Applicants apply to the Title IV-E Program during their junior year. A completed application will include a personal statement, an application, 2 references and an agency support form (if you are already employed within public child welfare).

Step 4: Candidates will be screened and interviewed by a panel consisting of University and community partners.

As part of your Title IV-E application, you are required to submit a three-to-four page personal statement. Your statement helps us understand your interest and understanding of child welfare, your readiness for this work, and your suitability for the Title IV-E Program. Please respond to all prompts. Your responses should reflect your writing skills, self-awareness, and critical thinking. To maintain academic integrity, all responses must be written by you, without the use of AI tools or external writing assistance.

Format & Length Requirements

• Respond to the prompts in one document.
• Write 3-4 pages, double-spaced.
• Use a common 12-point font.
• Use a heading for each prompt.
• Write clearly, concisely, and professionally.

Prompts

1. In your own words, describe the role and purpose of public child welfare social work. Why does this work matter, and where do you see opportunities for meaningful impact that connect to your interests and your decision to apply to the Title IV-E Program?
   
   
2. Public child welfare education often asks students to reflect critically on prior learning, assumptions, and experiences. Describe how you approach learning when material is challenging or unfamiliar. How do you engage with feedback, structure, and accountability, and how do you see yourself growing through both learning and unlearning in preparation for child welfare practice?
3. Public child welfare work can be emotionally complex. Describe how you would approach maintaining your well-being and effectiveness in the face of difficult situations, including what you might do to prepare in advance, respond in the moment, and reflect or recover afterward.
   
   
4. The Title IV-E Program is designed to prepare and support students for long-term work in public child welfare, rather than simply to provide financial assistance. Reflect on what it means to you to enter a program that requires both academic engagement and a service commitment. How do you see yourself participating fully in the responsibilities of the Title IV-E Program, and how does this program support your goals in public child welfare?

All applicants to the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program must ensure the following forms are completed and submitted on or before the due date:

• Agency Support Form - Required only for current public or tribal child welfare employee applicants. Completed and submitted by one individual from agency administration. Applicants must provide the link and ensure timely submission.
• Application Form - Completed and submitted by the applicant. Must include all required questions, a personal statement, names/emails of two references, and (for current public or tribal child welfare employees) the name/email of one agency administrator.
• Reference Forms - Two forms completed and submitted by your identified references. Applicants must provide references with the link and confirm both are submitted by the deadline.

An awards committee, made up of representatives of the CSU, School of Social Work, and community partners, which may include representatives of public child welfare agencies, tribal child welfare, county adoptions, and state adoptions, will review all applications, interview qualifying candidates, and finalize selection of candidates to whom the award will be offered.

Eligibility: Students accepted to the MSW One-Year Program.

• Students enrolled in the One-Year Title IV-E Education Program receive support for one year only in the amount of $25,000.
• Practicum placements must be in California County Child Welfare Agencies.
• Students sign a contract agreeing to pay back this award by securing employment in a California County Department of Child Welfare Services, or Social Services, Child Welfare Division within six months of graduation. They must work one year for each year of stipend awarded.
• Students who are DSS/CDSS or CWS employees on educational leave must return to work in their home county upon graduation.

Eligibility – Students accepted to the MSW Two-Year Program.

• Students enrolled in the Two-Year Title IV-E Education Program receive support in the amount of $25,000 per year based upon funds availability.
• First year practicum placements must be in agencies serving child welfare (IV-E) clients. Such clients are children and families who would have been eligible for AFDC prior to TANF and receiving child welfare related services. An eligible setting could include county child mental health and probation, nonprofit contract or referral agencies, i.e., residential treatment, child abuse treatment services, pediatric health program, and school-based services in which CWS participates.
• Second year practicum placements must be in California County Child Welfare Agencies.
• Students sign a contract agreeing to pay back this award by securing employment in a California County Department of Child Welfare Services, or Social Services, Child Welfare Division within six months of graduation. They must work one year for each year of stipend awarded.
• Students who are DSS/CDSS or CWS employees on educational leave must return to work in their home county upon graduation.

• Eligibility – Students accepted to the MSW Three-Year Program.
• Students enrolled in the Three-Year Title IV-E Education Program, which also includes our rural Pathway Title IV-E Program, receive part-time stipends only.
• Students receive up $19,141 per year to help with tuition, fees, cost of required books and some travel.
• Three-year part-time training program participation is limited to current employees in a public child welfare or tribal child welfare agency in our service region.
• Applicants must have a letter of support from the agency director of the county or tribal child welfare agency.
• Students sign a contract agreeing to pay back this award in their support agency by fulfilling a work commitment of two years of continuous and satisfactory employment.
• Title IV-E stipend recipients are required to take the Advanced Child Welfare and Substance Abuse electives.
• Note: The Title IV-E program offers two part-time MSW programs, the standard Distributed Learning (DL) Three-Year program and the Pathway Program. The Pathway Program, offered through the Title IV-E Program, is a part-time-only distributed learning program that provides support for students from the BASW to the MSW levels who live in rural and remote regions of California and who are employees of county agencies.

Students must be accepted to the California State University, Chico, School of Social Work to be eligible to compete for the Title IV-E Program. The number of stipends is limited. Applications must demonstrate commitment to public child welfare. Priority will be given to current employees of the County/State Department of Social Services, and who reflect the diverse client populations currently served by child welfare agencies in California. Fluency in a high demand language is also given priority.

Applying for the Title IV-E MSW Stipend Program is a three-step process.

Step 1: Apply for admittance to the Office of Graduate Studies online and pay the application fee.

Step 2: Apply to the California State University, Chico, School of Social Work MSW Program. Download all application materials, complete the application, and mail or deliver to the School of Social Work.

Step 3: Applicants must be accepted in the MSW Program before applying to the California Title IV-E Education Program.

Step 4: Once candidates are notified of their acceptance into the MSW program, those who have applied for the Title IV-E stipend will be interviewed by a panel consisting of University and community partners.

As part of your Title IV-E application, you are required to submit a three-to-four page personal statement. Your statement helps us understand your interest and understanding of child welfare, your readiness for this work, and your suitability for the Title IV-E Program. Please respond to all prompts. Your responses should reflect your writing skills, self-awareness, and critical thinking. To maintain academic integrity, all responses must be written by you, without the use of AI tools or external writing assistance.

Format & Length Requirements

• Respond to the prompts in one document.
• Write 3-4 pages, double-spaced.
• Use a common 12-point font.
• Use a heading for each prompt.
• Write clearly, concisely, and professionally.

Prompts

1. In your own words, describe the role and purpose of public child welfare social work. Why does this work matter, and where do you see opportunities for meaningful impact that connect to your interests and your decision to apply to the Title IV-E Program?
   
   
2. Public child welfare education often asks students to reflect critically on prior learning, assumptions, and experiences. Describe how you approach learning when material is challenging or unfamiliar. How do you engage with feedback, structure, and accountability, and how do you see yourself growing through both learning and unlearning in preparation for child welfare practice?
3. Public child welfare work can be emotionally complex. Describe how you would approach maintaining your well-being and effectiveness in the face of difficult situations, including what you might do to prepare in advance, respond in the moment, and reflect or recover afterward.
   
   
4. The Title IV-E Program is designed to prepare and support students for long-term work in public child welfare, rather than simply to provide financial assistance. Reflect on what it means to you to enter a program that requires both academic engagement and a service commitment. How do you see yourself participating fully in the responsibilities of the Title IV-E Program, and how does this program support your goals in public child welfare?

All applicants to the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program must ensure the following forms are completed and submitted on or before the due date:

• Agency Support Form - Required only for current public or tribal child welfare employee applicants. Completed and submitted by one individual from agency administration. Applicants must provide the link and ensure timely submission.
• Application Form - Completed and submitted by the applicant. Must include all required questions, a personal statement, names/emails of two references, and (for current public or tribal child welfare employees) the name/email of one agency administrator.
• Reference Forms - Two forms completed and submitted by your identified references. Applicants must provide references with the link and confirm both are submitted by the deadline.

An awards committee, made up of representatives of the Chico State, School of Social Work, and community partners, which may include representatives of public child welfare agencies, tribal child welfare, county adoptions, and state adoptions, will review all applications, interview qualifying candidates, and finalize selection of candidates to whom the award will be offered.