The University of Maryland School of Social Work is offering in-state tuition to D.C. residents enrolled in its Master of Social Work program, as part of a push to help address a shortage of social workers in the region.
The change, effective this fall, offers in-state credit prices to D.C. residents participating in either the online program, or in UMSSW’s locations in Baltimore or Shady Grove. It comes after the school noticed that in the last few years, D.C. residents would inquire about the Master of Social Work program and start an application, but then either not finish the application or, if they’re accepted, decide not to attend.
“It seems like the cost, paying out-of-state tuition, would probably be part of their decision making process for that,” said Amanda Lehning, senior associate dean for academic affairs and an associate professor at UMSSW.
D.C. residents will now pay $676 per credit, instead of the out-of-state cost, which is $1,307 per credit. Currently, there are fewer than 10 students in the program who live in D.C., which is part of what prompted the school to make the change.
“D.C., like the state of Maryland, like the surrounding area, is experiencing a major shortage of social workers,” Lehning said. “So there’s a need in D.C. for more social workers, and we think there’s a lot more people that would want to become social workers, because there’s all these different things you can do with that degree.”
Current students who are D.C. residents are going through the process of proving residency and applying for the in-state tuition. The online Master of Social Work program had 26 students last year and has 60 this year, and has been focused exclusively on Maryland residents. But now, Lehning said D.C. residents will get the chance to participate too.
The Shady Grove campus isn’t far from D.C., Lehning said, and there’s a focus on leadership, policy and social change at the Baltimore campus, which could attract D.C. residents because “they can do their internships down in D.C.”
Many social workers left the profession after the pandemic, and Lehning said there aren’t enough mental health providers or social workers who focus on older adults or in health care settings.
“It’s really important that we figure out ways to have more people decide to come and get the training through our program, to get an MSW and be able to go out and have careers where they’re not just working with individuals in terms of mental health care or supporting children and families or supportive older adults, but are also taking that … social justice approach to what they’re doing, and working to also make the systems work better for all of us,” Lehning said.
Editor’s Note: This report has been updated to reflect Amanda Lehning’s employment at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.
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