The State University of New York has begun accepting applications for the SUNY/Office of Mental Health (OMH) Scholarship Program.
Gov. Kathy Hochul established the program in August 2022 with a $4 million federal funding. It offers scholarships, paid internships, fee waivers for graduate school applicants, and other benefits to students pursuing mental health degrees. It attracts, retains, and graduates students trained in various mental health professions, with the potential to improve the quality of mental health care for all New York State residents, with a focus on serving those who have historically lacked access to quality mental health services.
“The stigma associated with mental health has decreased in recent years, leading to an increase in the number of Americans seeking treatment, including SUNY students. “With the mental health field expected to grow significantly by 2032, we must prepare more excellent, diverse professionals for the workforce,” SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. stated in a news release. “When students are exposed to a varied community of practitioners from various backgrounds, they are more inclined to seek mental health care. This scholarship aims to make mental health degrees more accessible to everyone.”
Students can apply for the scholarship at https://www.suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship/.
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must major in a mental health subject with a goal of becoming a mental health practitioner, be a New York resident, and have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average or higher.
Eligible students must also be enrolled full-time in a mental health career major and be at least a second-year undergraduate with sophomore status or a first-year graduate student.
Scholarships include up to three years’ tuition, lodging & board, and fees. Undergraduate scholarships range from $9,000 to $15,000 each year, based on financial need. Students with diverse backgrounds are invited to apply. Candidates from low-income homes, first-generation college students, veterans, AmeriCorps graduates, students who have overcome adversity, and bilingual/multilingual students will be given preference.
As part of the program, SUNY collaborates with the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) to improve the quality of mental health care for all New York State residents by addressing the barriers and needs of people who have historically been underserved by quality mental health services, such as a shortage of bilingual/multilingual clinicians.
Increased access to a diverse workforce leads to improved patient/client happiness, engagement, and retention in care. In addition to the scholarship program, SUNY will provide almost $10 million in recurring annual funding beginning with the 2023-24 budget to help state-operated campuses enhance mental health services for students.