Apply for These 7 Counseling Scholarships Today

If you plan to study or are currently studying counseling or psychology, you’ve likely wondered how to pay for college. Counseling scholarships can help you minimize debt as you work toward your degree.

The allure of free money — typically merit-based or aimed toward a specific student group — makes the scholarship market highly competitive. A 2024 Business Insider analysis found that private scholarships account for just 5% of college students’ financial aid.

If you’re a counseling student, applying to any of the counseling scholarships below could help you join that elusive 5% club.

Drug Rehab USA’s scholarship is targeted toward aspiring mental health professionals, including counseling students. You must apply with a .edu email address.

The primary selection criterion is a “compelling piece of content,” which could take the form of an essay, video, artwork, or other creative medium. This piece of content must address why you’re pursuing a degree in a mental health-related subject and how you envision contributing positively to the field.

Open to education, counseling, psychology, social work, and nursing students, this Scholarship America reward requires non-nursing applicants to commit to working within the K-12 system after earning their degree or certificate.

You must have some work experience to be eligible. The application includes three 1,000-word essays, one of which must focus on how you plan to use your degree to make a “meaningful impact in the K-12 school system.”

Psi Chi, or the International Honor Society in Psychology, is a nonprofit organization that awards eight scholarships a year to “exceptional” undergraduates.

To apply, you must be a member of Psi Chi. The organization takes into consideration both your past Psi Chi involvement and financial need when awarding scholarships. You’ll also need a letter of recommendation from a Psi Chi chapter faculty advisor.

This scholarship is restricted to psychology students who identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, and/or Alaska Native.

Applicants should explain how they plan to serve or work with ethnic or racial minorities after earning licensure. Membership in the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) is encouraged to demonstrate commitment to the field.

The American Psychological Foundation awards eight of these scholarships to psychology undergraduates each year.

To be eligible, you must demonstrate financial need and have a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA. You must also submit a letter of recommendation from a psychology faculty member and a personal statement that explains your interest in psychology and counseling.

The Melanie Foundation awards 5-6 scholarships a year to students pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in psychology, counseling, or another mental health-related field.

In your application, you’ll want to stress how your experience in the mental health field has helped shape your life. The application also requires you to explain how you plan to use your graduate education to assist at-need communities.

This scholarship targets American Indian and Alaska Native students who plan to pursue a career in Indigenous healthcare.

This is a highly competitive scholarship, with applicants needing to participate in their school’s internal competition before receiving consideration for one of 55 awards.

You must submit an 800-word essay and three letters of recommendation. If selected, you must also agree to attend a multiday scholar orientation.