Vet Center Scholarship Program
Vet Center Scholarship Program Created to Help Aspiring Mental Health ProfessionalsThe Vet Center Scholarship Program assists individuals pursuing accredited graduate degrees in the following programs:
- Social Worker (MSW)
- Psychologist (Doctoral Degree) *** (See below)
- Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors (LPMHC)
- Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT)
*** School Psychology degrees are not eligible for this scholarship. Follow the above links to confirm accreditation criteria.
VA will provide funding to cover up to two years of graduate studies for individuals pursuing these degrees and will then serve full time for a period of six years at one of VA’s 303 Vet Centers across the country, specifically, in underserved areas and in states with a per-capita population of more than 5% Veterans. Placement will be decided when the participant is within six (6) months of graduation. At that time, participants will be provided a list of critical hard-to-fill vacancies. The participants will prioritize their desires and that information along with the needs of the VA will dictate the placement location.
Scholarship applications are being accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, and scholarships are awarded on an ongoing basis. We highly encourage all interested individuals to apply.
About Vet Centers
Vet Centers are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of social and psychological services, including professional counseling to eligible Veterans, service members, including National Guard and Reserve components and their families. Vet Center counselors and outreach staff, many of whom are Veterans themselves, are experienced and prepared to discuss the tragedies of war, loss, grief and transition after trauma.
In FY 2023, 115,404 individuals received readjustment counseling at VA's Vet Centers, totaling nearly 1.3 million service encounters. Additionally, teams engaged with 162,291 people through outreach activities.
What You Will Need to Apply
The application process requires the student applicant to complete an online application which includes the submission of these requirements:
- Application (Completed by student applicant)
- Academic Verification (Completed by Dean of Program or equivalent)
- Evaluations and Recommendations:
Required: Academic Faculty
Required: Either an Employer/Manager or Other
(VA Employee) Required: Supervisor - Resume
- Transcript
- DD214 (current and former service members)
- SF50 (current and former VA employees)
For more information, please check the application package submission page.
Instructions on How to Apply
The process for submitting applications comes in three phases:
(1) this initial setup phase,
(2) the initial application entry requirements, and finally
(3) the additional application requirements (i.e. recommendation, academic verification, resume, transcripts, etc.).
Each section must be completed and submitted before you can go on to the next requirement.
To guide you in the application process, please review the following steps to ensure accurate registration.
1. Please complete the Applicant Registration hosted on the VA Scholarship page.
2. Within the application form, please ensure you select Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) under the program drop-down list.
3. Next, select the appropriate specialty, specifically marked as Vet Center positions within the specialty drop-down menu.
4. This registration page sets your basic application requirements. Once you click to Submit, the application will email you instructions for setting up an ID.me account. This email often ends up in a Spam/Junk folder so look through your email to find it. Setting up this ID.me account is essential in garnering access to this VA Secure site.
Application Package Review
Once the application package is submitted by the student applicant, it is reviewed within ten days by the VA Scholarship Program Office to confirm all of the required information and requirements have been provided. In instances when the package is incomplete, the student applicant is notified and is requested to address the deficiencies. Read more about the HPSP application process.
Priority will be given to Veterans and those graduating soonest. Thank you for your commitment in supporting Veterans, service members and their families. We welcome your application!
