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Across the country, the demand for student mental health services has surged in light of pandemic challenges. Over the past few years, students' pre-existing conditions of anxiety, depression, PTSD and suicidal ideation have only been exacerbated by the pandemic, and minority students have been disproportionately affected by these challenges. While many colleges have not been able to keep up with the rising mental health crisis among its students, others are stepping up its efforts to build a more supportive, nurturing environment on its campuses.
With funding from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund, nearly $1 million has been awarded to 12 University of North Carolina institutions to make “immediate investments” in mental health services, programs, and staff. The goal is to enhance the mental health resources and make them available to more students beginning this fall. Each campus will utilize funding in innovative ways. For example, UNC at Pembroke will use its grant funds toward a counselor-in-residence program, where a full-time counselor will live in student housing and provide counseling services on-site.
According to Peter Hans, President of the UNC System, “These grants should help campuses scale up their mental health services to meet the real and growing needs of students. We must do all we can to support our students who have faced added stress during the pandemic. Mental health wellness is a high priority for our universities, and a key part of helping students reach their academic goals.”
Counselors, social workers and psychiatrists and psychologists are in demand more than every before. There are many scholarships available for students who belong to minority groups and are interested in pursing a career in mental health services.
Amount: $80,000
Deadline: March 17, 2022
Scholarship Description: This program offers competitive, prestigious scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related research. The program offers a paid 10-week summer research training at the NIH. After graduation, the scholar will receive training as a full-time employee in an NIH research laboratory.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: May 1, 2022
Scholarship Description: College students who belong to an underrepresented ethnic group with a GPA of 3.0 who are pursuing a civics related degree are eligible to apply. This program honors students whose devotion to community service, selfless acts of care, and interest in improving the quality of life for others reflect the life of the awards' namesake.
Amount: $2,000
Deadline: February 15, 2022
Scholarship Description: College juniors and seniors or graduate students with a 3.7 GPA pursuing a degree in psychology, social work, or other fields of study related to the provision of mental health services are eligible to apply. The Foundation’s mission is to increase the talent pipeline through scholarship awards to students entering the mental healthcare profession, expand the delivery of needed mental health care services, and promote reformation to extend the scope of clinical, behavioral health professional services.