How To Become a Social Worker for Free

When most people think of social work, they often think of child welfare, but that’s just one facet of a broad career field. Social workers focus on helping to improve people’s lives and overall well-being, but unfortunately, it can be expensive to earn a social work degree.

There are many ways you can learn about social work for little to no cost, and there are many financial aid options to help you cover tuition for a social work degree. You may even find a free social work degree program to build credentials without incurring the cost. Keep reading to learn more about the ways to become a social worker.

Tips For Becoming a Social Worker With Little to No Cost

There are many career paths within the social work field, so there are a few ways to work in social services without spending an arm and a leg on a degree. We’ve offered some tips for becoming a social worker with little to no cost below.

1. Take Free and Low-Cost Online Social Work Courses and Certificate Programs

Although many social work careers require a bachelor's degree, if not a master's degree, some positions do not. Low-cost or free online courses in social work can help you gain skills to land these types of jobs.

Alison's Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Course

Alison is a free online learning platform that offers courses on various subjects. Its Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults course trains students to ensure a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults.

The course also explores the various forms of abuse, their immediate and long-term signs, and how they impact the lives of vulnerable individuals. Taking the course is completely free, but if you want a certificate of completion, you'll need to pay a small fee.

Alison's Fundamentals of Domestic Violence and Abuse Certificate

Fundamentals of Domestic Violence and Abuse is another course that Alison offers. This course — examines how to report abuse and explores the signs of abuse in a relationship.

Fundamentals of Domestic Violence and Abuse is another course that Alison offers. This course examines how to report abuse and explores the signs of abuse in a relationship.

AlaskaX's Introduction to Social Work

AlaskaX, part of the University of Alaska, offers programs through the online learning platform edX. One of those is a professional certificate in Introduction to Social Work.

This certificate includes two courses. The first introduces the basic concepts of social work and human services, while the second teaches about different areas of social work practice.

The program is self-paced, but most students finish within three months. Both courses together are priced at $238.

HarvardX's Child Protection Course

HarvardX is the name for Harvard University's edX programs. This includes a course titled 'Child Protection: Children's Rights in Theory and Practice.'

The course syllabus is broken into four sections:

• Every Child's Right to Protection
• Violence Against Children
• Children and the Law
• A System's Approach to Child Protection

This course is self-paced with rolling enrollment and is free to audit. If you would like your assignments and exams to be graded and would like a certificate of completion, you’ll need to pay a fee, which edX sets and occasionally discounts.

OpenLearn's Introduction to Social Work Course

OpenLearn is a platform run by the Open University that offers free online courses. One of these is the 'An Introduction to Social Work' course that introduces students to social work competencies and UK social work practice.

The course moves through three areas: key ideas, values, and the skills behind the social work process; social work with individuals and the importance of personal biography; and reflective practice. Once you finish, you’ll receive a free statement of participation.

OpenLearn's Working With Young People Course

Another course that OpenLearn offers is the 'Working With Young People: Roles and Responsibilities' course. It covers roles within organizations and projects concerned with young people, as well as forming relationships with young people.

This free course is self-paced and takes about 12 hours of study. Participants receive a free statement of participation when they complete the course.

2. Apply for Social Work Scholarships

Scholarships are a kind of financial aid that can help students pay for their degree programs. They do not need to be repaid and can be used together with other types of aid, like grants. Below, we've listed a few scholarships you can use toward your social work education.

Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarship

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Foundation offers the Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarship to students earning their master’s in social work (MSW) who are committed to working with American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic/Latino populations, or with public or voluntary nonprofit agencies and grassroots groups in the United States.

For the 2026–2027 academic year, the foundation awarded 10 scholarships of $5,000 each. To apply, you’ll need to be a member of the NASW and submit a biographical essay and two references. Students enrolled in an MSW program for more than one year may reapply for part or all of a second year of funding.

The Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund

The Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund is a need-based scholarship for students who are active and emerging organizers in progressive movements for liberation, self-determination, and social and economic justice in their communities.

The maximum grant is $15,000 per year, though the average award for 2025–26 was closer to $7,700. Both undergraduate and graduate students can apply, and there is no specific major required, although many recipients are social science learners. Recipients must reapply each year they need support.

Ima Hogg Scholarships

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health offers $5,000 scholarships to MSW and MSSW students at Texas graduate programs that are accredited or pending accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education. Students must have completed, or be about to complete, the first year of their graduate program.

You can’t apply directly. Every eligible Texas graduate school of social work is invited to recommend one student per year, and the foundation awards only one scholarship per university. Nominees are selected on academic achievement and a demonstrated commitment to providing mental health services to underserved or underrepresented people in Texas after graduation.

3. Seek Employer Tuition Reimbursement

Tuition reimbursement programs are sometimes offered by employers to help employees pay for college or continuing education. They require you to pay out of pocket, but then your employer reimburses you for the costs. Many large corporations offer these programs, but some smaller ones do too.

For example, if you have a Bachelor of Social Work and you're working a job in case management or community development, your employer may be willing to reimburse you for MSW costs so you can obtain licensure and become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).

4. Enroll in Community College Programs

Community colleges are two-year colleges that typically offer associate degrees as well as certificates and diplomas. Tuition at community colleges is often a lot less than tuition at a four-year college.

Many students choose to go to community college for the first two years of their degree, then transfer to a four-year college to finish the education requirements for their bachelor's degree. This route can save students a large amount of money.

5. Fill Out the FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application that all students should fill out if they need assistance paying for college. You must fill out the FAFSA if you want state or federal aid, and many other financial aid providers require the FAFSA as well.

The FAFSA will automatically determine if you're eligible for programs like the federal Pell Grant. The Pell Grant is a need-based grant that can significantly reduce the amount you pay in tuition costs.

6. Network With Social Work Professionals

Networking is a great way to meet new contacts in your field. One of the best ways to network is to gain work experience in the social services field.

For example, if you're interested in the public health aspect of social work, you can get an entry-level role at a local healthcare facility. This allows you to connect with experienced clinical social work experts.

7. Look for Internship Opportunities

Internships are a great way to both gain work experience and network with social work professionals. You can often find internships through your school, but you don't have to be a college student to be an intern.

Look for internships in the social work field or adjacent fields. Internships in health services centers, disability advocacy organizations, or substance abuse counseling organizations can all help prepare you for a career in social work.

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Social Worker for Free

Below, we've answered a few frequently asked questions about free educational resources for those looking to become social workers.

Can You Become a Social Worker Without a Degree?

Not if you want to carry the title of licensed social worker — every state requires at least a bachelor’s degree for licensure, and clinical roles require an MSW. However, plenty of adjacent roles in social services, including case aide, community outreach worker, peer support specialist, and residential counselor positions, hire candidates with a high school diploma or an associate degree. These jobs are a common entry point, and the experience counts when you later apply to a degree program.

Why Are MSW Degrees Often More Expensive Than Other Master’s Degrees?

Three things drive the cost. First, CSWE accreditation requires a minimum of 900 hours of supervised field practicum for master’s students, compared with 400 hours for bachelor’s students. Those hours are unpaid at most placements, so students lose earning time while still paying tuition. Second, programs have to employ field coordinators and liaisons to place and monitor every student, which is staffing that lecture-based programs don’t carry. Third, graduate students aren’t eligible for Pell Grants, so the single largest source of need-based federal gift aid disappears at the master’s level, leaving loans and scholarships to fill the gap.

Does the Pell Grant Cover Graduate School?

No. Pell Grants are for undergraduate students only. The maximum award for the 2026–27 award year is $7,395, and it applies to your bachelor’s or associate degree. Once you move into an MSW program, your federal options shift to Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Grad PLUS Loans, which is exactly why scholarships and employer tuition reimbursement matter so much at the graduate level.

Is an Advanced Standing MSW Cheaper Than a Traditional MSW?

Usually, yes. If you already hold a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program, many schools will admit you with advanced standing, which waives the generalist year of coursework and the first practicum. That can cut a two-year program down to roughly 12 months and reduce total tuition by close to half. Earning a BSW first and then applying for advanced standing is one of the most reliable ways to lower the lifetime cost of the credential.

Do Free Online Courses Count Toward Social Work Licensure?

No. Licensure requires a degree from a CSWE-accredited program plus supervised hours and a passing exam score. Free courses from Alison, OpenLearn, and edX won’t satisfy those requirements. What they do well is help you confirm that the field suits you before you commit tuition dollars, strengthen a resume for entry-level social services work, and give you vocabulary and context that make your first semester easier.

Find Free Educational Resources

A social work degree is expensive, but the price you see on a program’s website is rarely the price you pay. Between the FAFSA, scholarships like Gosnell and Davis-Putter, employer tuition reimbursement, and the community college transfer route, most students assemble their funding from several sources rather than one. Contact individual schools to find out more about cost-saving options, and explore Learn.org to find additional resources on reaching your career goals.