Inquiries should be addressed to the department of public welfare, public health, or mental health of the state in which the candidate wishes to work. A few private agencies offer stipends, usually with the understanding that the individual will work for the agency after receiving the master's degree. In most instances, admission must be approved by the School before an agency will offer educational stipends. Students interested in agency scholarships should make inquiries with private agencies in their localities and may also wish to contact various professional social work organizations. Stafford Student Loans are available through universities, banks, credit unions, or savings and loan associations.
Current interest is variable.
An origination fee of 3 percent and a guarantee fee of 1 percent are also assessed. The University of Chicago's Federal Stafford Loan Program offers a 2 percent origination fee and no guarantee fee. A student who has had previous educational loans through a Stafford Student Loan program may wish to continue to borrow through that source. Upon graduation the student will then need to repay only one consolidated loan. Since Stafford Student Loan funds are often committed by midsummer, students are urged to explore the possibility of a Stafford Student Loan in the early Spring.