Psychology Department

Affording Graduate School

While in School

Graduate Assistantships

Students in the M.S. in Addiction Studies are all eligible to apply for Graduate Assistantships offered each Fall and Spring semester. The Grad Assistant works in the Addiction Studies graduate program to support the faculty and program operations. Grad Assistants serve as models for students and guide their peers during the application process into the program and onboarding them once they are admitted. They provide vital functions for the program, including but not limited to helping to arrange invited speakers, assist with grant preparation and reports, hold informational interviews with applicants to the program, and serve as a touchstone for questions students may have about the program and helping them navigate to any needed resources. Students can work 5-19 hours per week.

The stipend provides either:

    1. $1,200 – for working not more than 5 hours per week
    2. $1,800 – for working not more than 10 hours per week
    3. $2,400 – for working not more than 15 hours per week
    4. $4,800 – for working not more than 20 hours per week

Anyone interested please contact the Program Coordinator Professor Mary Murphy at murphym@wcsu.edu. See more information  HERE

 

Kathwari Fellowships

The Kathwari Graduate Fellowship is a merit-based award, not dependent on financial need, and is contingent upon the following criteria:  
  • The Fellowship recipient completed their baccalaureate (undergraduate) degree at WestConn.
  • The recipient is enrolled in or accepted to a graduate degree program at WestConn.
  • The recipient does not hold other university-supported positions (e.g., graduate student worker, graduate assistant and teaching assistant assignments with more than 10 hours per week, resident advisor, graduate intern, or adjunct faculty) while holding the award.
Fellows will receive a stipend in the amount of $4000 per year or $2000 per semester, for a maximum of four consecutive semesters. The Fellowship provides graduate students with experiential learning opportunities through on-campus Fellowship appointments. Kathwari Graduate Fellowship recipients will commit 7 hours weekly to their Fellowship appointment, including research, teaching, or administrative duties. The Fellowship appointment will align with the Fellowship’s experiential learning goals, and the nature of the position and will be pre-approved by the Dean of the School of Graduate, International, and Career Studies.
To learn more about the Fellowship and apply please visit this page: HERE

After Graduation 

Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Loan Repayment Program through HRSA

The STAR program offers to pay back student loans in exchange for working in an approved setting. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/funding/apply-loan-repayment/star-lrp

Details:

  • This program offers up to $250,000 in loan repayment.
  • Recipients must work full-time for six years in a STAR LRP-approved facility.
  • To be eligible, you must be:
    • A US citizen, national, or permanent resident
    • Fully licensed, credentialed in an eligible discipline or a registered SUD professional, and
    • A full-time employee at a STAR LRP-approved facility.
  • Priority given to (1) individuals working in a STAR LRP-approved facility in a county where the drug overdose death rate for the past 3 years is higher than the most recent national average, and (2) individuals working in a STAR LRP-approved facility that is in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area (MHPSA).
  • Other factors considered: Debt-to-income ratio, employment start date

 

State of Connecticut Student Loan Reimbursement Program

The CTSLRP is a new student loan reimbursement program (as of 1/2025) for students that reimburses students up to $5,000 per year for those who do more than 50 hours of volunteer work in eligible non profit agencies. Students must have graduated from a CT public or private college, be a CT resident for 5 or more years, be paying towards student loans, and have outstanding student loan debt. See more info at CT state loan reimbursement program for volunteering

If you have questions about your eligibility please email OHE.SLRP@ct.gov

 

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

The PSLF program forgives all student loan balances for students who work in public service in federal, state, tribal, local government, or non profit organizations. People who work for eligible employers and make 120 payments towards their student loan balance qualifies balances to be forgiven in full. See more info about qualifications HERE

National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program

Counselors in the substance use disorder field are eligible to apply for the NHSC Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program if they agree to work in an approved NHSC SUD facility. You receive up to $75,000 in exchange for working at a facility designated as a health professional shortage area (HPSA) for a 3 year period. Many of our area employers are considered eligible sites (e.g. Liberation Programs, Danbury Community Health Center, Danbury / Bethel / Brookfield High school, Broadview Middle School, Casa Recovery, Wheeler Clinic, Bridges, Cornell Scott-Hill Health Centers, and several local federally qualified health centers, school based health centers, and prisons, etc).

You can search this database for open job opportunities within NHSC- approved substance use disorder treatment facilities HERE