Hello! I did not apply for the Air Force HSPS this year, and actually am not in a MSW program either. I got my MA in MFT and am working as a therapist. Plan on going back to school for Social Work, since they do not have an MOS for MFTs and my goal is to join the military. I would love to hear about your experience applying for the scholarship. Would you mind telling me what program you are attending and at what point you apply for the scholarship? If they let you know around feb, then I'm assuming you would have to apply during ur first year in the program as most acceptance letters to programs aren't out by that time during the application year...
Sorry, you came here for information and I just bombard you with questions!
Not a problem.
I am in my second year in the MSW program , and I applied back in May 2012 ( during ym first year) for the HSPS scholarship. I wanted to apply for the guaranteed job in the military after graduation. The scholarship pays for your 2 year MSW program ( must be clinical) and a $2088 stipend every month to help pay for living. You will hear that the scholarship is competitive; however, no information on how competitive the social work scholarship is. Majority of the of those stories come from the doctor and dentist HSPS, which they have their own number of applicants per year. Also, awards are given out in February and August.
The recruiter was straight forward. You have to submit applications, go through MEPS, and a phone interview with a Social Worker in the Air Force.
1. Application process
This is not too bad. You just fill out the question of you history. You have to give your educational history, criminal history ( if you have one), drug usage history ( if you ever done any), and submit a questionnaire essay. All your transcripts must be sent to the recruiter.
2.MEPS
It is the medical facility that check if you are medically qualified to serve in the military. If you have or had a history of Asthma, you are more likely to be disqualified. That is the first thing the doctors tell you. Other than that, it is easy. Just do what you're told. You will have to submit a blood test for HIV and a urine test for drugs. Also, a full body physical. I had to get back xray, because of a small curvature of my spine. However, the doctor told me it is minimal and I qualified. All I have to do is have proper posture to fix it.
3.Phone Interview
This is what threw me off. I had no Social Work experience before the phone interview. The AF social worker will ask the same questions from the application. Also, it was educational, because they give you more information on your duties. Yes, you will be required to carry a gun if you are deployed. Deployment is up to 6 months. You will have to be physically fit throughout your military career. You can actually be honorably discharged if you continuously fail to keep up to your physical standards.
Also, every MSW graduate or unlicensed social worker will be admitted into the intern program where you will rotate in 3 area: family advocacy, substance abuse, and mental health. It is similar to what a Doctor residency is, but this is just for social work.
