Child Welfare Education for Baccalaureates (CWEB)

What is CWEB?

The Child Welfare Education for Baccalaureates (CWEB) program is a cooperative effort among the United States Administration for Children and Families, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare and fourteen undergraduate social work degree programs in Pennsylvania accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Its goal is to strengthen public child welfare services in Pennsylvania by providing educational opportunities for undergraduate social work majors preparing for employment in one of Pennsylvania's sixty-seven public child welfare agencies.

Qualified persons who are enrolled as social work majors in any of the approved schools on either a full-time or part-time basis may receive substantial financial support in return for a contractual obligation to accept employment in a Pennsylvania public child welfare agency following their studies.

Who is qualified to apply?

Any official undergraduate social work major in any of the fourteen approved schools may apply provided the applicant is at least a junior; has a satisfactory academic grade point average; and has a recommendation from the faculty of the social work program in which the applicant is enrolled. Persons in default of federal educational loans are ineligible.

Approved Schools

The fourteen programs approved in Pennsylvania are located at Bloomsburg University, California University, Edinboro University, Kutztown University, Lock Haven University, Mansfield University, Marywood University, Millersville University, Shippensburg University, Slippery Rock University, Temple University, the University of Pittsburgh, West Chester University and Widener University. The number of openings at each school is limited and may vary from year to year. Applicants may be enrolled in any of these fourteen schools.

What financial support is available?

Persons admitted to the CWEB program for full-time study will receive full tuition and fees for their senior year at the school in which they are enrolled, a stipend and a book allowance. Persons enrolled in state or state related universities will receive tuition at the Pennsylvania resident level only. Part-time students will receive the tuition and fees incurred in their senior year enrollment, a stipend, and a book allowance not to exceed what they would have received had they been enrolled full time.

What commitment does a student have after graduation?

Persons enrolled in the CWEB program will be required to sign a legally binding contract agreeing to employment in a Pennsylvania public child welfare agency immediately upon graduation. This provision is a strict requirement in compliance with federal regulations and may not be waived for graduate study or delayed for any other purpose. There are sixty-seven county child welfare agencies throughout the state. The student may fulfill the commitment in any of these agencies where vacancies exist. The CWEB staff will assist students in the placement process. The contractual period of employment will be one calendar year for each academic year (or fraction of a year) for which the student receives financial support. This would rarely exceed one calendar year.

For more information concerning CWEB, please contact one of the fourteen universities or the CWEB program administrator at the University of Pittsburgh, 1-866-275-2935.