Who are we….
The WWU Counseling Program is located within the Psychology Department and comprises programs in Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling. The mission of the Counseling Program is to prepare knowledgeable, skilled, collaborative, and ethical counselors who value diversity, equity and social justice and meet the relevant licensing and credentialing standards for practice in mental health and educational settings in the state of Washington.
Why you should give to our program…
The counseling program is ever evolving in our commitments to best serve and support the needs of our students and community members. We have committed to being a catalyst for change in the representation of identities in our graduate students, thus impacting the representation of identities of future counselors in the community and in schools. We recently admitted the most diverse cohort of students in the program’s history. Making changes in institutions requires resources and our students deserve more financial support than we are currently able to give.
With the rise in cost of attending a full-time program in Bellingham (i.e., tuition, books, gas prices, and housing/food costs) we find our students are struggling more financially each year. It is difficult for students to fully devote the energy required for academic and internship demands when facing financial hardships.
What your support would do for our program…
Donations to the Counseling Program will be used to support student expenses, specifically during their second year of the program. This scholarship will help lessen the burden of graduate school and internship expenses and will also be used as a mechanism to recruit future students! Again, any donation is appreciated – a percentage of every dollar will be matched!
Alum: We hope you think back to your experience(s) in our program and appreciate the growth and support your received while at WWU! Please consider paying it forward!
Meet some of our AMAZING students & how funding has and could make a difference!
LUPITA - 1st Year School Counseling Student
As a first generation college student and someone who commutes daily, I wa
s nervous about not having enough money to afford college due to having to give up my full time job. With the increased gas prices and my daily commute to campus I was even more worried about finances as soon as I realized how much money goes towards gas (100$ a week). Thankfully, the funding I received alleviated much of the financial pressure I was struggling with. The scholarship allowed me to focus on my studies as I didn’t have to worry as much about whether I could afford attending Western. Since there isn’t much funding out there for graduate students any bit of support is HUGE and helps us students feel encouraged and motivated to continue pursuing our education.
NAV - 1st Year Clinical Mental Health Student
The scholarship I was awarded was a huge help because my tuition was covered [1st quarter]. I am an international student which makes it extra hard to take care of my finances. My family helps me pay for school, but it can also feel like a huge burden to them sometimes. So, I was grateful for the scholarship I got because it alleviated some of that burden and I was able to pay attention to school.
SABRINA - 1st Year School Counseling Student
My scholarship award from the department has helped me in many ways. As a first-generation college graduate now pursuing a master's degree, I never thought that I would make it this far into academia but the financial help from scholarships have helped me keep pursuing goals that I once believed were not achievable. As a graduate student who is also financially independent, it can be very challenging, but I have found comfort in the assistance that scholarships have provided and am so grateful for the opportunities that have opened up because of them.
DEJA - 1st Year School Counseling Student
As a school counselor in training, I received a waiver [funding] during Fall quarter and had my tuition covered as a TA in Winter quarter. Not having the financial burden of school tuition these quarters allowed me to focus solely on my studies, which contributed to my academic achievement. This Spring quarter is much different. I did not have any access to scholarships or grant money though the school, therefore, I have been working three part-time jobs to pay my way through school. A scholarship would positively impact me in my future by reducing the economic burden and work burnout.
Anonymous Clinical Mental Health Student
JUNIOR - 1st Year School Counseling Student
As a new parent and balancing grad school, the scholarships I received at WWU have been nothing short of a blessing in my life. Thanks to the generous 1st year student award, I've been able to financially support my family and feel less stress about making ends meet in our living situation.
JENNA - 2nd Year School Counseling Student
I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship my first quarter of the School Counseling program. It allowed me to make the transition from full-time work to once-a-week work more manageable and allowed me to live comfortably through my first quarter, with the help of my student loans. Since that quarter, I have been able to sustain myself on student loans, however since quitting my job to give time to my internship, I have looked back longingly at that first quarter when I had extra funding. Scholarship options throughout the Counseling programs would allow students to travel to their internship sites without being stressed about the cost of gas. It would allow the freedom to not drain our savings accounts when life hits the fan.
DYLAN - 1st Year School Counseling Student
The one-quarter tuition waiver (funding) I received from WWU’s counseling program has meant many things to me. The funding has meant that I could walk away from one career to pursue another, with less fear of how I would pay my bills and take care of myself. The funding has meant that because I am less fearful, I am able to invest more of my cognitive and emotional resources into the program. The funding has meant that because I am invested in the program, I am able to foster my counseling skills to the greatest extent and serve the clients I see in the Counseling Training Clinic. The funding has meant that because I am able to best serve my clients, I will be more prepared for my internship in a local school during my second year of the program. The funding has meant that because I will be a more equipped intern, I will be ready to achieve a higher level of excellence as a new school counselor upon graduation. The funding has meant that because I will achieve excellence as a school counselor, I will be able to best support and guide the next generation of students.
