Opportunity Overview
The Michigan Department of Education offers the School Social Worker Tuition Reimbursement Grant using federal IDEA Part B funds to expand the pipeline of fully credentialed school social workers serving students with disabilities.
Who Is Eligible
Michigan intermediate school districts and local education agencies, including traditional public school districts and public school academies, may apply. The district must employ a master’s-level social worker under a Michigan School Social Worker Permit, with supervision by a fully credentialed school social worker while the employee completes the required coursework.
Funding
MDE reimburses actual tuition up to $1,000 per credit hour for the required nine credits of school social worker coursework, for a maximum reimbursement of up to $9,000 per qualifying social worker. Tuition reimbursement applies to qualifying social workers employed under a School Social Worker Permit effective July 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027.
Allowable and Ineligible Costs
Only actual eligible tuition is reimbursable. Fees, books, course materials, and repeat courses are not covered. Grants or scholarships that do not need to be repaid reduce the reimbursable tuition amount after they are applied to otherwise ineligible costs; student loans do not reduce the reimbursement amount.
Required Documentation and Submission
The application requires a screenshot of the qualifying School Social Worker Permit from MOECS and a detailed paid tuition bill meeting the application requirements. MDE reviews eligible requests as they are received. The live MDE page links directly to the current application.
Deadline
MDE does not publish one fixed competitive closing date on the current program page. Eligible tuition relates to social workers employed under a qualifying permit through September 30, 2027, and MDE states that requests are reviewed as received. Applicants should submit promptly and rely on the live application for any current administrative cutoff.
Atlas Strategic Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 90/100. This is a practical Michigan school mental-health workforce reimbursement pathway with broad district eligibility, straightforward documentation, and direct reimbursement of required credential coursework. N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. This opportunity is restricted to tuition reimbursement and does not provide a legitimate pathway for Nonagon N9+ equipment, telehealth platform, or vendor-service costs.
Required Next Action
Confirm that the district employs a master’s-level social worker under a valid School Social Worker Permit, verify that the coursework is part of the required nine-credit credential sequence, assemble the MOECS permit screenshot and detailed paid tuition bill, account for any non-repayable grants or scholarships, and submit through the current MDE application while the reimbursement pathway remains available.
Verified sources: Michigan Department of Education School Social Worker Tuition Reimbursement Grant and MDE’s September 4, 2025 program memorandum.