Behavioral Health Conditional Scholarship

Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

The Washington State Behavioral Health Conditional Scholarship (BHCS), formally referred to as Behavioral Health Workforce Development Initiative (BHWDI) or Ballmer, supports master’s level mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists and social workers committed to serving individuals and families with mental health and substance use challenges.

Thirteen universities are participating across the state. A network of more than 100 community behavioral health agencies and tribal health centers in Washington serve as student training sites and potential employers in the communities where students want to live and work.

Students participating in the initiative may receive conditional grants, up to $41,000, to offset master’s degree expenses by agreeing to serve three years in an approved Washington state community behavioral health agency or tribal health center following their graduation. Applicants in two- and three-year graduate programs can receive up to $41,000 across their program length. Advanced graduate standing programs (one-year programs) can receive up to $15,500. The initiative also provides expert career placement and mentoring support. 

Join the effort to significantly decrease student debt and increase the number and diversity of exceptionally prepared graduates who work in the community agencies on which our state’s most vulnerable populations depend.