We are Master of Social Work (MSW) students demanding that the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) stop requiring students into unpaid labor to graduate.

Social work is rooted in values of equity, dignity, and justice yet CSWE’s accreditation standards require 900 hours of "Field Placement" with the majority of MSW students having to accept unpaid or low-paid internships, forcing students into debt, burnout, and psychological distress. This system harms marginalized students the most, perpetuating a cycle where only those who can afford to work for free enter the profession. This is exploitation, not education.

Our Demands:

    1) CSWE must change its educational requirements to stop forcing students into unpaid placements.

    2) CSWE must allow alternative ways for students to fulfill competency-based education that does not rely on unpaid labor.

    3) CSWE must require schools to provide transparent data on paid, low-paid, and unpaid placements.

Why this matters:

    - Skipping Meals: "If I can’t do EBP I will have to quit my job to be able to get the hours required for internship, or stretch my internship WAY out, which will end up costing me more in the long term since I have to pay for the course. During my BSW I had an unpaid internship which meant taking time away from work and I struggled to pay rent and went many days without 3 meals because I couldn’t afford it. An unpaid internship will, and has guaranteed debt for me."  - MSW Student, Ohio State University

    - Unable to afford basic necessities: "I am already part time due to managing health issues and being unable to work full time while in school. I have zero income because of how much energy and time my field placement requires from me. This is incredibly challenging for my partner and I to afford our basic necessities living off of only their income. Not living in Columbus, I had incredibly little support with finding a placement, paid or unpaid." - MSW Student, Ohio State University

    - Giving up Full-Time Jobs: "I had to decrease work hours from 40 to 32 hours to accommodate a 16 hour per week placement. I now earn about $600 less per month which significantly impacts my ability to cover costs of living." - MSW Student, Ohio State University

    - Giving up Sleep: "I doordash until late at night, most nights, in order to pay tuition, regular expenses (on top of FT classes and the unpaid internship)." - MSW Student, Ohio State University

How you can help: 
    - Sign this petition!
    - Share with students, educators, and allies.
    - Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/socialworkstudentsunited/ to support and keep up with the movement!