Governor Launches $25 Million Scholarship Program for Behavioral Health Graduate Students

11:01AM / Saturday, May 10, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that they have launched a two-year $25 million scholarship program for graduate students completing degrees or certificates in behavioral health fields.

Applications are now open for the first round of scholarship funds, totaling $12 million for the 2024-2025 academic year. Awards will be retroactive to the fall 2024 semester. Advanced degrees are required for many careers in behavioral health, particularly for licensed and certified roles providing clinical care. This program aims to reduce the financial barrier for students, growing a diverse behavioral health workforce in Massachusetts.?

"In order to take care of our residents in Massachusetts who are facing mental health, substance use, or other behavioral health challenges, we need highly trained professionals," said Governor Maura Healey. "By supporting graduate students who are building specialized knowledge in behavioral health, we're building a workforce that can support members of our communities who need care."

Eligible study areas include, but are not limited to, graduate degrees and certificates in social work, mental health counseling, substance use counseling, and mental health nursing programs. Under this scholarship program, students may be awarded up to $12,500 for tuition, fees, and stipends for each academic year in which they are enrolled, with a maximum of $25,000 per student across two academic years. Scholarship recipients must commit to working in Massachusetts for up to two years. Students are encouraged to learn more and apply here.

"These scholarships help to reduce financial barriers on the way to an advanced degree, supporting students who are preparing to bring specialized skills and knowledge to our communities," said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. "A strong behavioral health workforce requires providers from various backgrounds, and that is only possible if we lift financial barriers for those looking to enter this profession."

The $25 million scholarship program builds on the $12.4 million the administration awarded in December 2024 to 37 colleges and universities to financially support behavioral health students completing unpaid internships and field placements. These grants were for undergraduate and graduate-level students pursuing careers treating mental health or substance use disorders. Both initiatives are aimed at building a strong behavioral health workforce in Massachusetts.

The scholarships are funded by Massachusetts' Behavioral Health Trust Fund, which was established with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and is managed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Behavioral Health Trust Fund was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Advisory Commission, which was comprised of 22 members from government and the behavioral health sector. Funds are used for addressing barriers to the delivery of an equitable, culturally competent, affordable, and clinically appropriate continuum of behavioral health care and services.

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Neal Tours Berkshire Innovation Center as Pittsfield's Tech Economy Grows

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:38PM / Thursday, October 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. —Congressman Richard Neal visited the Berkshire Innovation Center Thursday to highlight $735,000 in federal funding secured for a new cybersecurity training and testing facility.

"The number one job of the federal government is to provide for the security of its people. I mean, we should never lose sight of that, whether it's China or Russia, every single day there are these belligerents that are attempting to infiltrate national security here in the United States, and we should not be naive about it," Neal said. "I mean, we can have an argument about proportionality; we can do a lot of different things, but not to miss the point of what they're trying to do every day."

The new cybersecurity facility will provide regional manufacturers and businesses with research and design equipment, specialized lab space, and training facilities and is planned to be housed in a to-be-redeveloped space across the street from the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC), located at 45 Woodlawn Ave.

The derelict property, formerly owned by General Electric, is now known as the William Stanley Business Park.

The project is a $7.2 million dollar investment from the state, $5.2 million from the tech collaborative, $2 million from bond funding secured by Neal, and $1 million that will be split into two phases: $500,000 for BIC to begin building and $500,000 for Myrias Optics to start production in Pittsfield, said Mayor Peter Marchetti.

BIC Executive Director Ben Sosne said manufacturers often highlight the need for help with cybersecurity, particularly in meeting the security requirements necessary to conduct business with General Dynamics and other major contractors.

Collaborators in the field and the public sector have recognized the need that has only grown since technology has advanced and is a great career opportunity, Sosne said.

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