The Rehabilitation Counseling Program at Minnesota State Mankato was awarded a five-year (5) grant from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), U. S. Department of Education. This grant will provide scholarships for full-time Master's-level students who are preparing to enter public Vocational Rehabilitation agencies as rehabilitation counselors. Minnesota State Mankato will be able to support up to 14 students at any give time (typically this will be up to 7 first-year students and 7 second-year students) and provide payment of all tuition, as well as a monthly living stipend of $400.00. Qualified students with previous background working in rehabilitation direct-services are particularly prioritized for receiving scholarship support. There is an accelerated option for students who can begin internships in state VR agencies upon completion of 9 months of full-time classroom study, that will allow for program completion in a total of 16 months. Dr. Glen Peterson is the Project Director of the RSA grant award and is available to provide additional information by telephone at 507-389-5184 or by email at glen.peterson@mnsu.edu.
This prestigious scholarship was established in 1988 in honor of [PDF] Dr. C. Esco Obermann (85 KiB) , a national leader in Rehabilitation Counseling for many years, as a means of recognizing his significant support and service to the Rehabilitation Counseling program at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Following his retirement from the University of Iowa, Dr. Obermann served as both an adjunct faculty member and active participant in the Program Advisory Committee for over a decade, sharing his unique talents and dedication to the field of rehabilitation with students, faculty and colleagues. His interest in the development and involvement of students through an understanding of the history of the field, the importance of ethics in practice, and in the development of more effective practice through research and professional writing has guided many toward their later accomplishments in the field.
The C. Esco Obermann Rehabilitation Counseling Graduate Scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to second year students (full or part-time) who show promise for entering the field and have a financial need that could preclude them from completing their internship. In order to establish this scholarship, generous alumni and faculty have more than matched Dr. Obermann's original gift of $10,000. Students pursuing the Master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling may obtain application forms for this scholarship through the program faculty. Selected members of the Department Advisory Committee and/or Rehabilitation Counseling faculty will review completed applications and select awardees.
Scholarship funding will be determined based upon available interest in the MSU Foundation Obermann Account.
Full graduate assistantships at MSU pay a stipend of $8,000 for the academic year. A full assistantship also carries a waiver of up to nine graduate credits per semester. To be eligible for an assistantship, the student must be eligible for admission to a Minnesota State Mankato graduate program. Graduate Assistants must enroll in a minimum of six credits per semester. Graduate Assistants with a summer appointment must enroll for at least one graduate credit.
For more information and an application form, visit College of Graduate Studies and Research
