Urges Governor and Legislature to establish initiatives towards education of social workers.

SR78

SENATE RESOLUTION No. 78

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 5, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Urges Governor and Legislature to establish
initiatives towards education of social workers.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

A Senate
Resolution
urging the Governor and
Legislature to invest in the education of social workers.

Whereas,

Social workers play a crucial role in improving the well-being of the people of
New Jersey and helping the State become a better place to live; and

Whereas,

Social workers are trained to look at situations in a holistic way, bringing
people together with others and their communities to find ways to address
pressing individual, group, and societal problems, such as hunger, addiction,
and affordable housing; and

Whereas,

As an essential segment of the workforce, social workers served on the
frontlines helping communities directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,
delivering behavioral health services to individuals in crisis, and in many
cases risking their lives to ensure that care remained accessible for those in
need of assistance; and

Whereas,

Social work programs at institutions of higher education prepare the
pipeline of professionals to serve in a number of capacities that ensure the
social safety-net across the country, including working in government, schools,
universities, social service agencies, communities, the military, and in health
care and mental health organizations; and

Whereas,

Obtaining a graduate degree is an often necessary, and expensive, investment
for many social workers; and

Whereas,

�For example, in order to become a licensed clinical social worker in the
State, an applicant is required to receive either a master�s or doctorate
degree in social work; as a result, in 2021, approximatively 63,000 students
sought to obtain a master�s degree, and 2,126 sought to obtain a doctoral
degree; and

Whereas,

According to the Council on Social Work Education, educational debt for social
work graduates is higher today than it was 10 years ago; in fact, 71.3 percent
of baccalaureate graduates and 76 percent of master�s graduates were in substantial
educational loan debt; and

Whereas,

In 2021, the average loan debt was approximately $26,500 for a baccalaureate graduate,
$48,000 for a master�s graduate, and $135,000 for a doctorate graduate; and

Whereas,

The student loan debt burden carried by social workers is further compounded by
the low salaries and compensation afforded to this segment of the workforce.� According
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a social worker�s median salary is only
$50,390; and

Whereas,

�Failure to address the student loan crisis faced by social workers will
continue to economically harm those in practice and dissuade prospective social
workers from entering the field; and

Whereas,

It is altogether necessary and proper for the State to establish initiatives, such
as creating scholarships and loan redemption programs, that invest in, and
support, students that wish to become social workers; now, therefore,

����
Be It
Resolved
by the Senate of the State of New
Jersey:

���� 1.��� This House respectfully
urges the Governor and the Legislature to work together to establish
initiatives, such as creating scholarships and loan redemption programs, that
invest in the education of students seeking to obtain baccalaureate and
graduate degrees in social work in order to incentivize the career and ensure that
the State has a qualified and educated workforce.

���� 2.��� Copies of this
resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the
Secretary of the Senate to the Governor
and to each
member of the State Legislature
.

STATEMENT

���� This resolution urges the
Governor and the Legislature to establish initiatives towards the education of
students seeking
degrees in
social work.

���� Social workers play a crucial
role in improving the well-being of the people of New Jersey and helping the
State become a better place to live.� As essential workers, social workers
played a crucial role in helping communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

���� E
ducational debt for social work graduates has continued to
rise over the past 10 years. �According to the
Council on Social Work
Education, 71.3 percent of baccalaureate graduates and 76 percent of master�s
graduates were in substantial educational loan debt.� In 2021, the average loan
debt was approximately $26,500 for a baccalaureate graduate, $48,000 for a
master�s graduate, and $135,000 for a doctorate graduate.

���� The student loan debt burden
carried by social workers is further compounded by the low salaries and
compensation afforded to this segment of the workforce.� According to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, a social worker�s median salary is only $50,390.�
Failure to address the student loan crisis
faced by social workers will continue to economically harm those in practice
and dissuade prospective social workers from entering the field.

���� This resolution urges the
Governor and the Legislature to work together to establish initiatives, such as
creating scholarships and loan redemption programs, that invest in the
education of students seeking to obtain baccalaureate and graduate degrees in
social work in order to incentivize the career and ensure that the State has a
qualified and educated workforce.