Exploring Financial Hardships in Unpaid Social Work Internships: An Intersectional Perspective

Background/Purpose: Unpaid internships in social work education have spurred ethical debates due to their impact on student well-being and alignment with professional values. This study investigates financial challenges faced by social work students in unpaid internships, with a focus on those possessing intersecting identities such as gender, socioeconomic status, familial support, mental health, disability, and first-generation college status.

Methods: This secondary data analysis utilized open-access data from a national cross-sectional survey of social work students undertaken from March 1 to April 1, 2023 (Colquitt et al., 2023). The primary research was an observational study that used convenience and snowballing sampling techniques to recruit students from BSW and MSW programs who had completed or were completing a field practicum during their current matriculation via listservs for Payment for Placements (P4P) as well as other student and professional organizations.

In this secondary examination, the data underwent further analysis facilitated by SPSS v29, where methods such as descriptive, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses were employed to pinpoint predictors of financial hardship. Mental health was assessed using a dichotomized depression variable based on a PHQ-9 score over 10, and financial impact was gauged with the CFPB’s Financial Wellbeing scale. After removing incomplete responses, questions with low response rates, and statistical outliers, 459 cases remained (N = 459). Of these responses, 399 were included in the final analysis.

Results: The sample was diverse, with 21.63% BIPOC (Black or Hispanic/Latino), predominantly female at 83.37%, mostly MSW students at 82.57%, included 37.20% first-generation college students, and 27.58% individuals with disabilities; furthermore, less than 13% received payment, typically as a minimal stipend. The logistic regression model was statistically significant, χ²(10) = 69.163, p < .001, accounting for 15.9% to 21.2% of the variance in financial hardship and accurately classifying 66.9% of cases. Elevated depression scores were the strongest predictor of financial hardship, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.810 (95% CI [1.805, 4.371]). Family support significantly mitigated financial stress, with high support reducing the odds of hardship (OR = 0.292, 95% CI [0.144, 0.594]). Additionally, non-binary gender identity (OR = 3.922; 95% CI [1.290, 11.918]) and disability status (OR = 1.664; 95% CI [1.006, 2.752]) were also significant predictors of increased financial strain.

Conclusions/Implications: The study underscores the severe economic difficulties faced by social work students in unpaid internships and calls for critical changes in social work education policies. The findings support the need for initiatives and social movements similar to Payments for Placements, a reevaluation of predominantly unpaid internships in curricula to align with the profession’s values of social justice. Implementing such measures is essential for maintaining the integrity of the profession and ensuring equitable access to social work education and careers by allowing all students to pursue their goals without undue financial stress.