Practicum Poverty: The Financial and Psychosocial Tolls of Unpaid Internships Among Social Work Students

Background and Purpose: Unpaid internships remain a pervasive yet underexamined issue within social work education. Social work students constitute an invisible workforce, and their economic exploitation has largely been documented through anecdotal accounts rather than empirical research. The profession's commitment to social justice stands in stark contrast to the financial burdens placed on students through mandatory, typically unpaid internships. This study examines the financial and psychosocial tolls of unpaid field practicums as experienced and reported by social work students.

Methods: The current study analyzes response data from an online survey administered in April and May 2023. Utilizing snowball sampling, researchers recruited participants via student-led organizations, faculty networks, and social work listservs. The survey, which targeted BSW seniors and foundation- as well as concentration-year MSW students completing practicums, incorporated validated tools such as the USDA Food Security Module, the PHQ-9 depression screening inventory, and the CFPB’s Financial Well-Being Questionnaire. Items were modified as warranted to assess social work students' experiences specifically during field practicum.

Results: A total of 625 respondents completed the survey, ranging in age from 20 to 68 years (mean=29.1 years, SD=8.2 years). The majority (81.8%) identified as female, and one third of respondents identified as persons of color. Nearly 40% were first-generation students, 26.9% had at least one disability, and 73.4% worked paid jobs while completing their practicums. Eighty-seven percent of respondents reported receiving no compensation of any kind for their field practicum work.

The average student with a paid job worked 21.8 hours per week outside of their field placement. Approximately 55% of all respondents reported taking additional student loans to make ends meet while completing their practicums. One quarter of respondents experienced very low food security, nearly 70% delayed necessary healthcare, 53.4% did not purchase required textbooks, and 29.4% reported that the financial strain they experienced during practicums contributed to their earning lower course grades. Nearly 60% reported experiencing moderate to severe depression in the 2 weeks preceding their survey participation date.

Chi-square and Welch's t-tests revealed that as compared to their peers, first-generation students were disproportionately likely to experience food insecurity (p=0.006), housing instability (p<0.001), and had significantly lower financial well-being scores (p=0.044). Students with disabilities were disproportionately likely to experience educational hardships (including poor academic performance) while completing their practicums. Students with children, those from low-income households, and those with full-time jobs were disproportionately likely to experience academic challenges including course withdrawal and course failure.

Conclusions and Implications: The current model of social work education favors traditional students from middle- and upper-income households while disadvantaging economically vulnerable, historically marginalized, and non-traditional student populations. Study findings underscore an urgent need for structural reforms in social work education. Unpaid practicums exacerbate economic inequality, disproportionately impacting historically underserved students and distorting the workforce pipeline. Addressing contemporary challenges through policy changes—such as practicum hours reduction and/or paid internships—would enhance social and economic justice in social work education. Without reform, the profession risks limiting diversity and sustaining economic barriers for aspiring social workers.