Clinical Mental Health Counseling students at SUNY Fredonia can have their educational expenses funded through the Career Pathways Training program.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for our students to earn their master’s degree at little or minimal cost,” said Dean of the College of Education, Health Sciences, and Human Services Janeil Rey.
SUNY Fredonia has a contract with the Finger Lakes Performing Provider System that will provide Career Pathways Training (CPT) grants that cover tuition, fees, books and academic support for students enrolling in the university’s online graduate Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program.
“There are very few scholarships offered for graduate study in this area,” Dr. Rey noted.
Grants are available to students enrolled in the Fall 2025 semester. Students must be a New York state resident or resident of a border state and currently working in New York state, have an undergraduate degree with 3.0 GPA and submit two professional references and a statement of intent, to be eligible for a grant.
SUNY Fredonia’s CMHC program’s low-residency, hybrid format has an aggressive timeline that requires students to enroll in three courses each semester. Students meet on campus one or two weekends each month.
“This grant opportunity is available because the state recognizes the high need for professionals in this field. We want to connect our students and potential students with this opportunity,” - Dr. Janeil Rey
“This grant opportunity is available because the state recognizes the high need for professionals in this field. We want to connect our students and potential students with this opportunity,” Rey said.
Grant recipients are required to make a three-year commitment to work for a New York state provider whose client base consists of at least 30 percent Medicare or Medicaid eligible individuals. They must attend all in-person weekend courses and complete the program by Spring 2027. The grant turns into a loan if the student does not successfully complete the program in two years.
“Across the country and in New York state there is a mental health crisis, which means there are more people that need to be serviced than there are people who provide those services,” said Assistant Professor Sabrina Musson, who is coordinator of SUNY Fredonia’s CMHC program.
“This is a way that New York state is helping to boost our service providers in those high-need fields such as clinical mental health counseling,” Dr. Musson added. She has over a decade of experience in mental health teaching, research and counseling.
There has been significant growth in the CMHC program since its launch in the spring of 2024, increasing to 50 students from 11. “This reflects student interest in the program as well as an incredible response to the need for more mental health counselors,” Rey said.
Funded by the New York State Department of Health, the CPT program focuses on career advancement and recruitment by creating pipelines to address workforce shortages throughout the state. Individuals can already be employed in or be new to health, behavioral health or social care professions.
“We do have students who have already been accepted into the Fall 2025 cohort, and they are eligible for this grant opportunity. We have space for additional students who apply to start in the fall,” Rey noted. There is a mid-August deadline to enroll in the CMHC program, but space is limited.
Prospective students can simultaneously submit applications for the CMHC program and CPT grant assistance. There is a two-week turnaround for CPT grant acceptance.
“We’re excited. This is an unprecedented, outstanding opportunity for students,” agreed Musson.
The Finger Lakes Performing Provider System region encompasses 18 counties in Western New York.
“I think this grant program is an incredible opportunity for anyone who is contemplating this career. They should seriously consider doing it now because of this support being offered,” Rey said.
For more information or to register for the CPT grant, visit here.
For more information about SUNY Fredonia’s Clinical Mental Health and Counseling program, visit here.
