2026 Debt Assistance Grant Application
The Black Mental Health Counselor Reparations Foundation is pleased to announce our debt assistance grant. The purpose of this fund is to empower black mental health counselors by carrying the burden of the debt and costs of education and training through financial reparations.
Through implication of the supervision grant, BMHCR Foundation hopes to:
Strengthen and provide support to Black mental health professional counselors by providing student loan debt relief, supervision grants, scholarships, and mentorship.
Increase equitable representation by growing the number of culturally competent, licensed, or licensed-eligible black mental health counselors, and
Cultivate community where all people have equal access to quality, affordable, and culturally competent mental health services.
Additional requirements, rules, and other stipulations of the award (i.e. see below):
Current award will be reevaluated each year based on funds and on applicant progress.
Applicant must have completed a master’s degree in Counseling (or a related degree) from a COAMFTE or CACREP accredited degree program.
Application must be in good standing as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Tennessee.
Application must have taken out student loans from a federal or state loan provider in order to complete their master’s or doctorate in Counseling (or a related degree).
The student loans must not be in default or at risk of default.
Applicant will be eligible for no more than two (2) consecutive annual awards (year 1 and year 2) and must show evidence of the current balance of education-related loans.
Applicants are only eligible to receive one type of award (supervision award, tuition assistance award, debt assistance award).
Degree must be earned within the last 10 years and be from an accredited university (will not accept a degree from university that requires equivalency).
Funds are to be used solely for the purpose of education debt assistance.
Applicant will be responsible for notifying BMHCR if any loans are paid off prior to the end of the grant term. If loans are paid off during the grant’s term, the debt assistance grant will terminate.
The amount paid towards the loan will be determined by the BMHCR at the time of the award. This determination will be based on the amount of funds available at the time of the award and the number of grants awarded.
Important dates:
The application submission deadline is March 10, 2026.
Grants will be awarded by March 31, 2026.