SCSU Invests in Future School Counselors With $370,000 Grant

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- The Minnesota Department of Education has awarded St. Cloud State University a grant to help support the recruitment and retention of school counselors.

The $370,000 grant will provide up to $400 per credit in tuition assistance for current or new students over the next two years.

SCSU says the American School Counselor Association recommends 250 students per school counselor. However, the national average is 376 students per counselor, and in Minnesota, the ratio is 541 students per counselor.

Many school districts have had to outsource counselor work or formed other partnerships as student mental health has taken on a larger focus over the years.

SCSU's counseling program has previously partnered with schools in the St. Cloud Area School District via an elementary school counselor grant and continues to support the positions.

The grant will also focus on recruiting students from underrepresented backgrounds and look to place graduates in the local area.