The NBCC Foundation is pleased to announce an award opportunity through a partnership with the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE). This training award program provides financial assistance to individuals pursuing the training necessary for the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential. The ACS award advances the professional identity and development of counselors nationwide. Twenty (20) awards of $500 each are available to cover the costs of CCE-approved ACS training. You can find a list of the CCE-approved ACS training providers on their website. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Applicants must currently hold either professional licensure that authorizes them for independent practice in a behavioral/mental health field, or the National Certified Counselor (NCC) certification, issued by NBCC. Their NCC certification must have been maintained with no ethical holds or missed payments for a minimum of 1 year. 
• Applicants must currently hold a master’s degree or higher in a mental health field. Degrees must be from a postsecondary educational institution or program accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). 
• Applicants must have extensive clinical experience in providing mental health or substance abuse counseling services.
• Applicants must commit to selecting a CCE-approved ACS training within 1 year of being awarded.
• Applicants must commit to applying for the CCE ACS credential within 1 year of the completion date of your CCE-approved ACS training program.

The deadline is Aug. 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm EDT.

Training award winners will be announced by the end of December 2025. 

For questions, please review our Frequently Asked Questions or email foundation@nbcc.org.

If you experience any issues with the Submittable application platform, please email: Support@submittable.com. 

CCE provides the funding for these awards, which the NBCC Foundation administers on CCE’s behalf.

The NBCC Foundation (NBCCF) is pleased to announce an award opportunity available through a partnership with the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE). This training award program provides financial assistance to individuals pursuing the training necessary for the Board Certified Coach (BCC) certification. Five (5) awards of up to $3,000 each are available to cover the costs of CCE-approved BCC training. You can find a list of CCE-approved BCC training providers on their website. 

Training must be chosen within 12 months of award notification, and an invoice or bill must be submitted to NBCCF. Funds will be remitted directly to the approved training provider. NBCCF reserves the right to adjust the award if the tuition is less than the award amount.

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Applicants must not currently or previously be certified as a BCC. 
• Applicants must commit to applying for the BCC within 12 months of completion of the BCC training. The BCC certification requires 2,500 hours of post-degree coaching experience working with individuals, groups, or organizations over a period of at least 5 years.
• Applicants must demonstrate exceptional coaching potential through one or more of the following:

1. access to the population in need of coaching or working in a setting conducive to coaching
2. background in leadership
3. hold or are pursuing a degree from a relevant program

The application deadline is Aug. 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm EDT.

Training award winners will be announced by the end of December 2025. 

For questions, please review our Frequently Asked Questions or email foundation@nbcc.org.

If you experience any issues with the Submittable application platform, please email: Support@submittable.com.

CCE provides the funding for these awards, which the NBCC Foundation administers on CCE’s behalf.

The NBCC Foundation is pleased to announce an award opportunity available through a partnership with the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE). This program provides financial assistance to individuals pursuing the training necessary for the Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider (BC-TMH) certification. Twenty (20) awards of $500 each are available to cover the costs of CCE-approved BC-TMH training. You can find a list of CCE-approved BC-TMH training providers on their website.

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Applicants must currently be a National Certified Counselor (NCC) with no ethical holds OR must hold an active counseling license or a license in a relevant mental health field issued by their state of residence with no ethical holds. 
• Applicants must currently hold a master’s degree or higher in a mental health field. Degrees must be from a postsecondary educational institution or program accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. 
• Applicants must have clinical experience in providing mental health or substance abuse counseling services. 
• Applicants must commit to completing CCE-approved BC-TMH training within 12 months of receiving the award. 
• Applicants must commit to applying for the BC-TMH certification within 12 months of completion of the TMH training. 

The application deadline is Aug. 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm EDT.

Scholarship awardees will be announced by the end of December 2025.

For questions, please review our Frequently Asked Questions or email foundation@nbcc.org.

If you experience any issues with the Submittable application platform, please email: Support@submittable.com.

CCE provides the funding for these awards, which the NBCC Foundation administers on CCE’s behalf.. 

The NBCC Foundation (NBCCF) is pleased to announce the Domestic Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) scholarships. These scholarships are made possible through a partnership with the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE). This scholarship program aims to increase the number of available professionals providing quality career development services. In doing so, the GCDF scholarship program plays an important role in the Foundation’s mission to leverage the power of counseling by strategically focusing resources for positive change.

Six (6) domestic scholarships of up to $1,000 each are available to cover the costs of CCE-approved GCDF training. You can find a list of CCE-approved GCDF U.S. training providers on their website. Training must be chosen within 12 months of award notification, and an invoice or bill must be submitted to NBCCF. Funds will be remitted directly to the approved training provider. NBCCF reserves the right to adjust the award if the tuition is less than the award amount. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status.
• Applicants must possess a high school diploma/GED, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or graduate degree.
• Applicants must be seeking their initial GCDF credential. 
• Applicants must commit to providing career counseling services for 2 years. 

The application deadline is Aug. 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm EDT.

Scholarship awardees will be announced by the end of December 2025. 

For questions, please review our Frequently Asked Questions or email foundation@nbcc.org.

If you experience any issues with the Submittable application platform, please email: Support@submittable.com.

CCE provides the funding for these scholarships, which the NBCC Foundation administers on CCE’s behalf.

The NBCC Foundation is pleased to announce the International Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) scholarships. These scholarships are made possible through a partnership with the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE).

This scholarship program aims to increase the number of available professionals providing quality career development services. In doing so, the GCDF scholarship program plays an important role in the Foundation’s mission to leverage the power of counseling by strategically focusing resources for positive change. Two (2) international scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each are available to cover the costs of CCE-approved GCDF training. Funds will be remitted directly to the scholarship recipient. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Applicants must commit to providing career counseling services for 2 years.
• Applicants must document one of the following:

1. an active GCDF credential in good standing and enrollment in an advanced education program in counseling or advanced education program covering one or more GCDF competency areas, as appropriate to their country, or
2. enrollment in both a GCDF training program and a post-bachelor’s counseling program or advanced education course covering one or more GCDF competency areas, as appropriate to their country. 

The application deadline is Aug. 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm EDT.

Scholarship awardees will be announced by the end of December 2025.

For questions, see our Frequently Asked Questions. Please contact the Foundation at foundation@nbcc.org with any additional questions. 

If you experience any issues with the Submittable application platform, please email: Support@submittable.com.

CCE provides the funding for these scholarships, which the Foundation administers on CCE’s behalf.

The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates is pleased to announce the 2025 nomination period for the Leadership Excellence for Counselors by Counselors Award. NBCC strives to recognize individuals who exemplify professional excellence in counseling and whose contributions toward expanding access to mental health services, strengthening the profession, and promoting equity in health and education have significantly impacted and advanced counseling and counselors domestically and globally.

Nominees should be leaders who have ensured that strong standards informed by counselors, intentionally equitable, and appropriately inclusive are in place to ensure key public protections. Individuals may be recognized in any of the following six pillars of sustaining the counseling profession:

• Educational Eligibility Standards
• Ethics
• Examination
• Continuing Education
• Regulatory Service
• Legislative Advocacy

Nomination Requirements

• Nominators can self-nominate or be nominated by another individual.
• Nominators must be an NCC or CCMHC in good standing.
• Nominees must have made significant and impactful efforts in at least one of the six pillars of sustaining the counseling profession.

Nominators can submit multiple nominations; however, they must complete a separate application for each nominee. The nomination packet limit is 20 pages for all uploaded documents. Nomination packets that total more than 20 pages will be disqualified.

The deadline for nominations is Sept. 12, 2025, at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Awardees will be notified by the end of December 2025.

The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates is pleased to announce the 2026 nomination period for the Propelling Mental Health, Powering the Future: School Counseling Award. NBCC strives to recognize individuals who exemplify professional excellence in counseling and whose contributions toward expanding access to mental health services, strengthening the profession, and promoting equity in health and education have significantly impacted and advanced counseling and counselors domestically and globally.

This award focuses on honoring the outstanding efforts of school counselors to address youth mental health needs and initiate suicide prevention programming in their school communities.
 

Nomination Requirements

• Nominators can self-nominate or be nominated by another individual.
• Nominees must be an NCC in good standing (with priority given to applicants holding an active NCSC in good standing).
• Nominees must be a practicing school counselor or a counselor educator with an active partnership for engagement with a school counselor.

Nominators can submit multiple nominations; however, they must complete a separate application for each nominee. The nomination packet limit is 20 pages for all uploaded documents. Nomination packets that total more than 20 pages will be disqualified.

The deadline for nominations is Sept. 12, 2025, at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Awardees will be notified by the end of December 2025.

The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates is pleased to announce the 2026 nomination period for the Innovations in Counseling Awards. NBCC strives to recognize individuals who exemplify professional excellence in counseling and whose contributions toward expanding access to mental health services, strengthening the profession, and promoting equity in health and education have significantly impacted and advanced counseling and counselors domestically and globally.

Nominations for the Innovations in Counseling Awards will be accepted in three subcategories: Research Innovations in Counseling Practice and Counselor Education; Counselor Education Program Community Engagement; and Practice and Clinical Service.

Nominators can submit multiple nominations; however, they must complete a separate application for each nominee. The nomination packet limit is 20 pages for all uploaded documents. Nomination packets that total more than 20 pages will be disqualified.

The deadline for nominations is Sept. 12, 2025, at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Awardees will be notified by the end of December 2025.

Research Innovations in Counseling Practice and Counselor Education

Qualified nominees are researchers and/or counseling programs or research teams who have engaged in innovative, transformative research recognized by peers, colleagues, or the professional community as having potential for long-range impacts on mental health services, counselor preparation, or clinical practice in spaces where counselors serve.

Nomination Requirements

• Nominators cannot self-nominate.
• Nominators must be an NCC or CCMHC in good standing.
• Nominees must have made significant contributions through transformative research.

Counselor Education Program Community Engagement

A qualified nominee is a counselor education program that integrates community engagement throughout the curriculum (e.g., service learning, action or program evaluation research for community partners, student projects with community engagement) with evidence of reciprocity and accountability.

Nomination Requirements

• Nominators can self-nominate or be nominated by another individual.
• Nominees must be a CACREP-accredited counselor education program.
• Nominees must have robust integration of community engagement opportunities with the best candidates evidencing community engagement integration in classes, course assignments, research, and faculty scholarship.

Practice and Clinical Service

Qualified nominees are counselors who initiated innovative services that improved their clients’ lives in meaningful ways and/or strengthen or expand counselors’ capacity to provide impactful services to clients. Nominees can have provided innovative services for their own clients or services that have been replicated and have transformed clinical practice for the profession.

Nomination Requirements

• Nominators cannot self-nominate.
• Nominees must be an NCC or CCMHC in good standing.
• Nominees must have made service contributions to the counseling profession for 5 or more years.

The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates is pleased to announce the 2025 nomination period for the NBCC Servant Leadership Award. NBCC strives to recognize individuals who exemplify professional excellence in counseling and whose contributions toward expanding access to mental health services, strengthening the profession, and promoting equity in health and education have significantly impacted and advanced counseling and counselors domestically and globally.

Nominees should be members of the professional counseling community who have dedicated their lives to advancing the counseling profession through service. These unsung heroes have invested time, talents, and resources in fostering a strong counseling community by recognizing and valuing the contributions of others; promoting the power of collaboration; encouraging resiliency; and serving others as counselors, mentors, supervisors, and/or leaders.

Nomination Requirements

• Nominators can self-nominate or be nominated by another individual.
• Nominators must be an NCC or CCMHC in good standing.
• Nominees must be an NCC or CCMHC in good standing.
• Nominees must have made service contributions to the counseling profession for 5 or more years.

Nominators can submit multiple nominations; however, they must complete a separate application for each nominee. The nomination packet limit is 20 pages for all uploaded documents. Nomination packets that total more than 20 pages will be disqualified.

The deadline for nominations is Sept. 12, 2025, at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Awardees will be notified by the end of December 2025.

The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates is pleased to announce the 2026 nomination period for the Global Advancement of Counseling Awards. This award category recognizes individuals and/or organizations that have substantially advanced the profession of counseling through global engagement. 

Nominations for the Global Advancement of Counseling Awards will be accepted in three subcategories: Governmental Recognition, Counselor Education, and Community Capacity.

Nominators can submit multiple nominations; however, they must complete a separate application for each nominee. The nomination packet limit is 20 pages for all uploaded documents. Nomination packets that total more than 20 pages will be disqualified.

The deadline for nominations is Sept. 12, 2025, at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Awardees will be notified by the end of December 2025.

Governmental Recognition

This award honors the work of an individual or partner organization who has strived to advance governmental recognition of counselors globally through certification, licensure, or a specific element of a national model for counseling in their nation/country, including through the development or advancement of a counseling examination, counseling code of ethics, educational standards for counseling training programs, professional development for counselors, supervision structures and policies, or other components necessary for national certification.

A qualified nominee has made significant contributions, such as developing language accepted by policymakers in a specific nation/territory for counseling policy, advocating to have policy or legislation approved, securing support for education programs for counselors, and other efforts to advance governmental recognition for the profession of counseling or counselors.

Nomination Requirements

• Nominators can self-nominate or be nominated by another individual.
• Nominees can be an individual or a partner organization.

Counselor Education

This award honors the work of a counselor educator serving in international settings who have formed or strengthened global partnerships for education exchanges, led the development of standards of counselor education, or advanced the process of educating counselors and promoting the identity of counselors.

Nominees must have made significant contributions to developing or strengthening global education opportunities for counselors. Significant contributions may include curriculum design and development, accreditation pursuits, formalization of recruitment and retention processes for counseling students, advocacy for governmental recognition, and support for education and training programs for counselors, etc.

Nomination Requirements

• Nominators can self-nominate or be nominated by another individual.

Community Capacity

This award honors an individual or community-based organization who are/represent clinicians, counselors, and/or community activists who have mobilized resources or dedicated themselves to global efforts to raise the public/global awareness of mental health, increase access to counseling globally/nationally/internationally, and reduce stigma related to mental health.

A qualified nominee has made significant contributions to reducing stigma and developing community capacity for mental health services and counseling, such as, but not limited to: developing and facilitating impactful public awareness campaigns, offering community-based education for mental health awareness, or partnering to bring stigma-reduction programs to youth and families.

Nomination Requirements

• Nominees must be nominated by an NCC.
• Nominators can self-nominate or be nominated by another individual.
• Nominees can be individuals or community organizations.

The NBCC Foundation is seeking dynamic presenters for our monthly webinar programs on:

1. Innovations in Counseling
2. Building Professional Excellence

These webinars enhance care for underserved minorities and provide ongoing training to NCCs and CCE credential holders in addition to Foundation Scholars and Fellows. These resources become part of our capacity-building plan and are archived in our webinar library available on CCE Academy. Webinars are conducted online, and no travel commitment is required from our webinar presenters. The NBCC Foundation handles all the logistics of managing the webinar platform, advertising, and promotion. All webinar presenters must hold a minimum of a master's degree in counseling or a related mental health field and be a board certified counselor.

Please use this form to nominate a presenter for an NBCC Foundation webinar. 

The NBCC Foundation (NBCCF) offers scholarships and fellowships to increase counseling services where they are needed most. NBCCF Board of Trustees determines priority areas annually. The current priority underserved areas are military communities, rural communities, minority populations, substance abuse, and career counseling and guidance. NBCCF also offers the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) scholarships and training awards. These awards enhance the careers of credentialed professionals by providing financial assistance to those seeking additional credentials and continuing education opportunities. 

NBCCF is accepting applications for volunteer application reviewers and mentors. 

NBCCF Volunteers Eligibility Requirements:

All NBCCF volunteers must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

• A master’s degree (or higher) in counseling and a minimum of two years of postgraduate experience. 

• Certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) in good standing.

• Counseling experience related to serving military, minority, rural populations, career counseling, or underserved minority populations.

• Volunteer application reviewers must commit to one review cycle.

• Volunteer mentors must commit to providing mentorship for a minimum of one year.

Application Reviewer Opportunities:

NBCCF volunteers will review scholarship and fellowship applications and rate applicants based on Board-determined criteria. Foundation staff will provide online training, the review periods will be 2-4 weeks in duration, and average eight hours of actual review time. All review processes will be online.

Interested NCCs should submit a brief letter of interest and résumé. The letter should demonstrate eligibility and availability and explain the potential candidate’s interest in being an application reviewer. 

Additional Eligibility Requirements for Reviewers:

      Fellowship and Scholarship Reviewers:

• Experience and knowledge with one or more of the following:

                 Career counseling and guidance

                 Substance abuse

                 Military and veteran populations

                 Rural communities

                 Underserved minority groups

                 Transition age youth

      CCE Scholarship Reviewers:

• Must hold one of the following CCE credentials, and be in good standing:

                  CCE Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS)

                  Board Certified Coach (BCC)

                  Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF)

                  Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider (BC-TMH) 

• Extensive experience working with and knowledge of one or more of the populations that the listed credential holders serve.

Mentorship Opportunities:

Each year, the Foundation awards fellowships and scholarships to more than 80 counseling master’s students who commit to serving the Foundation’s priority underserved populations of military communities, rural communities and minority populations or providing career development services. The fellowships and scholarships provide substantial financial awards as well as training and support services, including mentors. 

Experienced master’s-level National Certified Counselors (NCCs) have the opportunity to volunteer as mentors for the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) and NBCC Foundation scholarship program. Fellows and scholars with active mentor connections demonstrate increased success in completing master’s programs, contributing effective research, and attaining related employment and other opportunities. NBCCF will match mentors and Fellows or Scholars based on interests and experience. 

At minimum, mentors will provide four interactions with their assigned Fellow or Scholar and make themselves available for additional inquiries based on mutual agreement with their mentee. Mentors will receive online training and orientation prior to engagement. The duration of the commitment is one year. 

NCCs interested in mentoring can submit their application (including a brief letter of interest and résumé). The letter of interest should demonstrate eligibility and explain the candidate’s interest in being a mentor and expected achievements and outcomes for the mentoring process. 

Additional Eligibility Requirements for Mentors:

      Master’s Level Fellowship or Scholarship Mentors:

• Counseling experience related to serving military, minority, rural populations, career counseling, or underserved minority populations.
• Commit to providing mentorship for a minimum of one year. 

      Doctoral Level Fellowship Mentors:

• Doctoral degree in counseling and a minimum of two years of postdoctoral experience;
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with racially and ethnically diverse populations; and
• Counseling experience related to providing mental health or substance abuse services to underserved minority populations.
• Commit to providing mentorship for a minimum of one year. 

For more information about the Foundation scholarship and fellowship programs, visit www.nbccf.org  

The NBCC Foundation is seeking dynamic presenters for our monthly webinar programs on (1) Innovations in Counseling and (2) Building Professional Excellence. These webinars enhance care for underserved communities and provide ongoing training to NCCs and CCE credential holders, in addition to Foundation Scholars and Fellows. Webinar presentations should focus on expanding the counseling workforce and professional development. These resources become part of our capacity-building plan and are archived in our webinar library available on CCE Academy. 

Webinars are conducted online, and no travel commitment is required from our webinar presenters. The NBCC Foundation handles all the logistics of managing the webinar platform, advertising, and promotion. All webinar presenters must hold a minimum of a master's degree in counseling or a related mental health field and be a board certified counselor.