2026 NBCCF Minority Fellowship Program for Mental Health Counseling (Doctoral)

The NBCC Foundation (NBCCF) is pleased to announce the 2026 application period for the NBCCF Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) for Mental Health Counseling (MHC-D). This program is made possible by a grant awarded to the NBCC Foundation by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The NBCC Foundation will administer up to 20 doctoral-level Counseling fellowships of $22,000, plus the travel expenses to participate in program-related trainings. 

The NBCCF MFP helps ensure that the behavioral health needs of all Americans are met, thereby improving overall community health and well-being. By strategically promoting and providing fellowships to doctoral Counseling students, the NBCCF MFP strengthens the infrastructure that engages individuals in Counseling and increases the number of Professional Counselors. 

Eligible applicants must demonstrate knowledge of and experience with one or more communities. Eligible applicants must commit to teach, administer services, conduct research, and/or provide direct Mental Health Counseling to a community.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status.
• Applicants must not already possess a doctoral degree in a behavioral health field. 
• Applicants must not receive any other federal funds (except for federal loans, work-study, or employment).  
• Applicants must currently be nationally certified by holding the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential. If the applicant is not currently nationally certified, they must document all of the following: 

1. A full or provisional state license as a Professional Counselor. 
2. A passing score on the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE).
3. A commitment to apply for the NCC credential and to complete the application within the shortest possible timeframe after notification of the MFP award. It is the applicant’s responsibility to determine their eligibility to obtain this certification prior to applying for the fellowship. 

• Applicants must have completed courses in fall 2025 or spring 2026 in a doctoral-level Counseling program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or Counseling program pending CACREP accreditation at the time of application.
• Applicants must be currently enrolled full time and be in good standing in a CACREP-accredited, doctoral-level Counseling program or Counseling program pending CACREP accreditation. If awarded, all MFP-Mental Health Counseling Doctoral fellowship recipients must remain enrolled full time in their academic program for the duration of the fellowship.
• Applicants are expected to graduate by Dec. 31, 2029 (within 3 years of the date of the fellowship funding).
• Eligible applicants must not have an anticipated academic program completion date before Sept. 30, 2027, which will be verified in writing by their academic department prior to the awarding of funds.
• Applicants must have demonstrated knowledge and experience with the mental health needs of communities.
• Applicants must commit to teach, administer, research, and/or provide direct mental health services in the private, nonprofit, or public sectors within 1 year of graduation and for the duration of 2 years post-graduation. 
• Applicants should be able to attend the 2027 NBCC Foundation’s Bridging the Gap Symposium in February 2027, and up to two other training events during their fellowship year. If applicants cannot attend a training, an alternate assignment identified by NBCCF will be required.

To check the CACREP status of a program, search the CACREP website.

NOTE: Applicants who are not already NCCs are strongly advised to verify their eligibility for the NCC prior to applying. The NCC certification requirements can be found on NBCC’s website at nbcc.org/Certification/NCC.

The application opens April 1, 2026, and the deadline is June 30, 2026, at 11:59 pm EDT. 

Fellowship awardees will be announced in October 2026. 

Disclaimer: Please be advised that all NBCCF MFP awards are subject to future funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

For questions, please review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). If after reviewing our FAQ document you still have questions, please email foundation@nbcc.org or call 336-232-0376. 

If you experience any issues with the Submittable application platform, please email Support@submittable.com and copy foundation@nbcc.org.