Pepperdine Students Awarded Over $460,000 in Prestigious LAC DMH Stipends

Pepperdine University is proud to announce that 25 of its Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) students have been selected to receive the 2024–2025 Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LAC DMH) stipend. Valued at $18,500 per recipient, this year’s awards total an impressive $462,500 in funding to support Pepperdine students preparing to serve in high-need mental health settings. Two additional students were named alternates.

Among the 25 recipients, 23 are from the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy (MACLP) program and 2 are from the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program. These results reflect Pepperdine’s strong alignment with the county’s workforce priorities and its commitment to developing compassionate, service-minded mental health professionals.

This year, 67 MFT students and 17 psychology students were selected across all participating institutions for the highly competitive program. With 23 MFT recipients, Pepperdine students represent more than one-third of all MFT stipend awards countywide. The University also accounts for over 10% of all psychology recipients in Los Angeles County.

Pepperdine GSEP congratulates this year’s awardees and extends sincere appreciation to the faculty, staff, and partners who supported students throughout the application process. The University is honored to play a role in preparing the next generation of mental health leaders for meaningful service in Los Angeles County and beyond.