Students come to seminary with an eagerness
to learn, though they must balance their enthusiasm
with realistic planning about how they will
cover their training costs. Indeed, the primary
responsibility to pay will rest on the student.
However, students are invited to explore the
financial aid options available from Western
Seminary and various outside organizations
that can help provide for and manage school
expenses all the way to graduation.
In order to qualify
for most kinds of financial aid below, students
must be enrolled half time (4 hours) and be
admitted to a degree program. This now includes Graduate Studies Diploma and Graduate Studies Certificate. Please note
that non-degree students are not eligible
for financial assistance.
As a general rule, a student may receive more than one kind of institutional gift financial aid (grants or scholarships) but only up to a maximum of 20% of his/her tuition for a term.
- Fall Term: July 1
- Spring Term: November 1
- Summer Term: March 1
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Western Seminary will match, on a $1.00 for every
$2.00 basis, payment a student's church makes on
his/her tuition -- up to 15% of the student's tuition
each term. For example, if a church pays 30% of
the tuition, Western will give the student a grant
for 15%, leaving 55% for the student to pay. See
application and instructions for more details. Eligible
programs include Certificate, Diploma, Master's, ThM, and Doctor
of Missiology. Please see Community Service information
below.
Grants will be based primarily on financial need
and will depend in large part on the amount of money
available and the need of the applicant. Grants
are awarded on a fall-spring-summer academic year.
The Church Partnership Grants and Need-Based Grants
are funded by the endowment and restricted scholarships
shown in the Seminary catalog. Eligible programs
include Certificate, Diploma, Master's, ThM, and Doctor of Missiology.
Please see Community Service information below.
Students who are staff members of CB churches, CB
agencies or supporting churches may be eligible
for a grant of 15% of tuition costs. Contact the
Financial Aid Office for details and eligibility.
Please see Community Service information below
Getting prepared for ministry in the 21st century
is demanding and costly – as are most things
of value! Going the “extra mile” for
the full M. Div. takes an extra measure of commitment.
Therefore, Western Seminary is pleased to announce
that Master of Divinity students may receive a scholarship
equal to 15% of their tuition for hours 65 through
90 of their program. Please see Community Service
information below.
Thanks to the strong partnership between
Western Seminary and the following ministry organizations,
staff workers in each organization may be eligible
for a partial scholarship. (Click on name in order to download application information.) Please see Community Service information below.
Visiting Western Seminary when you live at a distance
can be expensive! We would like to reward you for
visiting our campus by offering you a $300.00 grant..
Please see Community Service information below.
Degree graduates of Western Seminary are invited
to audit one course per year at no charge. Degree
graduates include those who have completed a full
master’s or doctoral degree program.
To download the request for financial aid under
the Spouse Tuition Policy, please click
here.
COMMUNITY
SERVICE REQUIREMENT
In
an effort to enable the Seminary to enhance
the grant/scholarship program, Portland students
who receive certain kinds of scholarships
or grants will be required to assist the Recruitment
or Advancement Office up to four hours per
term during the terms in which the aid is
received. (This is commonly referred to as
"Community Service.") This service
will probably be something like stuffing envelopes
for a seminary mailing, telephoning prospective
students, making calls for the alumni department
and/or donors in a "phoneathon,"
or helping with a school-sponsored event. |
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Federal Stafford loans are interest loans obtained through a lender of the student's choice. Western Seminary recommends that students limit their borrowing to $13,333 in any 12-month period and total graduate/undergraduate borrowing to $40,000 at time of repayment. This applies to subsidized, unsubsidized Stafford loans, consolidated and Perkins loans. These recommended loan limits are based on the expected income of a Western Seminary graduate. A Committee (composed of the Financial Aid Director [chair], the Dean of Men, and the Business Manager) has been formed to act, on a case-by-case basis, upon appeals for borrowing beyond these recommended limits. Repayment begins six months after you graduate or cease to be at least a half-time student. The Stafford loan process can take six to eight weeks and should be started as early as possible. (As a graduate institution, students are not eligible for federal grant programs such as Pell.)
Western Seminary works with veterans and active duty armed forces personnel in the receiving of VA and other educational benefits. A student’s ability to qualify for and receive these benefits is determined by the government and not Western Seminary, though a VA Certifying Official on Western staff is available to counsel students that may qualify to receive these benefits. That official will assist eligible students by certifying and tracking students’ enrollment and progress in their degree program. Students receiving these types of benefits will need to partner with their certifying official each semester to ensure full understanding and clear communication about enrollment.
If you are eligible to receive VA or TA benefits, please follow these steps:
Some denominations have scholarships and loan programs
to assist seminary students. Many local churches
also have established scholarship funds for students
who are members of their congregations.
SMI, a non-profit national organization, provides a way for family, friends and churches to make tax-deductible contributions to sponsor your ministry activities while pursuing ministry directed graduate education. Maximize your opportunities by receiving income for your ministry involvement under the leadership of a seasoned minister. To qualify, you must be involved in an approved ministry. Contact SMI at www.studentministriesinc.org or by phone at 866.653.8802.
Some students have been able to secure scholarships
or grants from trusts and civic organizations.
You may wish to do the
following:
- Contact your local library to
research grant books
- Although
the majority of aid is for undergraduate level,
other scholarship sites include:
For students who are
not able to pay their tuition in full at the beginning
of the term, a monthly payment plan is available.
This plan is administered by Academic Management
Services and payments are made directly to AMS,
not to the seminary. There is a per-semester or
-year charge for this service but, if payments are
made on time, there are no interest or other charges
for using this plan. For more information about
how the plan works or to sign up for the plan, go
to www.tuitionpay.com.
Or you may call the Business or Financial Aid Offices
if you have additional questions.
Please note: This
monthly payment plan is not available for the summer
term.
Financing your education
at Western Seminary is a combination of grants,
loans, working part-time or full-time along with
your current resources. This is no doubt that pursuing
an advanced degree will require some sacrifice but,
with careful planning and sound management, it can
be achieved. The Lord provides!
If you have any questions
please contact Mr.
Lynn Ruark at 503-517-1818 or (877-517-1800
ext. 1818).
