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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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 Certificat, Diploma
and Masters programs.
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 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.
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
- Download ATS Catalog "V"
"Outside Financial Resources for
Theological Students" from http://ats.edu/sets/studfst.htm.
or (use in the Portland Financial Aid
Office.)
- 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. There 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).
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