Financial Aid – Western Seminary

Financial Aid
Application Deadline:

Fall Term:  Jul. 1

Spring Term:  Nov. 1

Summer Term:  Mar. 1

Submit Your FAFSA*:

www.fafsa.ed.gov

Use school code: G07178

Estimate Expenses and Aid Frequently Asked Questions

Your seminary training will carry value that lasts for a lifetime of Christian service — and it will also carry some costs. Fortunately, Western tuition rates are lower than the national average for evangelical seminaries and private graduate schools. We also offer various types of financial aid such as scholarships, loans, and payment plans to help make your training affordable. Our experienced financial aid staff are also available to help you make responsible decisions about paying for school today so that your future in ministry won’t be hindered.

  • In order to qualify for most kinds of financial aid below, students must be enrolled at least half-time (4 hours) and be admitted to a degree or Graduate Studies program.
  • Non-degree students are not eligible for financial assistance.
  • Most eligible students may receive more than one grant or scholarship but only up to a maximum of 20% of tuition for a term.
  • Occasionally, an eligible student may qualify to receive a scholarship for an even greater percentage of tuition, up to 100%.
Institutional Aid Outside Aid Federal Aid Monthly Payment Plan Financial Aid Policies

Institutional Aid

WESTERN SEMINARY GRANT

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.

PRESIDENT'S PATHWAY SCHOLARSHIP

The President’s Pathway Scholarship program recognizes a student’s potential for leadership in ministry and ensures access for students with significant need. President’s Pathway grants may range from 21-100 percent of tuition, based on the application. This is a renewable grant; recipients must reapply each year.

In order to qualify, students must:

  • Be newly admitted to one of the following programs: Master of Divinity, M.A. in Counseling, M.A. in Marital and Family Therapy, M.A. (Biblical and Theological Studies), M.A. in Ministry and Leadership, Master of Theology, or Doctor of Missiology.
  • Register for at least 4 credits per semester, and at least 15 credits over the course of three semesters
  • Serve in a ministry leadership role (may be paid or unpaid)
  • Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Have an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 as determined by the FAFSA

 

President's Pathway Scholarship Application

CB CHURCH, CB ORGANIZATION OR SUPPORTING CHURCH GRANT

Students who are staff members of CB churches, CB agencies or supporting churches may be eligible for a grant of up to 20% of tuition costs. Contact the Financial Aid Office for details and eligibility. Please see Community Service information below

MINISTRY PARTNERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP

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. In order to apply, fill out the Western Seminary Need Grant Application, the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), and the Partnership Affirmation form. Please note, this is a change in application process for the 2012-13 academic year.

The following is a list of participating churches and organizations.

TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT GRANT

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..

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Please see Community Service information below.

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY & DOCTOR OF MISSIOLOGY
ALUMNI AUDIT OPPORTUNITY

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.

SPOUSE TUITION POLICY

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.

Federal Aid

FEDERAL STAFFORD LOAN

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. Students wishing to borrow in excess of these recommended limits will be asked to provide additional information regarding financial resources and future repayment. 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.)


Helpful Links

VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (VA) BENEFITS AND
TUITION ASSISTANCE (TA) BENEFITS

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: 

1.

Speak with the VA certifying official at the appropriate campus:

Portland: Mark Baker
503.517.1808
mbaker@westernseminary.edu
Sacramento: Wes Ehrhart
916.488.3720 x2
wehrhart@westernseminary.edu
San Jose: Dan Ruiz
408.356.6889 x402
druiz@westernseminary.edu

For TA Benefits, please contact:
Katy Shaw
503.517.1888
kshaw@westernseminary.edu

2. Please research and apply for these benefits online at:

Outside Aid

DENOMINATIONAL AND CHURCH ASSISTANCE

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.  

FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION RESOURCES

Some students have been able to secure scholarships or grants from trusts and civic organizations.

You may wish to do the following:

Monthly Payment Plan

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 per-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, visit the TuitionPay section of Tuition and Fees page. Or you may call the Business or Financial Aid Offices if you have additional questions.

If you have any questions about these or other financial aid programs, please contact:

Shelle Riehl
Financial Aid Director
503.517.1814 or 877.517.1800 ext. 1814
sriehl@westernseminary.edu

Ashley Mitchell
Financial Aid Counselor
503.517.1819 or 877.517.1800 ext. 1819
amitchell@westernseminary.edu

*Please note that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is not an application for
financial aid in itself, but it is a need analysis document required for programs such
as the Western Seminary Grant and for student loans.