At seminary, a student studies and researches religion and theological topics to gain a better understanding of faith and religion and learn the art of ministry and preaching. It’s important for seminaries to offer scholarships so that a broad range of students from all walks of life can pursue their passions. This is why many seminary schools have at least one scholarship they can offer to potential students.
At United, there are different types of scholarships offered by our seminary. There are also external scholarship opportunities available for seminary school students through specific denominations and churches, the military, and standard government aid.
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT SEMINARY SCHOLARSHIPS
PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP
The Presidential Scholarship is an allotment per credit hour for new full-time master’s students and $3,000 per year for new full-time doctoral students. This scholarship is only available for 3 years to the students who receive it. To apply for this scholarship, aspiring students need to complete their application for admission and fill out the Presidential Scholar form that can be found on United’s website. This scholarship is only awarded fully if the student is enrolled full-time. If a student is enrolled part-time, they will receive 50% of the allotted scholarship funds.
HOUSE OF STUDY SCHOLARSHIP
The House of Study Scholarship is available to the first 12 students in each of United’s Houses of Study. There are currently six established Houses of Study at United: Fresh Expressions, Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, Global Methodist, Global Pentecostal, Hispanic, and Korean. There are also two newly forming Houses of Study at United: AME Zion and Global Lutheran.
This scholarship covers 50% of a master’s tuition for a maximum of 3 years. Apart from being enrolled in a master’s track within a house of study, you need to be attending at least 9 credit hours per term and have at least a 2.5 GPA in your previous degree. You’ll also need to write a 300-word essay that explains why you want to join a house of study.
SEMINARY SCHOLARSHIP VS. SEMINARY GRANTS
In the context of theological education and seminary studies, a seminary scholarship and a seminary grant are similar in that they both provide financial assistance to students pursuing religious or ministerial training.
However, a seminary scholarship will be granted to a student based on academic history and personal achievements whereas a seminary grant will be granted to a student based on financial need.
TIPS FOR APPLYING FOR SEMINARY SCHOLARSHIPS
When applying for scholarships, it’s important to remember that your first impression will come from your application and essay.
This is why we’ve put together some tips for you to keep in mind when diving into the first steps of the scholarship application process.
APPLICATION TIPS:
One of the best things you can do regarding your application is to start early and keep the process organized. The last thing you want is to rush your way through the application and make mistakes or miss the deadline altogether.
Set a timeline for yourself to get everything you need – essay, letters of recommendation, etc. – and make a checklist.
When you go through the application instructions, you should highlight or take note of every important guideline and requirement. Keep these in mind when going through the process and also revisit them at the end before submission to ensure you haven’t missed anything.
The application is the perfect time to highlight your achievements and passions. Even though it may seem like you’re just listing extracurricular activities, accomplishments, previous experience, and strengths, what you’re actually doing is outlining who you are as a person and who you’ll be as a recipient of the scholarship.
ESSAY TIPS:
Most scholarship essays only allow for short responses, which means you need to make every word count. You’ll want to ensure you address the essay prompt directly, stay focused and organized, and use concise language.
Allow your essay to reflect who you are. Every student is getting the same prompt, so you need to make your essay feel unique. You can use a personal example to show your previous experiences or share your passions and goals for the future. However, if you choose to showcase yourself, make sure it’s clear how you’ll use the scholarship funds to make a positive impact.
Last but certainly not least, it’s vital that you proofread and edit your essay. Check for grammar and spelling errors and read it aloud to hear if any sentences feel awkward or unclear. Then ask someone whose knowledge you trust to take an additional look at it.
PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS:
Before going into an interview for a scholarship, you should do your research and gain a good understanding of the scholarship and the organization offering it. You’ll want to be able to show the interviewer how you align with their mission and values.
Anticipate interview questions and practice your answers. The more you prepare, the more confident you’ll feel during your interview. When you’re confident, you can answer questions clearly while also being your genuine self so the interviewer can see your personality and passion.
GETTING LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION:
If your scholarship requires letters of recommendation, ensure you get them from mentors and peers who know you well and can speak to your passion for faith and ministry. The more professional or faith-based these letters can be, the better. It’s much more preferable to get a letter from your youth minister than your buddy you’ve gone to church with for years.
HOW TO WRITE A SUCCESSFUL SEMINARY SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY
Your scholarship essay is an opportunity to showcase your passion, achievements, and future goals. By crafting a well-structured, compelling essay you can share who you are as a person and your dedication to whatever plans you have for your future regarding faith and religion.
When structuring your seminary scholarship essay, you’ll first want to pay attention to the word count you’re allotted. The shorter the essay, the more directly you’ll need to address the prompt. Longer essays leave you more room to share past experiences and build up your personality, whereas shorter essays need you to sum yourself up quickly so you can focus on the topic the scholarship program wants to hear about.
Make sure your essay follows an organized order that makes sense and covers everything you need it to, all while being unique so you stand out from the crowd of other applicants.
There are a few standard dos and don’ts of writing a seminary scholarship essay. You should plan out your essay, keep it organized, and carefully look it over for any errors or awkward sentences. You should also keep your essay genuine. Write what you truly believe and feel, not what you think they want to hear.
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN APPLYING FOR SEMINARY SCHOLARSHIPS
One of the easiest and most common mistakes you can make on both your application and your essay is to submit them with errors. Ensure that they adhere to all instructions and guidelines and don’t have any unnecessary typos or awkward sentences. Make sure at least two other people set eyes on your application and essay as well so they can catch any issues that slip through the cracks.
A major mistake you’ll want to avoid for your application, essay, and interview is to not undersell yourself. Choose your highest accomplishments to highlight and include all relevant experiences. Even if your essay is required to be short, you can spare a sentence to get across how your past showcases your bright future.
RESEARCHING SEMINARY SCHOLARSHIPS
Depending on where you attend church, you may have local resources available to you during your search for seminary scholarships. Many denominations and churches have regional and national scholarships available to their worshippers.
There are also scholarship search engines and databases that can provide you with information on seminary scholarships. Scholarships.com is one popular engine that has a variety of seminary scholarships to look through, organized by deadlines. There doesn’t seem to be a standard deadline for seminary scholarships as some are accepted year-round and others are accepted at different times throughout the year, so this is a useful aspect of their database.
Many seminary scholarships are granted on a first-come basis, making it important that you apply early. This doesn’t mean you should hurry through and allow mistakes to be made, but don’t put the application off until the deadline.
CONCLUSION
Seminary scholarships can offer the best and brightest individuals with a passion for faith and religion a chance to pursue their dreams and make a positive impact on the world. Though these scholarships are a huge step in the right direction, these scholarships are nothing without the students who apply for them.
That’s why we at United strongly encourage our current and prospective students to apply for seminary scholarships so they can be financially supported while chasing their goals. It’s the students of today that will build a brighter future for us all tomorrow.
If you are someone interested in pursuing a graduate seminary degree and are interested in learning more about United Theological Seminary, contact our admissions team to request information, or apply today.
