Financial Aid
All students who wish to receive financial aid must complete the STH Financial Aid Application. Depending on the type of scholarship the student receives or if they wish to apply for federal loans, the FAFSA may also be required. Please see here for full instructions and application links.
Dean’s Scholarships: Dean’s Scholarships are awarded for the academic year, September to May. They are renewable each year, contingent upon the annual evaluation of the recipient’s grade point average (3.3 minimum), character, and commitment to ministry. All awards are for a maximum of two academic years of full-time MSM study. Dean’s Scholarships are awarded before initial enrollment in the School of Theology; however, money is not available to the student until the first day of classes.
Domestic applicants whose cumulative Grade Point Average from an undergraduate or graduate degree program is above a 3.3 will be considered for Dean’s Scholarships. Dean’s Scholarships range from full tuition to full tuition plus a stipend of up to $10,000 annually. These awards are made on the basis of a student’s credentials, original application to the School, and an online video interview. Details about how to complete the video interview are sent directly to eligible prospective students during the third week of February, and they are given a week’s time to complete the assignment. During the first week of March these materials are considered together (original application materials and video interview), and faculty award the Dean’s Scholarships at that time.
Tuition Scholarships: Tuition Scholarships are awarded for the academic year, September to May. They are renewable each year, contingent upon the annual evaluation of the recipient’s grade point average (2.7 minimum), character, and commitment to ministry. All awards are for a maximum of two academic years of full-time MSM study.
The School of Theology’s tuition is significantly lower than the tuition of other schools and colleges within Boston University. Every seminarian benefits appreciably from this reduced tuition cost. Need-based Tuition Scholarships are provided to nearly all full-time School of Theology students once they are accepted into a degree program, in addition to the already-reduced School of Theology tuition costs.
Applicants whose applications are completed by the Priority Admission Deadline are eligible to receive the following tuition scholarships:
100% for master’s-level applicants who are UMC Candidates for Ordained Ministry. (To receive this financial award students must provide a letter from a District Superintendent, Board of Ordained Ministry member, Candidacy Mentor, Bishop, or Annual-Conference-level Ecclesiastical Superior stating that the student has completed the “Candidacy Guidebook” and publicly declared Candidacy in the United Methodist Church.)
70% for admitted Master of Divinity students
55% for admitted Master of Theological Studies or Master of Sacred Music students
