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Financial Aid

The Office of Financial Aid provides students with the financial resources necessary to achieve their educational goals by administering scholarships made available by endowments, as well as federal and institutional loans.

Students who are U.S. Citizens or permanent residents showing evidence of financial need and are admitted to any of the following programs are eligible to receive federal education loans: Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, Master of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy. 

Scholarships

Jubilee Scholarship – All qualified, newly admitted M.A. , M.Div. and Graduate Certificate students will receive full tuition scholarships.  Scholarships will be made regardless of full-time or part-time study and will be available to both residential/commuter and distributed learners.

Additional information for the Jubilee Scholarship:

  • Scholarships will be granted with the following maximum thresholds whichever is arrived at first:

    • 2 years or 6 courses (Grad Cert)

    • 4 years or 14 courses (M.A.)

    • 6 years or 25 courses (M.Div.)

  • Receipt of the ELCA Fund for Leaders full tuition scholarship will replace the Jubilee Scholarship. 

  • The Jubilee Scholarship does not include a living stipend.

Other Scholarships

Artist in Residence: (Not currently accepting new applications) Scholarship given to an artist of proven ability and breadth and that possesses an openness to working with several key constituencies at Luther Seminary. The artist will work principally in one of the visual arts (painting/drawing, sculpture, photography, etc.) but will not be limited to working only in these media. Critical to the artwork produced and to the arts immersion experiences offered will be a passion for exploring the intersection of art and Christian faith and its impact on theological education. A separate application and recommendation form must be submitted to the Office of Admissions and an interview is required.

Musician in Residence: Scholarship given to a student with worship leadership experience, with preference given to candidates with strong instrumental abilities (guitar, keyboard, organ, drum, other) and worship leadership experience.  All musicians seeking to further their worship and music skills while gaining a theological education are encouraged to apply. Will be expected to assist in worship service planning and provide music for worship during chapel at Luther Seminary on a regular basis (i.e. two times per month). A separate application and recommendation form must be submitted to the Office of Admissions and an audition and interview are required.

Additional information for the Musician/Artist in Residence:

  • Recipients must be a residential student.

  • Scholarships will be granted for a maximum of 3 years/14 courses (M.A.) or 6 years/25 courses (M.Div.).

  • Along with full tuition, these awards will include a $500 per full course living stipend.

  • Scholarship amount will increase in size accordingly with any tuition increases as student progresses in years.  The stipend will remain at $500 per course for the duration of your degree.

  • Receipt of the Artist/Musician in Residence will replace the Jubilee Scholarship.

Service Scholarships: We will recognize incoming students who have completed a year of service in YAGM, LVC, J-3, Urban Servant Corps or other faith based service organizations within the last 5 years of entering Luther Seminary.  The amount of this award will be $5000 per year ($2,500 in fall term and $2,500 in spring term.).  The Service Scholarship will be granted for 2 years (M.A.) or 3 years (M.Div.). Applicants must have their supervising volunteer/program coordinator email admissions@luthersem.edu with a confirmation of their dates of service.

Th.M. Scholarship - All new Th.M. students are eligible to receive a full tuition scholarship.  This scholarship will cover the tuition cost of the six required courses for the Th.M degree. These courses must be completed in the first three years of study. The Th.M scholarship does not include a living stipend.

Ph.D. Students – All new incoming Ph.D. students will be eligible for full tuition scholarships.  The scholarship will also include a living stipend.  Please contact the Graduate Studies Office for more information.

Special Outside Funding Sources

Admitted students receiving full-tuition benefits from the ELCA Fund for Leaders qualify for an additional $750 stipend for every course. This additional stipend is limited to 14 courses for the MA program and 25 courses for the M.Div program.

Loans

Luther Seminary participates in the Federal Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS loan programs. 

The Mourer loan, a private, institutional loan, is also offered to students as funds are available and criteria is met. This loan is eligible for partial cancellation for ministry service following graduation.

 Detailed loan information can be found at www.luthersem.edu/finaid.

Employment

Most students work part-time to assist in financing their education. Luther Seminary has a limited number of student jobs available, all of which are on campus. Positions are advertised and handled by Student Affairs office.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to measure the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) of federal student loan recipients on a per term basis. The federal SAP policy is more defined than the seminary’s policy related to student academic progress. In order for students to receive financial aid (from both federal and Luther sources) they must remain in good academic standing. Academic standing for financial aid purposes is measured in two ways - qualitative (academic probation) and quantitative. Admitted students may view the policy in the Financial Aid Portal under the “Satisfactory/Academic Progress”. See also Academic Probation.

Financial aid for this policy will include both Luther Seminary-originated and federal aid.