Costs for higher education continue to rise. National average tuition, fees, and room & board expenses for four-year undergraduate education exceeds $23,000 annually. Some top institutions and graduate programs can double or triple that amount.
To help minimize debt, students and parents are well-advised to seek out scholarship assistance from a variety of sources. United Methodists in Missouri are fortunate to have access to a number of resources through the Missouri United Methodist Foundation.
“We have a number of scholarships for students who are members of United Methodist churches in Missouri,” states David P. Atkins, executive director of the Foundation. “We also partner with the United Methodist Dollars for Scholars Program to offer additional assistance to eligible students at Central Methodist University and Saint Paul School of Theology.”
Eligibility requirements and application materials are available through the Foundation website www.mumf.org/students or by contacting the Foundation office (800-332-8238). The deadline for applications is April 1. Named scholarships include:
The Judge Leah B. McCartney Scholarship – 2 @ $2,000
The Mary Alice Reinhardt Scholarship – 2 @ $1,000
The Merrydelle G. May Scholarship – 10 @ $1,000
The Clint & Marge Hawkins Scholarship – 3 @ $1,000
In 2014, the Foundation also provided $1,000 to each of 35 Missouri students at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri and to three students at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City through the Dollars for Scholars program administered by the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF). Eligibility information and a link to the UMHEF website and application are also found at www.mumf.org . Applications become available on January 2 and the deadline for application is March 1.
Scholarships for seminary students up to $3,000 per year for full-time study are also available from the Foundation. The application deadline is June 1.