Students Seminary Scholarships & Internships

Seminary Scholarships & Internships

Seminary education requires a serious commitment of time, talent and treasure from each student. Likewise, the Church is committed to providing significant financial support to ensure that qualified students have adequate resources to answer the call to ministry. 

For United Methodists in Missouri, there are a number of grants and scholarships available from several different sources. The following information offers some description and links to more information. Please make note of the different eligibility requirements, deadlines and separate applications that are necessary. If you have questions, please call us at 800-332-8238. 

Click on the header that best describes yourself to learn more about these scholarships opportunities.

Full-time students (9+ hours per semester) attending one of the 13 UM seminaries:

Excellence in Clergy Leadership Scholarship

  • •   General Board of Higher Education and Ministry application; applications accepted from January 3 to March 1
  • •   Must be seeking the Master of Divinity degree at one of the 13 United Methodist seminaries
  • •   Eligible students will be considered for the new ECL Scholarship (from $2,500 to $12,500) and for all other scholarships administered by the GBHEM
  • •   Eligible Missouri candidates who do not receive the maximum ECL Scholarship will also be considered for seminary student scholarships and grants available through the Missouri UM Foundation (no need to complete an additional MOAC Unified Application)

C2FM Seminary Scholarships

Dollars for Scholars Matching Grants – UM Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF)

  • •   UM Higher Education Foundation applications accepted from January 1 to March 1
  • •   You must be a member of a local UM church for at least one year
  • •   How it works:  
    1. The local UM church supports the student with $1,000 (on a church check)
    2. UMHEF will match that with $1,000
    3. Participating Institutions will match with $1,000
    4. Missouri United Methodist Foundation will match $1,000 for Saint Paul School of Theology students
    Your potential scholarship total is up to $4,000

Full or part-time students attending seminary:

Missouri UM Foundation Seminary Scholars Grants

  • •   MOAC Unified Application; deadline June 1
  • •   Must be seeking the Master of Divinity degree.
  • •   Must be a Missouri candidate for ministry and plan to seek ordination in Missouri
  • •   Full-time study = $3,000 per year/ half-time study = $1,500 per year

C2FM Seminary Scholarship

  • •   MOAC Unified Application; deadline June 1
  • •   Must work with a C2FM assigned financial coach and complete three coaching sessions by December 31
  • •   Must provide financial coach with your household financial information and complete the Financial Well-Being survey 
  • •   Must be seeking the Master of Divinity degree.
  • •   Must be a Missouri candidate for ministry and plan to seek ordination in Missouri
  • •   Full-time study = $2,500 per year/ half-time study = $1,250 per year

Missouri Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and Student Aid Grants (Ministerial Education Fund)

  • •   MOAC Unified Application; deadline June 1, 2017
  • •   Full-time study = $2,500 per semester / half-time study = $1,250 per semester

GBHEM Scholarships (Various)

Additional named scholarship

Applicants who apply for seminary scholarships through MOAC Unified Application or the Excellence in Clergy Leadership Application will be considered for the following additional scholarships:

Stella Kahrs Memorial Scholarship

  • •   First consideration will be given to students from Smithton, MO
  • •   Second consideration will be given geographically outward from Smithton, MO

Lawrence & Gracia Scholarship Fund

  • •   Consideration only given to Saint Paul School of Theology students

Boone and Nadine T. Ingels Memorial Scholarship

  • •   First consideration will be given to Saint Paul School of Theology students from Cass County
  • •   Second consideration will be given to Saint Paul School of Theology students from the Heartland District
  • •   Third consideration will be given to Saint Paul School of Theology students from the Northwest or Southwest Districts

Summer Ministry Internships (Missouri Only):

Franklin & Louise Cole Summer Ministerial Internships (seminary students)

(Apply through MOAC Office of Leadership Excellence; deadline January 29, 2019)

Missouri Conference – Crossroads Summer Internships (undergraduates)

(Apply through MOAC Office of Leadership Excellence; deadline January 27, 2017)