Undergraduate Scholarships

faith in your future

The Missouri United Methodist Foundation awards various college scholarships to qualified students each year.  The new MUMF application is available each January and may be submitted any time prior to April 1 each year. 

additional required application materials must be postmarked no later than April 1. 

  • Typically, no more than one scholarship is awarded to any single applicant for the academic year. Depending on available funds, number of applicants, and applicant qualifications, however, the Foundation reserves the discretion to award more than one scholarship or no scholarship to any single applicant.
  • Many of our awards may be used to attend any post-secondary university, college, or vocational school. A few scholarships are restricted to students attending a particular school (e.g., Central Methodist University) or type of school (e.g., a United Methodist-related institution).
  • If you apply and receive an award — congratulations! Most of our scholarships, however, are only available once, so award recipients are ineligible to re-apply in future years. (An exception to this is the Dollars for Scholars program administered by UMHEF. See more information about that program below.)
  • (CMU-Fayette campus residential students only) Recipients of named awards are not eligible to receive the Foundation match under the Dollars for Scholars program in the same academic year. (If a student qualifies for both, we will opt for the award that provides the larger amount.)
  • Many of our scholarships require applicants to be active members of a UM church in Missouri for at least one year. A few scholarships are available for student members of UM-related churches which includes those churches with a historical tie to the UMC (including recently disaffiliated congregations).

scholarship descriptions & application

Online Application Process

scholarships administered by other organizations

These awards will require separate applications. Eligibility requirements and deadlines will vary. Click on the title below to learn more about these scholarship opportunities:

College and seminary students from United Methodist churches in Missouri have the opportunity for up to $4,000 in scholarships through the Dollars for Scholars program administered by the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF).

How it works:  

  1. The local UM church sponsors the student by submitting a verification form along with $1,000 (on a church check). Note: If any of the funds are provided to the church for the sponsorship of a particular student from any individual, this is NOT a tax-deductible charitable gift and should NOT appear on any church giving statement.
  2. UMHEF will match that with $1,000 (so long as funds are available).
  3. Participating Institutions will provide another $1,000 match
  4. Missouri United Methodist Foundation will match $1,000 for Saint Paul School of Theology students or Central Methodist University students enrolled full-time at CMU’s residential campus in Fayette, MO who are either freshmen, or who are upperclassmen (sophomore, junior, senior) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher as of the end of the immediately preceding full academic year. (Note: GPA is verified with CMU in June to determine eligibility for funding in the next academic year.)

Therefore, your potential scholarship total is up to $4,000 (Missouri students attending other UM schools outside Missouri can still receive up to $3,000.)

Qualifications for Missouri United Methodist Foundation (MUMF) match:

  • You must be a member of a local United Methodist church in Missouri for at least one year.
  • You must be attending Central Methodist University or Saint Paul School of Theology to be eligible for the MUMF match.
  • Central Methodist University Students must be enrolled full-time at CMU’s residential campus in Fayette, MO to receive MUMF match.
  • All Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors at CMU must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (calculated at the end of the most recently completed full academic year) or higher to receive the MUMF match.

Note:  The Foundation match is processed through the UMHEF and credited to each qualifying student at the respective institutions.  The Foundation does not provide matching funds to students that are receiving any other Foundation scholarship in the same academic year. The Foundation’s match is awarded only to Central Methodist University students or Saint Paul School of Theology students meeting the qualifications outlined above.

After submitting the online application, applicants will receive a confirmation email that includes a form, which the student and the pastor of the sponsoring church must sign. This signed form must be mailed to the UMHEF along with a check from the sponsoring church for exactly $1,000 payable to UMHEF (no personal checks) and postmarked no later than March 20. More information and application instructions are available by visiting the UMHEF website.  

On the GBHEM website you will also find information regarding additional scholarships for United Methodist students. Please note: The 2026 deadline is March 6!

Central Methodist University offers a 50% Tuition Scholarship for qualified United Methodist students.

To qualify, a student must:

  • Be a member in good standing of a United Methodist church for at least one year prior to full-time enrollment at CMU’s residential campus in Fayette.
  • Member must have a certification of UMC membership form submitted by the student’s pastor no later than the first day of classes. (To view the form CLICK HERE.)
  • Member must meet or exceed all academic admission standards, including a 2.5 or higher GPA (on a 4.0 scale).

Note: The 50% tuition scholarships cannot be combined with any other CMU institutional aid. If you have any questions about admission to CMU at the Fayette campus, please contact the CMU Office of Admissions:

660-248-6251

(Toll-free) 877-CMU-1854

admissions@centralmethodist.edu

centralmethodist.edu/admissions/financial-aid/scholarships.html

questions?

Contact the Foundation at foundation@mumf.org or 573-875-4168.

contact us
Secret Link