What is the Jubilee Scholarship?
Since 2018, Luther Seminary is pleased to offer the Jubilee Scholarship, which covers tuition costs for all Master of Arts and Master of Divinity students.
How much does it cost to attend seminary each year?
For a full-time Master of Divinity student, tuition currently is $19,000 for an entire year. Living expenses, for which students remain personally responsible, total an estimated $25,000 per year. The approximate grand total is $44,000 per year.
Estimated costs 2020–21 (12-month academic year)
Off-campus | Interns | M.A. or M.Div Distributed Learners | |
---|---|---|---|
Tuition | $19,000.00 | $3,800.00 | $11,400.00 |
Room and board | $12,328.00 | $12,328.00 | $2,274.00 |
Books and fees | $2,000.00 | $1,000.00 | $1,328.00 |
Transportation | $2,284.00 | $2,284.00 | $3,364.00 |
Personal and miscellaneous | $8,218.00 | $8,218.00 | $750.00 |
Student loan fees | $102.00 | $102.00 | $102.00 |
Total | $43,932.00 | $27,732.00 | $18,272.00 |
Does the Jubilee Scholarship mean tuition is free? Or, does this mean Luther Seminary doesn’t need scholarship gifts because it’s free tuition?
The Jubilee Scholarship is not free tuition; it is a scholarship, funded through the support of generous donors to Luther Seminary. The scholarship funds for students come from a combination of endowed scholarship funds and current annual scholarship gifts. Donors understand the need to decrease student indebtedness so that pastors, communities, and congregations can flourish. The seminary still charges tuition and awards the funds to pay for it.
Has someone already given the money for the Jubilee Scholarship?
No. This scholarship is not from one person; it’s from thousands of donors. Prior gifts to the seminary endowment—more than 350 named endowed scholarships—provide half of the cost of tuition for our students each year. This has come from donations and estate gifts from thousands of people over many years. Your donations to current scholarships each year support the other half of scholarships.
What should our congregation do with the money we used to send for scholarships? Does Luther Seminary still need it?
Your congregation may continue to send scholarship support as it has previously. The need for scholarships is great, and we still rely on congregational support as we have in the past.
One outcome of the Jubilee Scholarship strategy is that interest in seminary education has increased by four times, applications to Luther Seminary have doubled, and we now have a waiting list of highly qualified candidates who are seeking seminary education. When the financial pressure of borrowing funds is removed, leaders will accept the call to ministry and pursue a seminary degree.
One outcome of the Jubilee Scholarship strategy is that interest in seminary education has increased by four times, applications to Luther Seminary have doubled, and we now have a waiting list of highly qualified candidates who are seeking seminary education. When the financial pressure of borrowing funds is removed, leaders will accept the call to ministry and pursue a seminary degree.
Didn’t churches used to pay for their members to attend seminary in the past?
Yes. In the past churches often would pay for students from their congregations to attend seminary, and some still do. Last year, 82 congregations provided financial assistance directly to their members attending seminary. For example, one church in Alexandria, Minnesota, is supporting seven of their members to attend seminary! However, the cost of theological education is out of reach for many congregations. Individual donors have an important role to play in making up the difference so we may prepare the next generation of church leaders.
If seminary students don’t contribute financially, will they still value their education?
All seminary students make significant monetary and personal sacrifices to pursue ministry. They are also responsible for their living expenses, transportation, books, and fees. In addition, all of our students work at a congregation or ministry site during seminary.
What gift amount is required to endow a full-tuition scholarship?
At the current tuition cost, a full tuition scholarship requires a $400,000 endowment. A named endowed scholarship can be established with a $50,000 gift and added to over many years, as well as through estate plans.
What is the difference between Jubilee Scholarship and MDivX?
MDivX is an experimental pilot program in which up to 30 students each year study to earn a Master of Divinity degree in 24 months while serving in a part-time internship. This program was funded by a gift from one donor, and all of the costs of internship, tuition, and a living stipend are covered during the 24-month program. The pilot was designed to operate for five years and will conclude with the graduation of the third (current) cohort. This experiment is separate from the Jubilee Scholarship for the seminary’s other M.A. and M.Div. students.
I heard that Luther Seminary has a waiting list of prospective students. Does the Jubilee Scholarship cover those students?
Yes, Luther Seminary has had to turn away dozens of qualified applicants over the past two years. Our commitment with the Jubilee Scholarship program was to admit up to 100 M.A. and M.Div. students per year and provide each student a full tuition scholarship. Our goal is to graduate church leaders who are financially healthy and unencumbered by debt. As Luther Seminary raises additional scholarship funds, we will be able to reduce the size of our waiting list.
Is the Jubilee Scholarship for Evangelical Luther Church in America students only?
All admitted M.A. and M.Div. students receive a Jubilee scholarship, including our ecumencial students who make up 30% of our student body. This is by design; Luther values inclusion and strives to create a community of belonging, where our classrooms reflect the faith communities our graduates will serve.
What are some of the demographics of Luther Seminary students?
Students enrolled at Luther Seminary:
500
Women – 57%, Men – 43%
Average Age 41,
75% of enrolled students are over 30, and may be pursuing a second career
500
Women – 57%, Men – 43%
Average Age 41,
75% of enrolled students are over 30, and may be pursuing a second career
Enrollment by degree program:
58% Master of Divinity (the path to ordination)
22% Master of Arts
20% Other degrees
55% of students are enrolled in distributed learning programs.
Distributed Learning (those who never move to the seminary):
138 students are enrolled in the M.Div. DL degree
40 students are enrolled in the M.A. DL degree
Ecumenical students:
30% of the total student body represent 41 denominations and faiths other than the ELCA.
International students:
52 international students represent 23 different countries.
What is Luther Seminary doing about alumni who have graduated with debt?
We know that many of our graduates from the past are burdened by debt they incurred while in seminary. A number of ELCA synods have debt-reduction programs to help address this problem, and many congregations are seeing first-hand the financial pressures of their church leaders and stepping up to help as well. Luther Seminary decided to start at the source, and end the practice of saddling new church leaders and pastors with debt upon their graduation. WE encourage our alumni to seek support and resources from their synods and congregations.
Together, we can lift up and prepare financially healthy Christian public leaders to serve in God’s world.
Together, we can lift up and prepare financially healthy Christian public leaders to serve in God’s world.