“Thanks to the financial gifts of faithful donors I am able to serve as an artist-in-residence at Luther, creating artwork and getting a theological degree in return.”-Samuel Bardwell,
M.A. ’15 and
Artist-in-Residence
Students answer a call to ministry at great cost to themselves. The cost of a seminary education is rising and with it the level of student debt.
Thirty percent of seminary graduates leave without educational debt. For the remaining 70 percent, the median indebtedness is $42,279. High debt levels limit the types of calls students can accept, especially to rural or inner-city congregations that cannot pay high enough salaries to allow students to cover their debt payments.
Your support of scholarships allows students to freely follow their call to ministry, and minimize their debt so they can serve God’s world where they are most needed.
Scholarship facts
Luther Seminary budgeted $3.79 million in scholarships and financial aid during 2018-19. In addition, local congregations provide assistance to individual students. On average, this covers approximately half of the cost of tuition, but students still incur significant living expenses that must be covered through employment, loans or other sources of income.
47% of Luther Seminary graduates graduate with seminary debt.
The figures are for full-time M. Div. study for the 2018-19 school year.
| Tuition | $17,500 |
| Living expenses and books | $21,622 |
| Total | $39,122 |