“I’m really grateful for the faith that investors have put into Luther Seminary, for students like me and all of the students receiving the Jubilee Scholarship. Without your support, we either wouldn’t be here or it would take a lot longer to complete our studies. Thank you!”

-Jackie Ryan, second-year M.Div. student

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.

The Jubilee Scholarship program, which provides 100 percent tuition scholarships for all incoming Master of Arts and Master of Divinity students, makes a significant impact on our graduates’ indebtedness. The number of loans taken by all students continues to decline each year since the introduction of the Jubilee Scholarship, with 87% of our students not applying for student loans in 2022. Average loan amounts for all students hit a new record low since 1998.

Thanks to generous Jubilee Scholarship donors, 52 percent of 2022 seminary graduates left without educational debt – up from 30 percent in previous years. For the remaining 48 percent, the median indebtedness they leave seminary with is $27,027. 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 $8 million in scholarships and financial aid for the 2022-2023 academic year. 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.

48% of Luther Seminary graduates graduated with seminary debt in 2022.

Make a Scholarship Gift Today

The figures are for full-time M. Div. study for the 2022-23 school year.

Tuition	$19,000
Living expenses and books	$26,394
Total	$45,394