Financial Aid & Scholarships
FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS
One of the first questions that may come to mind after answering God’s call to seminary might be how are you going to pay for it. Ashland Theological Seminary is committed to doing our part in making an excellent theological education affordable to you. As a private, interdenominational school, we do not have large revenue streams from the government or one denomination funding the school. It is up to us to work with you to create a financial plan that will move you toward your goal of earning a graduate degree from Ashland.
All assistance with financial aid is managed by Ashland University. As a graduate student, please visit AU Financial Aid for information and assistance.
The generosity of our friends and alumni provides endowed scholarships that assist with the financial needs of our full-time students. Several new endowed scholarships are being made available every year.
TEN PRINCIPLES
There are ten principles that guide our views on financial aid and assistance; view them below:
#1
The primary purpose of financial aid is to assist a student in their theological preparation for ministry occupations and to make possible the enrollment of promising candidates by providing assistance to students who demonstrate financial need.
#2
Financial need is defined as the difference between the total cost of attending seminary and the amount of resources available to the student.
#3
Financial assistance consists of grants, loans, employment, scholarship, gifts and assistantships.
#4
The family of the student, whether the student is married or unmarried, is expected to make every reasonable effort to assist the student with his or her educational expenses.
#5
Students are expected to provide a major share of their expenses through savings and other assets or through employment where feasible.
#6
In the case of a married student without children, the spouse is expected to be gainfully employed if possible. The spousal earnings are to be considered as part of the family income.
#7
The students home church is encouraged to assist with the cost of preparation for ministry in cases where the student shows financial need.
#8
Financial aid is typically awarded on a year-by-year basis to students showing need, with re-application and review annually.
#9
Students on academic probation are not eligible for scholarship aid from the seminary. Students on academic probation may also be placed on financial aid probation and therefore ineligible for student loans.
#10
In cases where a student receives outside scholarships or grants, Ashland reserves the right to adjust any scholarship from the school.
AVAILABLE SCHOLARSHIPS
- NEED-BASED AWARDS
AMOUNT
varies
QUALIFICATIONS
Students showing financial need based up their completed FAFSA Application are eligible for scholarship assistance. A completed FAFSA and Seminary Scholarship Application are required for consideration, as well as a minimum of 8 semester hours, and a minimum GPA of 2.75 for returning students. Priority awards are given to admitted students who have completed the application requirements before May 15.
APPLICATION
- A completed Scholarship Application Form
- A completed FAFSA Application
- BRETHREN GENERAL SCHOLARSHIPS
AMOUNT
up to $3,000 annually
QUALIFICATIONS
- A member in good standing with a Brethren congregation affiliated with the Brethren Church, Ashland, OH
- Admission to a degree of study at ATS
- Registered for at least 8 hours per semester
APPLICATION
- A completed Scholarship Application Form
- All documents submitted to the Office of Enrollment Management by May 15
- Scholarship awards are for one year only and application must be made annually until degree completion. This is not an automatically renewable award.
- PARTNER IN MINISTRY SCHOLARSHIP
AMOUNT
50% tuition reduction per class taken. Can be applied to a degree program, for personal growth, for credit or audit.
QUALIFICATIONS
- The husband or wife of a full time, enrolled ATS student
- Either admission to a degree program at ATS or admission as a Guest Student for credit or audit
APPLICATION
- A completed Partner in Ministry Form available from the Office of Enrollment Management or online
- A new application must be submitted before the beginning of each semester to which the benefit should be applied.
- ALUMNI BENEFIT
FREQUENCY
- One free audited course annually
QUALIFICATIONS
- An alumni of any masters or doctoral degree program at ATS
APPLICATION
- An Alumni Audit Registration Form (link to the right)
- Email form to our Registrar (ats-registrar@ashland.edu)
AVAILABILITY
- Space is limited and granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Alumni may choose from any course pending instructor approval and availability.
- Counseling courses are limited to 25 participants.
- CEUs are not available as free audited courses.
- CAMPUS MINISTRY AWARD
AMOUNT
½ off one course per semester
QUALIFICATIONS
- Admission into any Master’s level program at Ashland Theological Seminary
- Full time employment in campus ministry in a University or College setting
- The scholar must maintain a GPA of 2.75
APPLICATION
- For employment verification, please submit this form per semester of each year you wish to receive the award.
OTHER SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES
We wish that we had all the resources at our disposal to assist you in funding your education but that, of course, is not the case. Here are additional websites through which you can discover scholarships and grants. Beware of any site that charges you a fee for scholarship information. This information should always be free to you.
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The national database for scholarships totaling over $10 billion in available awards.
The Fund for Theological Education has created this directory of financial aid available for undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral studies in theology and religion.
Student Scholarship Search helps students find scholarships that are most relevant to their background, field of study, sport, skill, interest, achievement, or other attributes.
Create a profile and get email updates of scholarship matches based upon your specific circumstances, do keyword searches, or explore lists of scholarships by selected category.
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ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | 910 CENTER ST, ASHLAND, OH 44805
PH 866-ATS-OHIO | FX 419-289-5969 | ATS-OHIO@ASHLAND.EDU