Merit-Based Scholarships
Each year, entering students are chosen for the President’s Scholarship and the Dean’s Scholarship. These merit awards are available to students accepted in our master’s degree programs (MDiv, MTS, and MAST).
Students accepted to our master’s programs must apply by the appropriate priority deadlines to be considered:
Fall Priority Deadline – March 1st
Spring Priority Deadline – November 1st
Recipients of these awards must be enrolled at least half-time, and must continue to make satisfactory academic progress.
Denominational Partner Scholarships
Our denominational partners, that include the United Methodist Church, The United Church of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), also offer various scholarship opportunities.
We strongly encourage you to research these scholarships further to learn more and to find the most up-to-date information.
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Disciples Seminary Foundation Scholarships
Pacific School of Religion maintains a close relationship with the Disciples of Christ (DoC) through the DSF. Since 1987, PSR and DSF have offered high-level scholarships to DOC students seeking our Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies, and Master of Social Transformation degrees.
Phillips University Legacy Foundation Seminary Scholarship Program
Renewable, merit-based graduate seminary scholarships up to $4000 annually to full-time students who are pursuing a Masters of Divinity degree and committed the pastoral ministry within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
A partial list of additional scholarships available to students in the DoC/Christian Church is available below. Eligible students can submit a single application to be considered for all available scholarships offered by Disciples Home Mission. All applications are due March 15th.
Browse a full list of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) scholarships here.
David Tamotsu Kagiwada Memorial Scholarship
The Kagiwada Scholarship is available to North American Pacific/Asian Disciples ministerial students enrolled (or accepted as an entering student) in an accredited graduate theological school or seminary.
Lloyd and Iva Mattison Youth Ministry Scholarship
The Lloyd and Iva Mattison Youth Ministry Scholarship fund is a scholarship for those preparing to serve the church in youth ministry.
Katherine J. Schutze Memorial Scholarship
The Katherine Schutze Scholarship was founded to encourage future generations of women as they prepare for ordained ministry.
Michelle Jackson Scholarship Fund
The Michelle Jackson Scholarship will serve African-American Disciples women in M. Div. degree programs at accredited seminaries whose lives offer the same deeply spiritual charisma and gifts for leadership in the church that were evident in Ms. Jackson’s too-short life and ministry.
The Choi Scholarship is available to Disciples seminarians of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who are in preparation for ministry in a multi-racial/cultural community.
Disciple Chaplains’ Scholarship
This scholarship is available to seminary students pursuing chaplaincy.
Ministerial Education Scholarship
This scholarship was started in 1974 by Mrs. Ethel Johnson Rowley and her husband, Mr. Prescott Thresher Rowley, of Sacramento, Calif. With their first gift, the Rowleys established a revocable Trust Fund with the United Christian Missionary Society (UCMS) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Through the next several years, Mr. and Mrs. Rowley continued to invest additional money as they were able, to build this fund toward their goal of creating a perpetual ministerial scholarship.
United Church of Christ (UCC)
A partial list of scholarships available to students in the United Church of Christ is available below. Members in Discernment may apply for the Brown Endowment Scholarship and one other UCC Ministry Education Scholarship per year. All online Scholarship application forms open on December 1 each year and close on March 1 of the following year at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.
The Helen and Richard Brown Endowment for Pastoral Scholarships
The Brown Scholarship is intended for UCC Members in Discernment (MID) enrolled in/accepted to an accredited theological school who intend to seek a call to serve as a pastor of a local UCC church.
Deadline: March 1st
The Reverend Dr. Héctor E. López Scholarship for Latina & Latino UCC Seminarians
The Lopez Scholarship is intended to prepare future Latina and Latino ministers, educated in the socially and theologically progressive seminaries of the UCC, who will return to lead vital congregations, minister to Latino constituencies, multicultural communities and the whole church, equipped to proclaim the liberating Gospel message of salvation, full-inclusion, justice and peace.
Deadline: March 1st
The Rooks Fellowship Scholarship for Master of Divinity Support provides grants for the seminary education of members of the United Church of Christ who are African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American Indian or Pacific Islander and enrolled in a Master of Divinity program at an accredited theological school.
Deadline: March 1st
The Rev. Dr. Joseph Henry Evans Designated Fund for African-American Pastoral Scholarships
The Reverend Dr. Joseph Henry Evans Designated Fund for African American Pastoral Scholarships provides annual scholarship assistance to African-American seminarians with a passion for justice advocacy and proven leadership abilities.
The William R. Johnson Scholarship Fund
This scholarship is for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender UCC seminarians in honor of William R. Johnson, the first openly gay man ordained in the United Church of Christ.
Deadline: March 1st
Rev. Virginia Kreyer Endowed Scholarship for Theological Education
This is a Board-designated fund for persons with disabilities called to authorized ministry to help defray the cost of tuition, assistive devices, specialized software, hardware, specialized services, specialized assistants, transportation, and adapted vehicles.
Deadline: March 1st
The Harold H. Wilke Scholarship
The Harold Wilke Scholarship is available to assist gifted persons with disabilities and/or those directly involved in service to persons with disabilities further their education or training.
Deadline: March 1st
UCC Hawaii
United Methodist Church (UMC)
A partial list of additional scholarships available to students in the United Methodist Church is available below. Eligible students can submit a single application to be considered for all available scholarships offered by the UMC General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. All applications are due March 30th.
Browse a full list of UMC scholarships in the UMC Scholarship Portal
Journey Toward Ordained Ministry
Designated for any undergraduate or graduate level racial-ethnic minority student pursuing ordained ministry (deacon or elder). Applicants must be age 30 or under, have a minimum two years of membership in the UMC and be enrolled in a UM-related institution. Graduate students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA. The scholarship includes a mentoring program component.
E. Craig Brandenburg
Designated for applicants over age 35 who are pursuing a degree at any level. Preference is given to students changing to a second career.
Designated for women, age 35 or older, pursuing a master of divinity degree at any University Senate-approved school of theology. Applicants must be a certified candidate for the elder track at time of application and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Preference will be given to applicants who have chosen ministry as a second career.
Designated for graduate level students pursuing graduate studies toward ordination as a deacon in full connection. Applicants must have a minimum of three years membership UMC and a 3.0 GPA.
Designated for students pursuing ordained ministry as a vocation who are certified candidates and are age 30 or under. Applicants must be enrolled at a UM-related seminary and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
The Clinical Pastoral Education-Ethnic In Service Training (CPE-EIST) Stipend
Designated for United Methodist clergy, certified candidates for ministry or seminary students accepted into an accredited Clinical Pastor Education (CPE) program or an accredited counseling program leading to licensure or credentialing for pastoral counseling. Preference will be given to racial-ethnic minority students.
Other Scholarship Opportunities:
The Cannon Endowment Scholarship Fund for Military Chaplains
The Cannon Scholarship provides financial assistance to seminarians who are preparing to become military chaplains and who are members of a United Church of Christ (UCC); Christian Church Disciples of Christ (DOC); United Methodist, or Presbyterian, USA congregation.
Deadline: March 1st
John and Norma Nomura DeSaegher Scholarship
This scholarship provides Divinity students $5000 awards annually and students may receive the scholarship twice in the matriculation of their degree. Applicants must be a member in good standing in a UCC or affiliated denomination (eg. DoC, ELCA, etc.) and a Member in Discernment in the UCC (or an equivalent designation in an affiliated denomination).
Deadline: March 31st
Scholarships from Outside Organizations
We strongly encourage you to research these scholarships further to learn more and find the most up-to-date information.