Merit 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.
In order to retain a merit award, merit scholars must continue to make satisfactory academic progress.
Denominational Partner Scholarships
The United Methodist Church, The United Church of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)–our denominational partners–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) Scholarships
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.
Learn more about the Disciples Seminary Foundation here.
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). Deadline: March 24th
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 Memorial Fund was established in memory of the Rev. David Kagiwada. 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 named for a couple who originally met in a Disciples of Christ Young Adult Program in Anderson, Ind. and went on to work with youth and young adults in local, regional, and general level activities and special events. Iva Mattison established the scholarship for those preparing to serve the church in the area of youth ministry.
Michelle Jackson Scholarship Fund
The Michelle Jackson scholarship was named after a second career student who graduated in 2003 from Vanderbilt Divinity School at the age of 38, but died after a brief, unexpected illness, less than a month after receiving her M.Div. degree. 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 Rev. Dr. J. Soongook Choi was a Korean-American minister of the Chrisitan Church (Disciples of Christ). He was born in and spent his childhood in Japan, but traveled to Korea with the Student Volunteer Corps during the Korean War. Upon returning to Korea from Japan, Dr. Choi joined the Campbell-Stone movement (Christian Church—Independent). In 1959, he came to the United States for advanced theological education and earned several academic degrees. He was ordained in 1962 and served as a local pastor, hospital chaplain, professor and president of Seoul Christian University (in Korea), and member of the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). 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.
Katherine J. Schutze Memorial Scholarship
The Katherine Schutze Scholarship was founded to encourage future generations of women as they prepare for ordained ministry.
United Church of Christ (UCC) Scholarships
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 students 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.
The Adrienne M. and Charles Shelby Rooks Fellowship for Racial and Ethnic Theological Students Scholarships
The Adrienne M. and Charles Shelby Rooks Fellowship for Racial and Ethnic Theological Students was established to support the seminary education of members of the United Church of Christ from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in our church who are committed to serving the United Church of Christ and who are enrolled in an ATS accredited seminary.
The Rev. Dr. Joseph Henry Evans Designated Fund for African-American Pastoral Scholarships
The Evans Scholarship fund for second or third year African-American seminary students was established in 2009 by United Black Christians, in covenant with the UCC’s Local Church Ministries. In addition to the standard requirements, applicants must be justice advocates who have proven leadership through a history of service in the church and in the world.
The William R. Johnson Scholarship Fund
In 1999, the predecessor body to Local Church Ministries, The Board for Homeland Ministries, created a scholarship 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. Recipients must be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity and be Members in Discernment. The scholarship is available to students who have completed their first year of seminary.
Rev. Virginia Kreyer Endowed Scholarship for Theological Education
The Rev. Virginia Kreyer Endowed Scholarship for Theological Education for Persons with Disabilities Called to Authorized Ministry was created in 2010 by the UCC’s Disabilities Ministries. The Rev. Virginia Kreyer Scholarship is a board-designated fund for persons with disabilities called to authorized ministry. The scholarship fund will help defray the cost of tuition, assistive devices, specialized software, hardware, specialized services, assistants, transportation, and adapted services.
UCC Hawaii Scholarships:
United Methodist Church (UMC) Scholarships
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
Sasaki-Murakami Ethnic Ministerial Scholarship
West Los Angeles UMC offers the Sasaki-Murakami Ethnic Ministerial Scholarship for seminary students as an expression of encouragement, recognition, and moral support to qualified Asians and Asian-Americans, particularly of Japanese descent, pursuing the study of ministry in the United Methodist Church and who are from or intend to serve a church in California/West Coast.
Deadline: April 1st
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.
Georgia Harkness Scholarship
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.
Joaquin Garcia Scholarship
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.
Special Seminary Scholarship
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 was established in 1992 through a gift from Dr. Clinton Cannon, an army retiree and lay member of the Washington North Idaho Conference of the United Church of Christ. Dr. Cannon appreciated the ministry of chaplains during his career and wanted to ensure the future availability of chaplains to serve military personnel and their families. 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
Central Union Church is pleased to offer the John and Norma Nomura DeSaegher Scholarship, which 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 to find the most up-to-date information.
Scholarship Databases
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Scholarships
- Phillips University Legacy Foundation
- Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund
- African American Scholarship Fund
- David Tamotsu Kagiwada Memorial Scholarship
(for Pacific/Asian-American ministerial students) - Disciple Chaplains’ Scholarship
(for first-year seminarians) - Edwin G. & Lauretta M. Michael Scholarship
(for ministers’ spouses) - Katherine J. Schutze Memorial Scholarship
(for women seminary students) - Lloyd and Iva Mattison Youth Ministry Scholarship
(for seminary students focusing on Youth Ministry) - Michelle Jackson Scholarship Fund
- Nebraska Legacy Fund
- Rowley/Wolfe Ministerial Education Scholarship
(for seminary students) - Soongook Choi Memorial Scholarship
(for Pacific/Asian-American ministerial students) - Star Supporter Scholarship/Loan
(for African-American ministerial students) - Disciples Seminary Foundation Scholarship
Disciples Seminary Foundation (DSF)
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.
United Church of Christ (UCC) Scholarships
United Church of Christ Ministry Education Scholarships
Ministry Education Scholarships are available to those preparing for ministry in the UCC and for continuing education for ministers.
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.
United Methodist Church (UMC) Scholarships
Applicants must meet the general scholarship criteria found here to be considered.
