Financial Aid
The School of Divinity provides aid in the form of scholarships and grants and has partnered with various external ministry organizations and churches to help provide aid to divinity students. Listed are various forms of aid which may be available for the prospective divinity student at Gardner-Webb University. The CSO Scholarship Fund was created so private donors could partner together with students training to enter the ministry field. Applicants must enroll in the School of Divinity, complete the Student Aid Profile, and must meet certain financial need criteria to qualify. Awards may vary and will be given by the credit hour for eligible applicants. The GWU Theological Grant is a form of assistance through Gardner-Webb University to aid seminarians enrolled at the School of Divinity. Applicants must complete the Student Aid Profile and meet certain financial need criteria to qualify. Awards may vary and will be given by the credit hour for eligible applicants. This educational fund provides assistance to seminarians who are residents of NC, SC, or VA and are members of a Baptist church in one of those states. Eligible applicants must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours of classes for part-time grants and 9 credit hours of classes for full-time grants. Applicants are expected to plan to enter full-time Baptist ministry or religious work in the Baptist denomination. The NC Baptist State Convention provides financial assistance in the form of a grant to students who are sponsored by and are members of a NC Baptist State Convention church. Applicants must complete an online application for this grant each semester they plan to enroll in divinity studies. Awards are given based on the amount of credit hours a student is enrolled. This scholarship is sponsored by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and provides assistance for Baptist students who are members of a CBF affiliated church and adhere to CBF principles and the moderate Baptist movement. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of financial need, commitment to serve in Baptist life in keeping with the mission statement of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and potential success in theological education and ministry. Students must be enrolled full-time. Scholarships may be available through individual state CBF offices requiring students to be members of a CBF affiliated church and adhere to CBF principles and the moderate Baptist movement. Applicants must demonstrate potential leadership for CBF churches and will be required to attend their state's general assembly. The following states provide scholarship assistance through their CBF office: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky. Award amounts will vary. The Baptist Women in Ministry Scholarship is awarded one time per year to a Baptist woman enrolled in the School of Divinity preparing for vocational Christian ministry. Applicants must have demonstrated leadership ability in church/community and desire to serve in a Baptist context. The Fund for Theological Education offers financial aid and a network of support for first- and second-year Master of Divinity students preparing for pastoral leadership. Congregational, Volunteer, and Ministry Fellowships may be available to eligible applicants. Students who wish to apply should visit TheFund.org to learn more about the application and selection process. Awards will vary depending on the type of fellowship. This scholarship fund is designed for students who are enrolled in Divinity School, demonstrate academic achievement, financial need, high personal character and leadership. Interested applicants may apply online or request a paper application by phone or email. This scholarship was established to assist needy and deserving students wishing to obtain a degree in the field of divinity, including but not limited to religious ministry, religious education, youth or music ministry, or any related field, who have been accepted for admission to a seminary or divinity school. Scholarship amounts will vary and will be awarded on a one-time basis. The application deadline is April 30. For more information, contact the School of Divinity Office of Admissions; or contact Trinity Baptist Church by phone or mail. This scholarship fund of the First Baptist Church of Greenwood, SC, was established to provide scholarship assistance to students pursuing degrees from accredited theological seminaries for full-time Christian service. The grants usually amount to $500 to $1,000 per recipient. The application deadline is April 30. For more information, contact the School of Divinity Office of Admissions; or contact First Baptist Church by phone, email or mail. Goshen Baptist Church has established this scholarship fund to assist those students who are studying towards vocational Christian ministry. Awards usually range from $1,000 - $2,000 per semester. First preference will be given to Baptist students from Brunswick County, NC, and second preference to NC students. For more information, contact Goshen Baptist Church by email, phone or mail. This fund can provide loans to students attending the School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University. Students can receive up to $12,000 per school year with payments being deferred until after graduation. The deadline for this loan is January 15 of each year. For more information, visit ncbaptistfoundation.org or contact the School of Divinity Office of Admissions. The BGAV offers Ministerial Educational Fund scholarships for ministerial students from cooperating churches of the BGAV who need aid in financing their graduate education in preparation for vocational ministry. The awards are for full-time or part-time students studying at an accredited seminary. To learn more, visit www.vbmb.org/scholarships. Awards may be up to $5,000/yr. The Virginia Baptist Foundation provides merit and need-based scholarships to deserving Virginia Baptist students. Students must be full-time, active members of a cooperating Baptist General Association of Virginia church, and maintain a 2.5 GPA. For more information, visit vbfinc.org or contact the School of Divinity Office of Admissions. The DCBC Foundation will consider scholarship requests from students who are or at the time of enrollment in seminary were active members of a cooperative DCBC church. Students must show financial need, be enrolled full-time, study towards their first graduate degree, be preparing for full-time ministry, and maintain a 2.75 GPA. Applications for fall scholarships must be received by May 1 and spring scholarship applications must be received by September 1. Summer scholarships are not available. For more information, visit dcbaptist.org or contact the School of Divinity Office of Admissions. Email: divinity@gardner-webb.eduChristian Service Organization Scholarship
GWU Theological Grant
C.B. Keesee Educational Fund, Inc.
Award Amount: Full-Time Grant - up to $4,500/yr / Part-Time Grant - up to $3,375/yr
Website: cbkeesee.comNC Baptist State Convention Theological Grant
Award Amount: $110/credit hour
Website: ncbaptist.orgCooperative Baptist Fellowship (National)
Award Amount: $2,000/semester and $1,000/yr for traveling expenses associated with required travel the student must make to the CBF National General Assembly
Website: thefellowship.infoCooperative Baptist Fellowship (State Affiliation)
Websites: North Carolina, Alabama, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, KentuckyBaptist Women in Ministry Scholarship - North Carolina
Award Amount: $1,000/yr
Website: bwimnc.org/The Fund for Theological Education (FTE)
Risden P. Reece Scholarship
Website: wachoviascholars.com
Phone: (866) 608-0001
Email: leahwhiddon@bellsouth.netThe Jolly Endowment Fund Scholarship
Phone: (864) 882-9396
Mail: Trinity Baptist Church, 210 West South 6th St., Seneca, SC 29678Craig Holbrook Parham Scholarship
Phone: (864) 229-5557
Email: fbcgwd@embarqmail.com
Mail: First Baptist Church, 722 Grace St., Greenwood, SC 29649Donald Ray Watson Christian Scholarship
Phone: (910) 371-6899
Email: goshenbc@aol.com
Mail: Goshen Baptist Church, 4124 Mt. Misery Rd. NE, Leland, NC 28451Luther H. Butler Student Loan Fund
Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV)
Virginia Baptist Foundation Scholarship
District of Columbia (D.C.) Baptist Convention Scholarship
Additional External Scholarships or Financial Aid Questions?
Phone: 1-877-498-4723