Financial Aid

Financing Your Seminary Degree

Requirements for Financial Aid Consideration
Recipients of any financial aid award from WSC must be admitted into a degree program, be enrolled for 12 units or more per semester and maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in each semester. In order to have full consideration for scholarships and grants as an incoming student, an Application for Admission should be submitted by March 1 and all financial aid applications should be submitted by April 1 prior to the upcoming academic year. Although these dates are recommended financial aid can still be processed after April 1.

Financial Aid Process
In order to apply for or renew any form of financial aid at WSC, the following steps need to be completed:

1. File an online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the intended academic year of enrollment at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Westminster Seminary California's school code is G22768. This online form should be completed prior to or at the same time as the submission of the WSC Application for Financial Aid.
    
2. Submit the WSC Application for Financial Aid for the academic year for which you are applying. Click here for the form or you can request a copy by calling WSC at 1.888.480.8474.
    
3. If you are applying for a scholarship or grant that requires a letter, additional application, and/or renewal application, please submit these with the WSC Application for Financial Aid. For more information about the requirements for a particular scholarship or grant, please see the descriptions below. In the case that you are awarded a scholarship or grant, the award is renewable every academic school year, provided that the student maintains a minimum GPA of 2.0. To renew the award for subsequent academic years, please provide a one-page letter, addressed to the Financial Aid Committee, indicating the awards you would like to renew, your current ecclesiastical affiliation, current progress towards a degree, need for financial support, and how your WSC education is benefiting you both spiritually and academically. All awards must be renewed every spring semester for the following academic year and as communicated from the Financial Aid Office.
    
4. (Optional) Apply for a Stafford or PLUS Federal Loan. In order to process a Stafford loan please submit the WSC Federal Loan Application and review the loan policies below. Click here for the Stafford Loan Application. For more information, contact the WSC Student Loan Officer at financialaid@wscal.edu.
    

Once admission has been confirmed, the Financial Aid Office will review financial aid applications will be reviewed and the Financial Aid Committee will award scholarships and grants to accepted and qualified students. An award letter summarizing all scholarships and grants will be sent to student recipients, asking them to either accept or decline within one month.

WSC’s financial aid resources include the following:

• Need-Based Grants
• Church Matching Grants
• Merit-Based Scholarships
• The Minnie Gresham Machen Scholarship
•  The Elijah and Elizabeth Owen Scholarship Fund
• Denominational Grants
• International/Missions Scholarships
• Stafford and PLUS Federal Loans

Need-Based Grants

General Financial Aid Fund
The General Financial Aid Fund provides need-based grants to students meeting the general requirements specified above. The grants are awarded on an annual basis and applied equally to both fall and spring semester tuition charges.

Grants from this fund are processed through the Financial Aid Office, which determines awards based upon the submitted FAFSA and WSC Application for Financial Aid. All applications for admission and financial aid should be submitted by April 1 for full consideration. Continuing students must resubmit the WSC Application for Financial Aid and FAFSA each academic year in order to retain this grant. Students in their senior year can maintain the need-based grant (up to a total of 9 semesters for M.Div. students and 6 semesters for M.A. students) even if they drop below full-time status by taking all courses required to graduate. In this case, the amount of grant award will be based upon the percentage of units being taken in that given semester (e.g. if the student is enrolled for 6 units, the student would receive half of what he or she would qualify for if enrolled for 12 units). Senior students are not eligible to receive more than two semesters of this prorated grant. A student who registers for more than the number of units required to complete the degree in a particular semester (e.g., taking extra electives) will not have those additional unit hours included in the calculation of the grant.

Forms required: FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov) & WSC Application for Financial Aid for upcoming academic year (click here).

Canadian Grant
WSC offers financial assistance based on the disparity between Canadian and U.S. currencies. The Canadian grant will vary every year based on the exchange rate. Contact the Financial Aid Advisor for more information.

Form required: Letter requesting assistance.

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Church Matching Grant

The Church Matching Grant brings churches and the Seminary together in support of a student’s first-year. The Seminary’s contribution to the matching grant is provided by the income from an endowment established by long-time friends of the Seminary. This grant was established to help churches actively support seminarians and to share in the great task of theological education.

The number of grants from this fund is limited by the annual income from the endowment. The Seminary, within this limitation, will match the contribution of a congregation up to a maximum of $1,000 per student. The total amount of the grant, made up of the contributions of the congregation and the Seminary, will then be equally divided between fall and spring semesters. This grant is not based on financial need. The church’s contribution to the matching grant comes from the student’s home church and is available only for the first full year of study at WSC. For further information, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Forms required: Letter from church (on official letterhead) stating that they would like to participate in the Church Matching Grant program and a check to WSC designated as their contribution to the student.

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Merit-Based Scholarships

Awes Presidential Grant
This award was funded by Mrs. Johanna Awes to serve as a testimony of God’s faithfulness in her and her husband’s lives. The President of the Seminary awards the grants to students meeting certain criteria. Such criteria include, but are not limited to, high academic standing, full-time enrollment in the M.Div. degree program, status under care of a presbytery (or equivalent) as a student of theology, proven record of leadership ability, and potential for leadership in the church of Christ. The financial need of the student may be considered. Such grants are normally given for one year, but may be given for two or more years based on the student’s performance. To renew this award, submit a letter addressed to the Financial Aid Committee.

Form required: a letter from the student indicating they would like to be considered for this award.

The Samuel and Ann Van Til Student Scholarship Prizes
The Samuel and Ann Van Til Student Scholarship Prizes have been instituted by the children of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Van Til in cooperation with Westminster Seminary California to honor their parents’ love for the Reformed faith and its witness to the world through Westminster Seminary California. The fund was established in 1994 through an estate bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Van Til and receives continuing memorial donations from family and friends. The fund’s annual investment proceeds are used to encourage exemplary Reformed scholarship by awarding grants for continued full-time study at Westminster Seminary California. One prize is awarded each year for the best major paper (15-20 pages) submitted in each of the Seminary’s departments: Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, and Practical Theology. The faculty, through a process coordinated by the Academic Dean, selects the recipients.

Form required: none.

The Arthur Forest Wells Memorial Award
This fund was established in 1980 in memory of the Rev. Arthur Forest Wells, a Presbyterian minister in St. Louis and Baltimore. The investment gained from this fund is used to support the WSC library and to help build a personal library of a selected student. The selection is based upon the following criteria: the recipient is to be a senior M.Div. student recognized as upholding the highest standards of scholarship, subscribing to the Westminster Confession of Faith, and having the career goal of serving as a minister of a local congregation in a Presbyterian or other Reformed denomination.

Form required: none.

The You Kye-Soon Memorial Scholarship
The family of Mrs. You Kye-Soon, as a memorial of her life of faith in her savior Jesus Christ and of her concern to make the Gospel known, instituted the You Kye-Soon Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship provides an annual scholarship for a deserving full-time student in the Master of Divinity program.

The award will be reviewed annually and can be renewed for the student who has done adequate work at WSC and continues to have financial need. Applications for this scholarship will be submitted to the Financial Aid Committee through the Dean of Students and will consist of a one-page typed letter describing the applicant’s spiritual background, demonstrated financial need, and future plans for ministry. All awards will be applied to the recipient’s tuition at WSC.

Forms required: FAFSA, WSC Application for Financial Aid, one-page letter as described above.

The Minnie Gresham Machen Scholarship
The Minnie Gresham Machen Scholarship was established to encourage and enable talented women to take advantage of advanced theological education at Westminster Seminary California in order to equip them to answer God’s calling in the home, the academy, and the church.

The scholarship is named to honor the memory and legacy of Minnie Gresham Machen. Throughout her life, she was valiant for the truth of the Reformed and had profound influence on her son, J. Gresham Machen, through formative training in the Scripture and the confessional tradition of the Reformed faith.

The Minnie Gresham Machen Scholarship Committee will award the scholarship to one or more female recipients each year who meet the following criteria: the recipient must be admitted to a full-time MA program at WSC, be a member in good standing of a Bible-believing church, show evidence of high academic achievement, and demonstrate financial need through the WSC Application for Financial Aid. The scholarship will provide tuition aid for up to three years of study, depending upon the need of the recipient.

Admitted students desiring to apply for the scholarship must submit a 250-500 word essay on why they wish to study at Westminster Seminary California, and how they plan to use their theological and biblical education after graduation. Applications are to be addressed to the Minnie Gresham Machen Scholarship Committee and must be submitted by April 1 for the following academic year.

Forms required: WSC Application for Financial Aid, 250-500 word essay as described above.

The D. K. Kim Foundation Scholarship Fund
These scholarships are annually funded by the D. K. Kim Foundation, Inc., in order to promote the Christian faith through the preparation of ministers of the Gospel for the church worldwide. Its purpose is to provide annual scholarships for deserving students in the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program.

The WSC Financial Aid Committee will award one (1) full-tuition scholarship to a full time non-North American International student enrolled in the M.Div. program with demonstrated financial need determined through the WSC International Financial Aid Application. The WSC Financial Aid Committee will award ten (10) half-tuition scholarships to full-time students enrolled in the M.Div. program with demonstrated financial need as determined by the FAFSA and WSC Application for Financial Aid. All awards shall be credited to the recipients’ tuition accounts at the Seminary in the academic year for which the scholarship was granted.

Application Requirements: Students shall apply for the D.K. Kim Foundation, Inc. Scholarship by submitting the D.K. Kim Foundation Scholarship Application (available online or through the Front Office), the WSC Application for Financial Aid and FAFSA (for U.S. Students only or those with permanent residence). All applications must be received by the Financial Aid Committee by November 15 for the spring semester and April 15 for the fall semester. Students who have been granted this scholarship during their first year and have maintained a 3.0 grade point average may reapply to the Financial Aid Committee for aid in each successive academic year until they graduate and up to three years of study. Reapplication must be made prior to April 15 for the following academic year.

Forms required: D.K. Kim Scholarship Application (click here) , WSC Application for Financial Aid, and FAFSA. You can also call for a copy of this application by calling 1.888.480.8474.

The Elijah and Elizabeth Owen Scholarship Fund
The Elijah and Elizabeth Owen Scholarship Fund is established in honor of the ministry of Pastor Elijah Owen who served for more than thirty-six years as a chaplain in the California State Prison system. Chaplain Owen’s ministry through both the spoken as well as the written word has influenced the lives of many inmates to come to a knowledge of the doctrines of God’s sovereign grace.

The purpose of this Scholarship Fund is to provide financial assistance to students entering the Gospel ministry who have financial need.

Students meeting the qualifications outlined above may make a formal request to the Westminster Seminary California Financial Aid Committee. In addition to submitting the WSC Application for Financial Aid, the student shall write a statement of no more than three pages in length, double spaced, describing goals and plans for ministry. Applications should be received by April 1 of each year and notification of the award will be granted no later than May 15 prior to the academic school year.

Forms required: WSC Financial Aid Form, three-page letter as described above.

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Denominational Grants / Scholarships

Reformed Scholarship Fund
These grants for first-year students of up to $2,500 were established by friends of the Seminary to encourage students from Reformed churches to attend WSC.

One or two recipients are chosen each year by the Seminary's Student Financial Aid Committee according to the following criteria:

• Acceptance for full-time study as a first year student

• Membership in good standing in a Reformed church

• Demonstrated financial need

• Demonstrated Christian leadership

Forms required: FAFSA, WSC Application for Financial Aid, letter requesting consideration of this award.

Trinity Presbyterian (OPC) Scholarship
A scholarship provided by the Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) of Medford, Oregon, is awarded to a student in the Master of Divinity program who is a member in good standing in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, is under care of an OPC presbytery, and is planning to be a pastor in the OPC. The student must also have a demonstrated financial need.

Forms required: FAFSA, WSC Application for Financial Aid, letter requesting consideration of this award.

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International Aid

International Student Financial Aid Fund
Financial aid in the form of a loan from the International Student Financial Aid Fund is made available to international students who are committed to ministry in their own countries after their study in the United States and who indicate this in writing. Students receiving this award must pursue full-time studies in a degree program as listed in the catalogue. Because these grants never exceed the amount of tuition, the student’s fees, rent, food, transportation, and other living expenses must be supplied from other sources.

When the student returns to the country of origin, the loan will be forgiven at a rate of one year of financial support per year of ministry in that country. If the student desires to minister in a country other than the country of origin he may petition the Financial Aid Committee to approve such a ministry as fulfilling the loan obligations. Under no circumstances may ministry in the United States be approved as meeting that obligation. If a student does not return to the country of origin and does not receive approval from the Financial Aid Committee to minister elsewhere in fulfillment of his loan obligations, the student is expected to repay the loan, in full, twelve months after completion of studies at Westminster Seminary California. Only students who have been admitted to a regular program of study prior to March 15 will be considered for financial aid for the following academic year. The International Student Financial Aid Application should be received by the Financial Aid Office by April 15. Students will be notified in early May if they have received funds from the International Student Financial Aid Fund. Additional regulations governing this fund and the loan contract form may be obtained from the Financial Aid Officer.

International students who have been granted financial aid their first year and have maintained a 2.3 average may reapply to the Financial Aid Committee for aid in each successive year until they graduate. Reapplication must be made prior to April 15.

Forms required: WSC International Application for Financial Aid and letter to be considered for this fund and, once awarded, a signed loan contract agreeing to the stipulations of the aid.

The Jessie den Dulk Memorial Fund
This fund, established in memory of Mrs. Jessie den Dulk of Ripon, California, provides assistance in meeting travel expenses for selected international students whose homes are not in the United States or Canada. A limited number of qualified applicants may, on approval, receive up to four hundred dollars for necessary expenses of travel to Westminster Seminary California. Similarly, a limited number of applicants who have been students at Westminster Seminary California and have completed a degree program may, on approval, receive up to four hundred dollars for expenses of return travel to their home country.

Forms required: submit request to the Financial Aid Office on or before April 15 of the year in which the grant is to be used. Notification of the award should be processed prior to May 15.

The Stewart New Zealand Student Aid Fund
The purpose of the Thomas and Grace Stewart New Zealand Student Aid Fund is to encourage students from New Zealand to attend Westminster Seminary California and to return to New Zealand after graduation to minister in a church faithful to Reformed doctrine. Awards up to one year’s tuition will be made from this fund. The awards will be in the form of an interest-free loan that will be forgiven at the rate of $1,500 per year of active ministry in New Zealand after graduation. Should an award recipient elect not to return to New Zealand or if he is later called elsewhere, the balance of his loan obligation to the fund shall be repaid in three years. For further information, applicants should contact the Dean of Students.

Form required: WSC International Application for Financial Aid Form, letter requesting consideration of this award.

The Yune-Sun Park Scholarship
This award is annually funded by the family of the Reverend Yune-Sun Park as a memorial testimony in Rev. Park’s prayers and constant support for Westminster Seminary California. The Seminary’s Financial Aid Committee chooses annual recipients of the $1,000 award with preference given to non-North American students preparing for service in their home countries upon graduation.

Form required: letter requesting consideration of this award.

The Martin and Alice Bielema Foreign Student Financial Aid Grant
This award was instituted by Mrs. Doris Bergsma and Mrs. Sandra Kolk in memory of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Bielema, as a memorial to their lives in service to our risen Lord and love for foreign missions. The recipients of this award shall be non-North American students who have a demonstrated financial need and who are selected by the Financial Aid Committee. Priority will be given to those students who sign a pledge stating they shall return to their native country to apply their Westminster Seminary California education. The award is applied towards tuition accounts at WSC.

Form required: WSC International Application for Financial Aid Form, letter requesting consideration of this award.

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Ethnic Community Ministry Grant / Scholarships

The Walter Swets Scholarship for Hispanic Students
This scholarship was instituted in honor of the ministry of Rev. Walter Swets, who served as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church from 1959 until his retirement in 1997.

The recipient of this scholarship will be an Hispanic full-time student who has demonstrated financial need, enrolled in a degree program at Westminster Seminary California and who intends to minister to the Hispanic population within the United States or another country. During the years that WSC has no Hispanic student(s) meeting the above criteria, the scholarship may be awarded to another student(s) who has interest in pursuing Hispanic ministry, either as a missionary, pastor of a congregation, or serving a congregation that is seeking to reach out to Hispanics.

The award will be reviewed annually and can be renewed for the student who has done adequate work at WSC and continues to have financial need. A letter (no more than two pages typed) should be submitted to the Dean of Students. This letter should consist of the following: the individual’s spiritual background, financial need, and goals and plans for ministry.

Forms required: WSC Application for Financial Aid or the International Application for Financial Aid, letter requesting consideration of this award.

The Anniversary Scholarship
A generous donor created this award to celebrate WSC’s twenty-year anniversary of training pastors and other leaders for the Reformed community. By providing financial assistance to promising African- and Latin-American students, this scholarship is instituted to encourage leadership development among ethnic communities traditionally underrepresented by Reformed churches.

These scholarships shall pay the recipient’s tuition and fees for up to three years of study at WSC.

Recipients shall be African- and Latin-American students who are selected by the Anniversary Scholarship Committee in consultation with WSC’s Financial Aid Committee. Additional criteria include the following: United States citizenship, acceptance and enrollment into Westminster Seminary California for full-time studies, and completion of all required financial aid forms. Recipients shall be selected annually. In addition to the criteria above, continuation of an award is contingent upon: enrollment as a full-time student at WSC, maintenance of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average for each academic year, the annual committee review of the recipient’s financial aid data, and completion of the M.Div. degree within three years (six semesters) or the M.A. degree program within two years (four semesters).

Form required: FAFSA, WSC Application for Financial Aid, letter requesting consideration of this award.

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Veterans

WSC is approved for the Department of Veterans Affairs educational benefits, the California State Graduate Fellowship Program, and the Federal Family Education Loan Program. For information, contact the Veterans Office or the Financial Aid Advisor.

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Federal Stafford and Plus Loans

Westminster Seminary California participates in the Federal Stafford Loan Subsidized and Unsubsidized Program, a student financial assistance program whereby qualified students may borrow money through low-interest federally supported student loans. The Seminary’s federal student loan default prevention policy requires that when applying for an unsubsidized loan, a student must submit an additional loan application and must document direct educational expenses.

Federal regulations allow a student to receive aid only for courses that meet his declared program of study. To be considered, applicants seeking a Stafford loan must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the academic year aid is sought. You can apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov or request a paper copy to file from the WSC Financial Aid Advisor.

Students must submit a FAFSA each year to be considered for financial aid. To that end, the FAFSA must be filed annually after January 1 of the current year for the following academic year. Receipt of student loans one year does not guarantee receipt of student loans in subsequent years. WSC follows a standard academic year, which begins with the first day of fall semester and ends with the close of spring semester.

Eligibility Criteria
Generally speaking, students may be eligible to borrow money under the Stafford Program if they are regular students who are enrolled or accepted in an approved program for the purpose of obtaining a degree, and they satisfy all of the following provisions:

• Must complete and submit all documentation required, and certify the information is true, correct, and accurate
• Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Male students must be registered with the Selective Service
• Must work toward an approved degree program at the Seminary
• Must have completed and returned WSC Application for Financial Aid as well as the FAFSA  (WSC, Title IV Code G22768, must be listed as one of the schools you plan to attend in the FAFSA)
• Must demonstrate a financial need for the cost of education
• Must use federal financial aid funds solely for educational purposes
• Must make satisfactory academic progress in a declared program of study
• Must not be in default on any Student Financial Assistance (SFA) loan.

Needs-Analysis and Student Resources
The subsidized Stafford loan is based on demonstrated financial need as determined and outlined by the Federal Family Educational Loan (FFEL) Program guidelines. The Student Loan Officer calculates each student’s cost of attendance using student expense budgets, which are estimated average costs, based in part on figures provided each academic year by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). In determining the need for aid, the Student Loan Officer must first consider the student’s financial resources. Other sources such as veteran’s educational benefits, assets, student’s contribution (if any), and the amount of other financial assistance he or she will receive during the enrollment period are treated as additional resources and are taken into account.

Satisfactory Academic Progress
In order to maintain eligibility for the Stafford Program, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress as outlined below: Students enrolled in the M.Div. and MA programs must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 at the end of each semester. Students must progress at a reasonable rate as defined in the chart that follows the Satisfactory Academic
Progress Requirements.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
In general, the maximum amount of time allowed for students to complete a degree program is 100 percent of the published program length, 110 credit units for the M.Div. program and 74 credit units for the M.A.B.S. and M.A.T.S., 73 for the M.A.H.T. Because the M.A.C.S. program is designed to be completed at a rate of 6 units per semester, students in this program do not qualify under Stafford Loan regulations. The following table shows the maximum time frame (unit limit) allowed for the completion of each program, and the required minimum units to be completed by each semester, in order for satisfactory progress to be made in the student’s course of study. The chart implies that the full time student is following the prescribed curricula as listed in the catalogue.

Minimum Units to be Completed

Ineligibility Status
A student will be considered ineligible for federal financial aid if he or she:

• Exceeds the maximum time frame for program completion, based on units attempted;

• Drops below a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0 at the end of each semester or school year, as reflected by the Westminster Seminary California academic transcript;

• Has completed fewer units than the established minimum at the end of a semester.

On an individual appeal basis, the Seminary may waive the standard if a student’s ineligibility is the result of undue hardship, such as injury or illness, death of a family member, or other special circumstances as determined by the Dean of Students and the Financial Aid Advisor.

Petition Process
A student who desires to appeal the disqualification or ineligibility status must complete and submit a Federal Student Aid Petition Form no later than the established deadline for the semester for which he or she wishes to receive aid. If a petition for exceeding the established unit limit is approved, reinstatement of financial aid eligibility will not exceed a period of one school year, regardless of remaining academic requirements. If the petition is denied, reinstatement of financial aid eligibility begins as soon as the student meets the satisfactory academic progress requirements. To appeal the decision of a petition, the matter must be brought before the Academic Dean. The decision of the Academic Dean in this matter is final.

Grade Point Average
The minimum cumulative grade point average at the end of each semester must be 2.0 (C).

Grade Interpretation
Grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, CR, or F/D are considered units completed. Grades of I, I/F, F, NC, or WD/F are considered units NOT completed. Note: Classes in which credit/no credit is used are not calculated in the GPA. All of the above are considered as units attempted.

Repeat Courses
A course that is repeated may not be considered in determining financial aid eligibility or award payment. Repeat courses, however, will count towards deciding the student’s progress rate.

Distance Education Courses
If distance education and directed research courses (such as Institute of Theological Studies) exceed 33% of the student’s enrollment status, they shall not be considered in determining financial aid eligibility or award payment.

Entrance and Exit Interviews
Interviews with the Financial Aid Advisor must be arranged by the student upon applying for a Stafford loan, applying for graduation, or notifying the Registrar of withdrawal.

Federal Refund Policy
If a student has received funds under the Stafford Loan Program and has ceased attending school after attending at least one class, the Federal government mandates a specific formula for calculating refunds, based on assistance earned and assistance not earned. The assistance earned formula is equal to the percentage of the payment period completed and is based on date of withdrawal or last attendance in class.

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View more catalogue sections >>

From the President
Introduction to the Seminary
Faculty
Degree Programs
Course Descriptions
Student Life
Admissions
Financial Aid

Financing Your Seminary Degree
Need-Based Grants
Church Matching Grants
Merit-Based Scholarships
Denominational Grants/Scholarships
International Aid
Ethnic Community Ministry Grants/Scholarships
Veterans
Federal Stafford and Plus Loans