Financial Assistance
A sense of financial well-being enables you to better focus on your preparation for your future ministry. Wesley Theological Seminary is committed to making your education here financially feasible through both institutional and federal aid programs as well as part-time job opportunities. We also encourage you to seek scholarships through your denomination, local church and other outside resources.
Students applying for admission to the M.Div., M.T.S. and M.A. degree programs are automatically considered for merit scholarships through their application for admission to the seminary by the priority admissions deadline of February 1. The awards are based on past academic performance as well as potential for leadership in the church and the world. Your personal statement, letters of recommendation, and undergraduate GPA all help us to consider the variety of gifts and experiences you bring to the classroom, to the Wesley community and to ministry. Learn more about scholarships here.
Need grants are available to students who demonstrate need via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and on the Wesley Financial Assistance Application. Both documents are due by the priority deadline of May 1 for consideration. The FAFSA code is 00146400. The Wesley Financial Assistance Application can be found under Resources.
Students are encouraged to borrow conservatively, exhausting all other sources of aid first. Federal Direct Loans provide students with the best borrower benefits, with a low fixed interest rate and low fees. The FAFSA code is 00146400.
The FAFSA Application must be completed in order to request Federal Direct Loans.
Loan Request forms may be found here.
Part-time positions may be available throughout the year as department needs arise. Hiring is based on both financial need and experience or aptitude. The student employment application can be found under Forms and openings are listed under Current Openings as jobs become available and student staffing is needed. Jobs are typically average 10 hours per week. Student employees receive regular bi-weekly payroll checks. These funds are not applied to a student's account and are not listed as pending aid on the student's building statement.
Air Force Chaplaincy Scholarships
The Air Force offers scholarships for individuals who want to become service chaplains. To qualify applicants must: 1) meet Air Force commissioning requirements, 2) receive written permission from a listed DoD ecclesiastical endorser, 3) be in good academic standing, and 4) be younger than 39 years of age upon completion of theological studies. For more information, send a request to chaplains@rs.af.mil
Yellow Ribbon Program
Wesley Theological Seminary participates in the Yellow Ribbon program in partnership with Veterans Affairs under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill (Chapter 33). Contact VA for your certification of eligibility.
The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of the educational expenses for a 9-month academic year. The COA will be used to determine the amount of financial aid a student is eligible to receive. COA components include tuition, fees, housing and food, books and supplies, transportation and personal/miscellaneous. Federal regulations allow Financial Aid Administrators to update components of a student’s COA by making a professional judgment. This update may allow a student to receive additional financial aid. A COA update may be needed if any component of a student’s COA exceeds the estimated amount. Students who have a special circumstance can submit a PJ request form and supporting documentation to the Financial Aid Office. All PJ requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Refer to the Professional Judgment Form for additional information.
If a student withdraws from a course during a regular Fall or Spring semester, the amount of tuition refund will be prorated based on how long the classes have been in session (the actual amount is based on the applicable percentage of the number of hours dropped). Financial aid will not cover courses that are dropped prior to the end of add/drop period. The following outlines the pro-rated withdraw schedule:
Tuition Refunds
- During the third full week - 75% refund
- During the fourth full week - 50% refund
- During the fifth full week - 25% refund
- No refunds will be granted after the fifth full week.
The specific drop deadlines for each semester are listed in the Important Dates section of the Catalog and posted at https://www.wesleyseminary.edu/academics/academic-calendar/. The only exception to this policy is in the case of courses that do not begin in the first week of a Fall or Spring semester. Such courses may be dropped with no tuition penalty through noon of the next business day after the first-class session is held. After this deadline, the tuition refund schedule in the table above will apply to any course drop. Fees will not be refunded after the final add/drop deadline (the end of the second full week of classes for Fall and Spring). This scale also applies to refunds on tuition, fees, and housing rates for students withdrawing entirely from seminary enrollment. A refund schedule for J-Term and Summer sessions is available in the Business and Registrar’s Offices and on the J-Term and Summer Term web pages.
In general, the Registration deadline for intensive Summer and J-Term classes (Masters level) and all DMin intensive terms are two weeks before the start of class. Any student dropping after that date and up until the first day of class will be charged the $100 cancellation/late drop fee. After the first day of class the student will be responsible for paying the whole tuition bill.
Students receiving Federal Direct Loans must be held to both qualitative as well as quantitative Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards set forth by the federal government as well as those of Wesley.
Qualitative
Master’s level Direct Loan recipients must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.3 in order to continue receiving Federal funding. Doctorate level Direct Loan recipients must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in order to continue receiving Federal funding. Institutional Needs Grant recipients must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.3 in order to continue receiving grant funding and merit recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
Quantitative
Students are also evaluated to make sure they have not exceeded their maximum timeframe for receiving federal aid. Students are not to exceed 150% of the published length and must adhere to a cumulative completion rate of 70%.
If the annual SAP review makes it clear that a student is not meeting one of these components, then the student may not continue to receive federal funding. SAP is evaluated once per year, in June, once spring semester grades are posted and GPA’s updated. An exception to this is made on a case-by-case basis if a student did not start traditionally in the fall semester. Students have two semesters (or in the case of DMin, two 2-week intensive terms) before a SAP evaluation will be performed so for these students it may be mid-year in January.
The resulting output report allows the Vice President of Admissions and Financial Aid to analyze and compile a list of students who are not meeting SAP to notify the students themselves and the Financial Aid Committee.
Masters Level Academic Standing
The Dean’s Office in conjunction with the Office of the Registrar monitor academic progress of all students. Students who receive one F are put on academic warning. However, a student who receives an F and still has a GPA of over 2.3 as a Title IV or need grant recipient or 3.0 or greater as a merit recipient is considered to be making SAP for Financial Aid purposes.
A student who receives more than one F over the course of his or her academic program will be placed on Academic Probation by the Dean. A student is also placed on Academic Probation if he or she has a cumulative GPA of below a 2.3, which is required for graduation. Additionally, this student would be required to appeal the loss of his or her student aid. (See SAP Appeals Process)
While federal regulations suggest that schools whose programs are greater than two academic years should require that students be maintaining a C or its equivalent or academic standing consistent with the school’s requirement for graduation at the end of the second year, Wesley requires this at the end of each academic year, when SAP is evaluated.
Doctorate Level Academic Standing
No credit is granted for courses with a final grade below a “B-“ and an overall average of “B” or 3.0 or better must be maintained for graduation. A grade of an “F” in any course results in automatic dismissal from the program.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals Process (SAP)
At the conclusion of spring semester each year, SAP will be evaluated on each student receiving merit aid, need grants and/or Direct Loans. If the Financial Aid Committee makes the determination that a student is not meeting SAP requirements, either at the required pace or through the required GPA, the student is not put on financial aid warning. Students not meeting the minimum requirement will be notified and be given an opportunity to appeal.
Students must submit an appeal letter explaining the cause of the academic issues or mitigating personal circumstances that may have led to poor performance and academic plan to improve his or her GPA. The Financial Aid Committee will then render a decision on whether to grant the appeal. If the appeal is granted the student will be awarded his/her aid for the following academic year after which SAP will be re-evaluated. If at the end of the probationary/appeal year, if the student has met the required minimum GPA for the type of aid received, the aid will be reinstated .
If SAP is not met by the end of the probationary/appeal year, the aid will not be reinstated. Second appeals are rare and at the discretion of the Financial Aid Committee. If the student has not met SAP a second time but has shown significant progress over the probationary year rather than repeating the same level of poor performance, a second appeal may be granted.
Whether a student is granted an appeal or not, he or she may reenter the Federal Title IV loan program once the student regains eligibility with the minimum required GPA.
Wesley’s Financial Aid Program is administered by Financial Aid Services.
Questions or requests for appointments should be directed to financialaid@wesleyseminary.edu, or to our toll free number +1 (888) 616-8781.
