Each year many qualified students apply to Westminster who are unable to attend due to lack of scholarship funding. While many of these students are from two-thirds world countries, United States and Canadian applicants also struggle to meet the cost of tuition - often after already incurring debt for their undergraduate or other graduate level education.

Westminster has established several ways to address this growing need.

General Fund (Undesignated Gifts)

Gifts toward the general fund help to reduce tuition by paying for many of the overhead costs of running the Seminary. Faculty salaries, utility bills, cleaning, security, building maintenance, and office support all come under this category. In addition, nearly 20 percent of the $3.5 million general fund is awarded in International, Undercare, General, Presidential, and Spousal Tuition Scholarships each year, including approximately 50 annual full-tuition scholarships for international students.

Scholarship Account (Restricted, spent annually)

Gifts toward tuition scholarships, with no restrictions, and intended to be awarded in full, are aggregated together and awarded annually by the Financial Aid Committee. Gifts of any amount are helpful and can be made on a one-time, annual, or monthly basis. Simply designate the Scholarship Fund when you send your gift.

Scholarship Fund (Restricted, earnings spent annually)

Designated gifts under $10,000 are pooled together in an interest-bearing Scholarship Fund, which is managed by the Finance and Administration Office and reviewed by the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees. Tuition scholarship awards are based on the earnings of the fund and are given annually by the Financial Aid Committee. Individuals, churches, or organizations contributing to this fund may not designate a specific recipient. Gifts of any amount are helpful and can be made on a one-time, annual, or monthly basis. To speak with someone about contributing toward this fund, please contact Alan White via e-mail (awhite@wts.edu) or phone (215-572-3844).

Named Scholarships - Annual

Gifts of $10,000 or more may be named and selection criteria identified by the individual, church, or organization creating the tuition scholarship. Awards are made by the Financial Aid Committee, however a church or organization not requiring a tax deductible receipt, may also set up an application process to award the scholarship to a specific individual. Award recipients may be requested to visit the sponsoring church or organization at the sponsor's expense. Suggested amounts:

$10,000 - one annual tuition scholarship, including Summer and January term courses, per student;

$20,000 - one annual tuition scholarship, including Summer and January term courses, and overhead costs per student that the Seminary currently bears out of the general fund, per student.

Named Scholarships - Perpetual

Gifts of $100,000 or more may be named and designated based on criteria chosen by the individual, church, or organization creating the tuition scholarship. Awards are made by the Financial Aid Committee; however, a church or organization not requiring a tax deductible receipt may also set up an application process to award the scholarship to a specific individual. Named scholarships over $100,000 may be given over a defined period. Partial awards will be distributed until the scholarship is fully funded. Suggested amounts:

$100,000 - partial scholarship toward annual tuition costs of one student.
$200,000 - one annual tuition scholarship, including Summer and January term courses;
$250,000 - one annual tuition scholarship, including Summer and January term courses, and 50 percent of the overhead costs per student that the Seminary currently bears out of the general fund;
$350,000 - one annual tuition scholarship, including Summer and January term courses, and 100 percent of the overhead costs per student that the Seminary currently bears out of the general fund, per student.

You may wish to endow a scholarship.  These are gifts in perpetuity, gifts that keep on giving.  Endowments extend opportunities to students from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographical backgrounds.  Endowments allow the seminary to offer financial aid, eliminating financial obstacles which prevent many from benefiting from a college education.  Endowed scholarships also contribute to diversity within the student population while enriching a Westminster education. Through these endowed scholarships, criteria are established between a donor and the seminary, regulating these annual awards. While an endowed scholarship may be established with a single gift or series of gifts, partial scholarship awards will begin to be distributed when the principal reaches $100,000.  Please refer to the gift schedule above for further information regarding the amount of an endowed scholarship.

Living Expense Scholarships

Westminster does not generally provide for living expense scholarships. Gifts to provide living expense support for a designated student are not tax deductible and cannot be receipted by the Seminary. If the Seminary designates the student, the gift can be tax deductible. Individuals, churches, and organizations wishing to provide this kind of support through Westminster may do so. It is considered a "pass through" transaction and does not contribute to the cost the Seminary bears to educate students.

To speak with someone about any of the scholarship funds , please contact Alan White via e-mail (awhite@wts.edu) or phone (215-572-3844).