Financial Assistance

Tuition Grants for Doctor of Ministry

The primary responsibility for meeting the cost of the Doctor of Ministry program belongs to the student, his/her institution or congregation, and the denomination to which he/she is a member. All family resources, including a spouse’s income, are included when calculating need-based aid. 2013-2014 Doctor of Ministry need-based grants are awarded for credits taken between June 1, 2013 and May 31, 2014.

What is a Doctor of Ministry tuition grant?

A Doctor of Ministry Tuition Grant is one piece of the Seminary’s need-based aid program. The grants, which help a student cover the cost of tuition, do not require repayment.

Range of Award

A student may be awarded up to the full cost of tuition. PTS will award each Focus an annual fund. All members of the Focus who meet the application deadline and qualify financially will split the allotted grant. Students may not receive more than the cost of tuition.

Who Qualifies?

• Students enrolled full-time in the Doctor of Ministry programs; six credits per session. Aid will not be provided to any student beyond the minimum credits required for graduation.
• Students must demonstrate financial need and be a member of a church.
• Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress.
• If students received financial aid from PTS for one degree program, they are not eligible for financial aid for a second degree until three years (nine terms) have passed since they received aid.
• Students who are in a “default status” on their federal educational loans are ineligible for institutional aid.

What is satisfactory academic progress?

Financial aid is contingent upon the candidate making satisfactory academic progress in the program. In all cases, courses must be completed and credit received to be counted. A review of progress compares the number of courses attempted to the courses successfully completed to determine whether the rate of completion will allow a student to finish the program within the maximum time frame. The Doctor of Ministry Committee may choose to recommend to the Financial Aid Committee that the satisfactory academic progress requirement be waived with documentation of undue hardship.

Repeats and Withdrawals

Should a student receive a grade of unsatisfactory in a course or withdraw with faculty approval, no financial aid will be awarded for this course when it is repeated or for electives that may be substituted as repeat credits. If a student withdraws from a class after the official add/drop period. Financial aid for the course will be revoked.

How is financial need determined?

Financial Need is calculated by the program budget or Cost of Attendance (COA) minus the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) minus other aid. The EFC is the number assigned by the Department of Education as a result of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.).

                Cost of Attendance (Budget)
                                             -  EFC
                                             -  Other Aid
                Amount of Need Based Aid

Determining the Cost of Attendance

To determine each student's demonstrated financial need, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary uses the following tuition charges, institutional fees, and budgets based on the average cost of participating in the Doctor of Ministry program. Although actual travel, meals and housing expenses for a student may vary, this budget will be used to determine a student’s eligibility for financial aid or recommendation for independent scholarships.  

*   Tuition fee per credit is $330 and other fees; pending approval by the Board of Directors
** Travel costs will vary due to traveling distance. 

How to Apply

Forward a completed PTS Doctor of Ministry Financial Aid Application to the Financial Aid Office by the deadline. Financial Aid Application

File a 2013-2014 FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Use the new IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IDR) to transfer tax information directly from the IRS into the FAFSA. The PTS school code is G03356.

The federal government may select some FAFSA items to be verified. If a filer is selected for verification, the student will receive notification from the Financial Aid Office. Requested documentation must be returned to the Financial Aid Department. If the student did not implement the new IRS Data Retrieval Form when completing the FAFSA, the student must call the IRS and obtain a copy of the Tax Transcript.

When to Apply

PTS will accept applications once a year for each Focus. Available funds will be disbursed between all qualifying applicants.

Students must re-apply each year. Returning students should submit their application at the first deadline. They may only be considered for the specified length of the degree program. Funding is not provided beyond the minimum credits required for graduation.

Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.

Financial Aid Deadlines

(These deadlines apply ONLY to financial aid; PTS admits D.Min. students on a rolling basis.)

Contact:

Cheryl De Paolis
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
616 North Highland Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
cdepaolis@pts.edu
412-924-1384
Fax: 412-924-1784