In administering financial aid, the Seminary of the Southwest seeks to practice good stewardship of its resources and encourages students to do the same.

The seminary’s endowment for scholarships is greater than 5 million dollars. Our next capital campaign includes an additional 3 million dollars for this endowment.

As a matter of institutional policy, the seminary discourages students from incurring debt in order to attend. Indeed, for that reason, the seminary does not participate in federal student loan programs.

Financial aid is awarded as grants and work-study assignment – not loans.

In reaching a decision concerning financial need, the seminary will not normally weigh the value of assets such as retirement accounts, equity in one’s homestead, the cash value of life insurance policies, and college funds for children. We do not believe that students should strip themselves of these important assets in order to attend seminary.

In a survey of our entering students conducted by the Association of Theological Schools in Fall 2006, 16 of 21 respondents reported that our financial aid assistance was “significant” in their choice of school. Seven of 21 reported that was of “great or greatest” significance.

In the same survey, “financial aid assistance” ranked even with “faculty” when students were asked for the top five reasons for their choice of school.

Tuition and fees will not increase next academic year, and the Seminary of the Southwest will continue to be in the lower middle range of the eleven accredited Episcopal seminaries .  Full-time tuition will stay at $13,150 for 2007-2008.

Students receive grants ranging from 80 percent to 100 percent of full tuition, depending upon need. For the current 2006-07 academic year, those amounts range from $10,520 to $13,150

More on seminarian debt

Episcopal Life cover story on seminarian debt -- February 2007 issue -- web link coming

pdf of ad the Seminary of the Southwest placed in the February issue of Episcopal Life