Scholarships for Women Attending Seminary

Women can secure financial assistance for seminary through scholarships

Women are enrolling in seminary in greater numbers today than at any other time in history, according to Clergy Women: An Uphill Calling. With the increase in the number of women who are entering seminary, the need for financial assistance for these women is increasing. To assist women in their goal of attending seminary, there are a number of scholarships that have been established to enable women to pay for their seminary studies.

David Eaton Scholarship

Women in the Unitarian Universalist denomination who are seminary students are eligible for the David Eaton Scholarship. This scholarship was established by a gift from Maurine Mulliner to help create Rev. David Eaton's vision of a multicultural religious organization. To this end, candidates for the scholarship must be women within the Unitarian Universalist church who are Masters of Divinity students. One scholarship is awarded annually in the amount of $2,500 as of 2011.

Herbert W. and Corinne Chilstrom Scholarship

Within the Lutheran church, there is a scholarship available specifically to female seminary students. The Herbert W. and Corinne Chilstrom Scholarship was created in memory of Bishop Herbert W. Chilstrom and his wife, Rev. Corinne Chilstrom, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ordination of women in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Candidates for the scholarship must be women who are members of the denomination completing their seminary studies to begin a second career as ordained ministers. As of 2011, the amount of the award ranges from $600 to $2,000.

Katherine J. Schutze Memorial Scholarship

Named for a native Texan who worked extensively in ministry, taught at seminary, and mentored other ordained women, the Katherine J. Schutze Memorial Scholarship was established to enable women to attend seminary and enter ordained ministry. Candidates for the scholarship must be female and members of the Disciples of Christ Christian Church. Twenty-five scholarships are granted annually, and the amount of the award ranges from $1,500 to $2,000. The scholarship is renewable.

Sara Owen Etheridge Student Scholarship

Female Baptist residents of Georgia attending seminary are eligible for the Sara Owen Etheridge Student Scholarship. The scholarship seeks to provide financial assistance for seminary education to women who have been in seminary for at least a year. Candidates must be pursuing a master's or doctoral degree. The amount of the scholarship is $1,500, as of 2011.

References

• Baptist Women in Ministry of Georgia: Sara Owen Etheridge Student Scholarship
• Disciples Home Missions: Christian Vocation: Katherine J. Schutze Memorial Scholarship
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Women of the ELCA: Herbert and Corinne Chilstrom Scholarship
• Unitarian Universalist: David Eaton Scholarship

Resources

• Baptist Women in Ministry of Georgia: Sara Owen Etheridge Student Scholarship
• Disciples Home Missions: Christian Vocation: Scholarship Application
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Women of the ELCA: Herbert and Corinne Chilstrom Scholarship
• Hartford Institute for Religion Research: Are More or Less Women Entering Seminaries Today?
• Unitarian Universalist: Scholarships