Financial Aid

Most Union students receive significant financial aid toward tuition and living expenses.

Union offers both need-based and non-need-based aid federal and institutional aid.  Institutional aid is only available for the M.Div., M.A., and PhD degrees.   Federal aid is available for eligible students in all degree programs except the Non-Degree program and auditors.  “Need” for financial aid purposes is defined as the difference between the total cost of yearly attendance at Union and the student’s contribution or other financial resources as calculated by the FAFSA.

The Union Grant, loans, and federal work-study employment are forms of need-based aid and require submission of the FAFSA. Merit scholarships and Fellowships are forms of non-need-based aid. All applicants who submit a completed application for admission by the appropriate deadline will be considered for available merit-based funding without the need for a separate application.

Union Theological Seminary is also approved by the Veterans Administration for the enrollment of students eligible for veterans’ educational benefits (The GI Bill).

Eligible students may receive institutional aid to apply toward regular tuition provided they are making satisfactory academic progress and registered full-time (9 credits), and may receive federal aid if registered at least half-time (6 credits).  Students who are currently in default on federal loans are ineligible for institutional and federal loans until they furnish the financial aid office with satisfactory proof of progress toward repayment.

All eligible students who wish to be considered for need-based financial aid (the Union Grant, all loans, and Federal Work Study) must file the FAFSA by January 15 for all eligible programs to meet our priority funding deadline.

For additional information about federal loans available to graduate and professional students please visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/.