The special offering collected each year in United Methodist congregations on United Methodist Student Day (the last Sunday in November) reflects Methodism’s long-held dedication to education, going back to John Wesley’s own founding of schools for the children of Methodist preachers in the 18th century.
All donations received from the generous giving of United Methodists to the United Methodist Student Day Offering are deposited in the United Methodist Student Scholarship Fund. The United Methodist Student Scholarship Fund was started by Methodist Sunday school leaders in 1872 as the Children’s Fund to provide for the further education of children. Today this fund is administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, which offers over 80 different scholarships. Some are general scholarships, available to United Methodist students regardless of where they live or what institution they attend. Others a have more specific focus, such as supporting students from a particular annual conference or region, or under-represented/under-resourced community.
Each year, approximately $5.5 million in scholarships are awarded by the United Methodist Student Scholarship Fund to United Methodist applicants worldwide. This includes roughly 500 scholarships given to seminary students in addition to support they may have received through the Ministerial Education Fund.
Students and prospective students may apply for these scholarships using a single application form available through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Applicants may indicate which of the various scholarships available they are most interested in seeking. They will then be screened for all possible scholarships for which they may be eligible.
General Scholarships are available for students with a minimum of one year of verified membership in a local United Methodist congregation and a 2.5 GPA. These start at $500-$1,000 for undergraduates and may reach as much as $3,500 for those enrolled in graduate schools and seminaries. Other scholarships have more specific requirements, such as the Francis Asbury Scholarship, exclusive to members of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Because students may qualify for more than one scholarship, the total scholarships an individual student may receive through this program can be substantial.
The window for applying for scholarships in the United States is open from December 15-March 13.
You can learn more about the variety of scholarships supported by your Student Sunday giving by clicking on the appropriate link(s): for students from anywhere enrolled in the United States or for non-US citizens enrolled outside the United States.
If you wish to give directly to the fund or would prefer to make an additional contribution through your local church, you can also make contributions online. Donate here.
This content was produced by Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications.
