Admissions ~ Financial Aid Information

Financial Aid Information

Overview and Some Pointers
Any student of the seminary who is full-time and is maintaining satisfactory academic progress is eligible to apply for financial aid. Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) full-time students are allotted financial aid for one year only since the expectation is that the course work for the S.T.M. will be completed in one year.

Financial aid is determined by the difference between the total cost of yearly attendance (within the parameters of "allowable expenses") and the student’s total resources, including family contribution, parish and diocesan support, and outside grants.
In order to apply for financial aid, students must submit the following:

  1. The U.S. Department of Education Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can fill out this document online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA school code for GTS is G02726. Students must apply for financial aid on a yearly basis.
  2. The GTS Financial Aid Application form is located at the bottom of this page.
  3. A signed copy of the student’s/spouse’s/domestic partner’s federal income tax return, with all tax schedules from the previous calendar year,along with a copy of the corresponding years W2's.
  4. In most cases, non-advanced degree students must also submit the Parish and the Diocesan Commitment Forms,located at the bottom of this page.

GTS offers both merit-based and need-based scholarships. Detailed information on these scholarships is noted in the inset box below. By completing the financial aid process each year students are informed about applying for these awards. GTS also offers grants, and these are the final component of a student’s budget. Seminary grants are normally credited to the recipient’s account in equal installments at the beginning of the Michealmas (fall) and Easter (spring) terms.

For the GTS Grants, the level of need is determined by the Financial Aid and Advanced Degrees Committees of the Faculty. The Director of Financial Aid administers all such decisions of these committees. Each award is subject to maximums and minimums established by the Seminary.
GTS may not be able to meet the total financial need of a student with a grant. The Director of Financial Aid has on file information on other scholarship resources. GTS students are highly successful at garnering outside scholarship awards to supplement their GTS grants. Sources include the Dubose Fund, Mercer Fund, Society for the Increase of the Ministry, Ladies Christian Union, and the Eastern Star Awards for Religious Leadership. Students can request information for outside scholarships from the Financial Aid Office. Many students also find scholarship and grant sources on the Internet. The largest, free search engine for these is located at www.fastweb.com.

GTS participates in the Federal Stafford and PLUS Loans, and the Federal Work-Study program. Therefore a student’s financial aid award may include a grant, work-study, and the option to apply for loans. There is also GTS institutional work-study, in which a student may participate regardless of financial need. Work-study responsibilities include assignments faculty, the library, refectory, and several of the administrative offices. The Director of Financial Aid can advise students on the available work-study positions, on the federal loans, and how to complete the necessary forms for the federal loan programs.

All students are required to apply for at least three outside financial aid resources (i.e., grants, scholarships, etc) to supplement the GTS grant. All non-advanced-degree applicants are expected to seek support from their parishes and dioceses.

GTS Financial Aid Office:
locally: (212) 243-5150, ext. 380
toll-free: (888) 487-5649, ext. 380
financialaid@gts.edu

GTS Financial Aid Forms:  The GTS Financial Aid Forms & Cost Estimates (pdf) are available online.

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2/14/07