Financial Aid

St. Vladimir’s Seminary awards or renews all grants and scholarships once a year during the spring application process. Both new applicants and returning students in all degree programs who seek financial aid granted or administered by the seminary must complete the Financial Aid Application appropriate to their program. For new prospective students, Financial Aid Applications are included in the Admissions Application, and for returning students the Financial Aid Application is made available in their student account by the beginning of the Spring semester. 

Students applying for need who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens (U.S. permanent residents) must also complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and submit the FAFSA Student Aid Report with SAI (Student Aid Index). The SAI is a necessary component of the Seminary’s Financial Aid Application. The seminary's Title IV school code for the FAFSA is G02833. 

FAFSA

All students are considered financially independent. Therefore, parental information is not required to determine need. The seminary does, however, require financial information from spouses of married students and full disclosure of grant and scholarship assistance from outside sources, such as, but not limited to, parish, diocesan, and archdiocesan education funds.

Financial Aid Application Deadline - May 1

The deadline for all financial aid applications—both new applications and renewal applications—is May 1. Applications received after May 1, or incomplete applications received prior to the deadline but completed after May 1, will be considered for financial aid only if funds remain available and/or on a wait-listed basis. After the award or renewal of a grant or scholarship, the seminary is unable to consider modified requests for financial assistance.

To be eligible for financial aid from St. Vladimir’s Seminary, a student must 1) live on campus (if enrolled in a residential program); 2) be enrolled at the Seminary on a full-time basis as a degree candidate; and 3) be making satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree. To be considered full-time, M.Div., M.A., and Th.M. students must be enrolled for at least twelve credits per semester; D.Min. students must be enrolled for six credits per term while registered for coursework and three credits per term during their final project registration. To be eligible for US Government loans, students must be degree candidates and enrolled for at least six credits per semester.

Students enrolled on a full-time basis (as defined above) are eligible to receive aid from the seminary only for the number of semesters or terms necessary for normal completion of a degree program. Therefore, M.Div. candidates are eligible to receive financial aid for no more than six semesters; M.A. candidates for no more than four semesters; Th.M. candidates for no more than two semesters; and D.Min. candidates for no more than seven terms.

Satisfactory progress toward completion of a degree program is measured not only by a student’s successful completion of courses but also by satisfactory participation in the seminary’s co-curricular activities of chapel worship and community service.

Exception in the Case of Probation, Disability, or Special Needs

A residential degree candidate whose course load has been reduced by the Faculty Council in the case of probation or by the Academic Dean in the case of a student with special needs (see Disability Services) remains eligible for financial aid on a pro-rated basis, as long as he or she is enrolled for at least six credits per semester and is otherwise making satisfactory progress toward completion of program requirements.

Students in the M.Div. and M.A. programs who demonstrate financial need and who meet the eligibility requirements above may qualify to receive need-based tuition grants. Th.M. students who do not qualify for the Dean’s Fellowship may also receive need-based tuition grants.

St. Vladimir’s administers two kinds of need-based tuition grants: (1) outright tuition grants and (2) matching grants.

For residential students who demonstrate need, the Seminary’s goal is to cover up to 100% of tuition through a combination of outright and matching grants. 

Outright grants provide up to 50% of total eligible tuition each year. The maximum percentage of tuition eligible for outright grants is determined annually. The total tuition eligible to be covered by need-based grants is determined on the basis of the student’s semester enrollment (number of credits), FAFSA results (for domestic students), and information supplied on the seminary's Financial Aid Application Form. Need-based tuition grants do not cover credits in excess of 18 per semester. To retain a need-based tuition grant for residential programs, an eligible student must maintain at least a 2.0 semester GPA and a 2.3 cumulative GPA, participate regularly in seminary chapel services, and perform community service assignments satisfactorily.

Outright grants are drawn from the seminary’s endowed scholarship funds. A full list of our endowed funds can be found in the Academic Catalog.

Matching grants are awarded on a dollar-to-dollar basis with funds received from outside ecclesial bodies or organizations, such as dioceses, parishes, parish organizations, church aid organizations, or church scholarship funds. Funds received from private individuals do not qualify for matching grant funds. Matching grants amounts from the Seminary are based upon need, and are applied toward tuition. 

Matching funds from the seminary come from donor contributions to the general scholarship funds. 

Outside funds must be sent directly by the sponsoring organization to the seminary, and are due one week before the beginning of the semester (fall or spring) or term (summer) for which tuition support is being provided. Funds received after the deadline will not be eligible for a match unless arrangements for a payment plan have been made with the Student Billing Office. Donor organizations must submit their first donation with the "Information and Submission Form for Donor Organizations".

Submission Form for Donor Organizations

Need-based scholarships are available to qualified students who meet both the financial aid eligibility requirements defined above and the specific requirements of individual need-based scholarships. The total tuition eligible to be covered by need-based scholarships is determined on the basis of the student’s semester enrollment (number of credits), FAFSA report (for U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens), and information supplied on the seminary's Financial Aid Application Form. Need-based scholarships do not cover credits in excess of 18 per semester. To retain a need-based scholarship, an eligible student must maintain at least a 2.0 semester GPA and a 2.3 cumulative GPA, participate regularly in seminary chapel services, and perform community service assignments satisfactorily. St. Vladimir’s currently administers three need-based scholarships:

1. Saint Cyprian of Carthage Scholarship (renewable annually). Covering up to 100% of total eligible tuition (of which 25% is awarded on the basis of matching funds received from outside ecclesial bodies or organizations) and room/board of a single student, St Cyprian Scholarships are awarded to men and women of the Patriarchate of Alexandria who demonstrate need, strong academic performance, and promise of significant service to the Church in Africa. Priority is given to men who are enrolled in the M.Div. program and preparing for ordination.
2. Saint Anthony the Great Scholarship (renewable annually). Providing up to 100% of total eligible tuition, Saint Anthony the Great Scholarships are awarded to Orthodox men and women of the monastic rank Rassophore who demonstrate need, strong academic performance, and promise of significant service to the Church.
3. Serbian Scholarship (renewable annually). Three awards providing up to 100% of total eligible tuition, books, and room/board of a single student, Serbian Scholarships are awarded to Serbian or Serbian-American men and women who demonstrate need, strong academic performance, and promise of significant service to the Church. Priority is given to men who are enrolled in the M.Div. program and preparing for ordination.

Covering 100% of tuition, the Dean’s Fellowship is a merit-based scholarship awarded to candidates for the Th.M. degree who show promise of success in future academic work and/or of significant service to the Church and who meet the general financial aid eligibility requirements defined above. All Th.M. applicants will be considered for the Dean's Fellowship, but successful candidates typically have a GPA of at least 3.7 in their first theological degree. The Dean's Fellowship does not cover credits in excess of 15 per semester.  Candidates are notified of a Dean's Fellowship award in their letter of admission. 

N.B. Dean’s Fellows, who serve as peer writing tutors in the seminary’s writing center or teaching assistants for members of the faculty, are not required to live on campus.

The Danilchick Family Endowment for Pastoral Studies was established in 2013 by a generous gift from Protodeacon Peter and Tanya Danilchick to enhance the Doctor of Ministry program of study at St Vladimir’s Seminary. This program is intended to provide the most advanced opportunity for pastors to further their ministries and prepare the church for a new generation of leaders formed in a full Orthodox educational context. This endowment is used to provide continuing education grants and need-based grants to qualified students enrolled full-time in the Doctor of Ministry program.

1. Continuing Education Grant. All full-time Doctor of Ministry students, regardless of need, are eligible for continuing education support if they are making satisfactory progress toward completing program requirements. Continuing Education Grants are currently set at 25% of Tuition.

2. Need-Based Financial Aid Award. Full-time Doctor of Ministry students with demonstrated financial need are also eligible for a need-based financial aid award. Need-based grants may cover up to 50% of eligible tuition.

Award Condition: Public Presentations

In addition to the seminary’s normal conditions of eligibility for Financial Aid (see “Eligibility for Financial Aid” above), receipt of any financial aid from the Danilchick Family Endowment is conditional upon the agreement to and completion of one public presentation based on their work in the DMin program prior to each semester in which the student would receive aid. This condition is inclusive of both the Continuing Education Grants and Need-based Financial Aid; only one presentation must be given each semester, even if a student is receiving both kinds of financial aid.

Students may make arrangements to present in person at meetings at the diocesan, national or international level; presentations to a single parish community do not qualify. Students may also make arrangements with the SVS Advancement team to make presentations at seminary sponsored webinars. 

Following their presentation, students must submit a report using the Presentation Report Form (below). It must be approved prior to May 1 for summer term aid; and August 15 for fall term aid. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a suspension of financial aid for that semester.

In addition, to retain a need-based grant for D.Min. students, an eligible student must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and be making satisfactory progress toward completing program requirements.

The generous gift from Protodeacon Peter and Tanya Danilchick is an expression of their commitment to follow the teaching of Christ, “Freely you have received, freely give,” (Mt 10:8). By making public presentations based on their work in the DMin program, students are able to freely give to others what they have gained in their studies.

Presentation Report Form

Report Form Due Dates:

• May 1 for Summer Term Aid
• August 15 for Fall Term Aid 

The Seminary participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. This program allows students to borrow funds to help meet their educational costs at the post-secondary level, and is available to US citizens and permanent-resident aliens. Applicants must be in good academic standing and enrolled at least half-time, and they may not be in default on any previous loans. 

Unsubsidized Direct Loans for graduate/professional students to help pay for education expenses up to $20,500. Interest is charged during all periods, even during the time a student is in school and during grace and deferment periods. A six-month grace period applies to payments of principal only. Students may allow interest to accrue and be added to the principal amount of the loan, also known as capitalization. However, capitalization increases the total repayment amount as interest is charged on a higher principal.

The application for federal loans is a separate process from the Admissions and Financial Aid applications; see the Direct Loan Application Instructions for more information and details about the steps involved in applying for a loan. 

Any student who does not meet the minimum conditions for retaining a seminary grant or scholarship, as defined for each grant or scholarship, will be placed on probation for the following semester. If the student demonstrates appropriate improvement during the following semester, then probation is lifted and the student continues to be eligible for seminary financial assistance. 

If, however, the student fails to show sufficient improvement, then the student becomes ineligible for further financial assistance from the seminary, although he or she may, depending on the circumstances, be permitted to continue as a degree candidate. If a student who has previously been on probation should fail a second time to meet the minimum conditions, then the student becomes ineligible to receive further financial assistance from the seminary. 

If a student’s GPA falls below 2.0 in any semester, then he or she automatically forfeits financial assistance from the seminary; no probationary period will be allowed.

If a student should experience significant, unforeseen financial difficulty after the award/renewal period and the exhaustion of financial aid funds, he or she is encouraged to speak to the Chief Financial Officer prior to the beginning of the semester in order to arrange a formal payment plan.

For seminary need-based aid purposes, VA benefits and outside scholarships, such as Fulbright awards, are applied toward the student's cost of education (see Estimated Expenses by Degree Program) before a student is considered for seminary financial aid. Please feel free to contact the Director of Financial Aid with any questions about financial aid or the financial aid application process.

If a student withdraws from the seminary during the semester under circumstances permitting a refund of fees, then eligible fees will be refunded—to student, matching donor organization, scholarship fund—on the basis of an official withdrawal date and in accordance with the seminary’s refund schedule. Seminary grant or scholarship awards will not be included in the amount refunded to the student or matching donor organization.

Withdrawal Date: 

A student’s official withdrawal date is determined as follows:

• A student is considered officially withdrawn if the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs is notified by the student in writing or by phone of intent to withdraw. If a student sends written notification of intent to withdraw, the withdrawal date is the date the letter is received via postal, electronic, or fax mail.
• If a student ceases attendance without providing official notification, the withdrawal date will be the midpoint of the semester or term. In the case when an official notification was not provided by the student because of circumstances beyond the student’s control, i.e., illness, accident, grievous personal loss, or other circumstances, the date related to the onset of that circumstance will be used as the withdrawal date. This date will be determined by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Refund Schedule

Eligible fees paid by or on behalf of the student will be refunded to student, matching donor organization, and scholarship fund on the basis of the official semester or term withdrawal date (see above) and in accordance with the following schedule:

• Before new student orientation and classes begin – 100% refund of tuition and eligible fees; 100% refund of room and board. Not Refunded: Enrollment deposit
• During new student orientation, or first or second week – 100% refund of tuition and eligible fees; prorated refund of room and board, based on time remaining in the semester. Not Refunded: Enrollment deposit and registration fee
• During third week – 75% refund of tuition and eligible fees; prorated refund of room and board, based on time remaining in the semester. Not Refunded: Enrollment deposit and registration fee
• During fourth week – 50% refund of tuition and eligible fees; pro-rated refund of room and board, based on time remaining in the semester. Not Refunded: Enrollment deposit and registration fee
• During fifth week – 25% refund of tuition and eligible fees; pro-rated refund of room and board, based on time remaining in the semester. Not Refunded: Enrollment deposit and registration fee
• After fifth week – no refund of tuition or fees; pro-rated refund of room and board, based on time remaining in the semester

Return of Title IV Funds

In accordance with the Return of Title IV Funds regulation (R2T4), when a U.S. Government financial aid recipient withdraws from all classes prior to completing 60% of a term (i.e., nine weeks), it is the seminary’s responsibility to determine the withdrawal date and amount of loan assistance that the student earned. If a student received less assistance than what was earned, he or she may be able to receive those funds. On the other hand, if the student received more assistance than earned, the unearned funds must be returned by the school and/or aid recipient to the appropriate aid program. The seminary's Direct Lending Counselor recalculates eligibility for Title IV funds using the following Federal Return of Title IV funds formula:

• Percentage of term completed equals the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the term. (Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term.) This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.
• Funds are returned to the appropriate U.S. Government program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:
  • Aid to be returned equals (100% minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by (the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the term).
  • If a student earned less aid than was disbursed, the institution would be required to return a portion of the funds and the student would be required to return a portion of the funds. Keep in mind that when Title IV funds are returned, the student borrower may owe a debit balance to the institution.
  • The seminary must return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible no later than 45 days after the date of the student’s withdrawal. Refunds are allocated in the following order:
    • Unsubsidized Direct Loans (other than PLUS loans)
    • Graduate PLUS Loans