Scholarships for Unitarian Universalist Ministerial Students

The Ministerial Credentialing Office administers scholarship funds available to students who are in aspirant or candidate status, and who are enrolled in a Master of Divinity degree program leading to fellowship as a Unitarian Universalist minister.

Financial Considerations

The cost of preparing for the Unitarian Universalist ministry is high. Consequently, financial pressures can be severe if wise choices are not made right from the beginning. The Unitarian Universalist Association is committed to finding ways to help alleviate the pressure through scholarship aid, debt-retirement assistance, counseling, and support for adequate ministerial salaries. If you have questions, please see the financial aid officer at your school, or contact the Ministerial Credentialing Office. The Economic Realities of the Unitarian Universalist Ministry (PDF, 10 pages) has detailed information on the costs of becoming a UU minister, and the average salary range for new ministers.

Eligibility for Aid

To be eligible to apply for UUA financial aid grants, applicants must be in aspirant or candidate status for all scholarships, except the Nancy and Chuck Thomas Scholarship, which is for first-year students only. Full-time and part-time students are eligible to apply. Those planning to be in an internship are eligible to apply, even if they will not be enrolled in theological school during the internship. All financial aid grants are determined by the UUA Scholarship Committee. Grants are determined on the basis of academic merit and financial need, consistent with the requirements of the scholarship.

Scholarships for Incoming First Year Students Only

  • The Chuck and Nancy Thomas Scholarship 
    This scholarship was established in 1998 by Lorella and Todd Hess in honor of Lorella's father, Rev. Charles Thomas, and his support of Unitarian Universalism and lay leadership. Rev. Thomas is minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Lima, OH, and affiliate minister of the Miami Valley Fellowship in Dayton, OH. The scholarship is awarded to a incoming first year student who has shown an outstanding commitment to Unitarian Universalism as a lay leader before preparing for Unitarian Universalist ministry.
    This scholarship has a separate application process. The application for the 2024-2025 academic year will be ready on Feb. 15, 2024. Applications or materials submitted prior to that date will not be accepted. To apply, email your completed application along with two letters of recommendation** (see the application form for letters of recommendation requirements), a resume, and a two or three page essay that describes your path to seminary in which you highlight your work as a lay leader in your congregation and larger community. If you are not a member of a UUA or CUC congregation, at least one recommendation letter must be from an official of your local UU community. Any UU community that was a member of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) at the time of the ICUU's dissolution in 2021 may provide this reference.
  • All materials must be received after February 15, 2024 and by April 15, 2024 by email to: mco@uua.org.
  • Those who wish to submit a nomination should write a letter of recommendation showing a connection between the individual's ministry and their life goals along with examples of their strong leadership skills.
    *enrollment verification will be required prior to distribution of funds. 

Application Procedure for All Other Scholarships

All Financial Aid Forms are available online. All supporting materials, including letters of recommendation, are to be received by the Ministerial Credentialing Office, mco@uua.org.

Please submit all materials after February 15, 2024 and by April 15, 2024 by email to: mco@uua.org

All application requests must be complete. Incomplete applications will not be considered by the UUA Scholarship Committee.

  1. Complete a ~1,500 word essay incorporating the following question: How has the Widening the Circle of Concern Report played a role in your formation process so far?
  2. Write a one-paragraph bio of yourself which may be shared with the scholarship donors.
  3. Describe your call to the Unitarian Universalist ministry.
  4. Submit your resume (no more than three pages).
  5. Fill out the Financial Aid Application, Annual Expenses, and Net Worth forms.
  6. Have your Financial Aid Officer fill out the specified form of the application.
  7. Have a Unitarian Universalist minister in full fellowship (not a faculty member from your theological school) fill out a recommendation form.
  8. Have your faculty advisor or another faculty member fill out a recommendation form.
  9. In addition, applicants (except Canadians, and those who are in internship but not students) are required to submit a Student Aid Report (SAR) containing a calculation of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) ordinarily obtainable from one's theological school upon completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms available on the FAFSA website or from the U.S. Department of Education. Note that the SAR can take up to two weeks for processing. The final report MUST be received by our office or your financial aid application will not be considered.
  10. If you will be serving as an intern, please send the signed Internship Agreement along with all items above except #6 and #9.

Award Notifications will be announced in early June.

Named Scholarships

Applicants for financial aid through the UUA are automatically considered for these named scholarship; no additional application materials are required, unless otherwise noted.

  • The Martha and Robert Atherton Ministerial Scholarship 
    Established in 1997, this scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to promising ministerial students in their second or third year of seminary who have already proven their capabilities. This scholarship is awarded to individuals who respect hard work as a foundation of a full life and who appreciate the freedom, political system and philosophical underpinnings of our country. Martha and Robert Atherton are dedicated Unitarian Universalists who have made this scholarship possible through their generous contributions.
  • The David Eaton Scholarship 
    Maureen Mulliner, a long time member of All Soul's Church in Washington, DC, made an estate gift to establish this award in order to affirm Rev. David Hilliard Eaton's vision of a community dedicated to strengthening hope, justice, and balance, and creating an anti-racist, multicultural religious organization and country. This scholarship is awarded to women from a historically marginalized group who share the same vision as David Eaton.
  • Lucille K and Jerome P. Gallon Scholarship Fund 
    The Lucille K. and Jerome P. Gallon Scholarship fund was created to support promising candidates for Unitarian Universalist ministry. This scholarship is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated strong preaching skills during their path to ministry.
  • The Ingeborg Haseltine Scholarship Funds 
    Ingeborg Haseltine made a gift from her estate to establish a permanent scholarship fund to support the education of women pursuing a career in the ministry of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
  • Interfaith Spirituality Scholarship 
    This scholarship was established by a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous. The purpose of this scholarship is to support deserving individuals who have demonstrated an interest in and are prepared to integrate interfaith understanding into their ministry, and have a commitment to guiding others on their own spiritual path.
  • The Susan M. Jackson Ministerial Scholars Fund 
    Susan M. Jackson's children established this fund on Ms. Jackson's 85th birthday to honor her commitment and dedication to Unitarian Universalism. This scholarship is awarded to recipients who share with the wider world their enthusiasm about UU ideas and conclusions, drawn from their faith, which influence their lives.
  • The David Pohl Scholarship 
    This scholarship was established by the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations upon Rev. Pohl's retirement as UUA Director of Ministry in 1993. It supports the intellectual, spiritual, and professional development of individuals preparing for UU ministry.
  • Roy H. Pollack Scholarship 
    The Roy H. Pollack Scholarship was created in 1998 to support second or third year students who have strong academic records and are promising candidates for UU ministry
  • The Von Ogden Vogt Scholarship 
    This scholarship was established in 2001 by Walter and Carolyn Vogt to honor Walter's father, Rev. Dr. Von Ogden Vogt and his dedication and commitment to Unitarian Universalism. Scholarships are given to support the intellectual, spiritual, and professional development of future Unitarian Universalist ministers who are attending Meadville Lombard Theological School.
  • The William G. Sinkford Scholarship
    The Unitarian Universalist Association established the President William G. Sinkford Fund in 2008, during the last year of Rev. Sinkford's first UUA Presidency (he served as Interim President in 2017). Having begun his service in June 2001, Rev. Sinkford left the Association with many profound and lasting gifts including the innovative Diversity of Ministry Initiative and support for lay theological education and ministerial development programs. To honor his legacy in the years to come, the Sinkford Fund will further Rev. Sinkford's visions by providing scholarships for promising and passionate students preparing for Unitarian Universalist ministry. Scholarships are designated for ministerial students who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC).
  • The John A. Buehrens Ministerial Scholarships 
    John A. Buehrens, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association from 1993-2001, has made enormous contributions to the life of this institution and to the Unitarian Universalist movement as a whole. To recognize and honor his work, the UUA has established a permanent fund to support the intellectual, spiritual, and professional development of future Unitarian Universalist ministers studying at the Starr King School for the Ministry. One scholarship is for an incoming First Year student, and the other is for a student entering their second or third year of study. Starr King School for the Ministry selects the incoming first year student. The UUA selects the second or third year student.
  • The Charles White Memorial Scholarship 
    This scholarship is available to ministerial students who are from or are working in the Pacific Western Region.

Scholarships for Incoming First Year Students Only

  • The Chuck and Nancy Thomas Scholarship 
    This scholarship was established in 1998 by Lorella and Todd Hess in honor of Lorella's father, Rev. Charles Thomas, and his support of Unitarian Universalism and lay leadership. Rev. Thomas is minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Lima, OH, and affiliate minister of the Miami Valley Fellowship in Dayton, OH. The scholarship is awarded to a incoming first year student who has shown an outstanding commitment to Unitarian Universalism as a lay leader before preparing for Unitarian Universalist ministry.
    This scholarship has a separate application process. To apply, email your completed application along with two letters of recommendation, a resume, and a two or three page essay that describes your path to seminary in which you highlight your work as a lay leader in your congregation and larger community. If you are not a member of a UUA or CUC congregation, at least one recommendation letter must be from an official of your local International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) member group. All materials must be received after February 15, 2024 and before April 15, 2024 by email to: mco@uua.org. All materials will not be accepted if submitted prior to Feb. 15. 
  • Those who wish to submit a nomination should write a letter of recommendation showing a connection between the individual's ministry and their life goals along with examples of their strong leadership skills.
    *enrollment verification will be required prior to distribution of funds. 

Universalist Awards

  • St. Lawrence Foundation for Theological Education
    The primary purpose of the St. Lawrence Foundation is to provide funds for students pursuing a calling to the Unitarian Universalist ministry. Scholarships have been provided to individuals as well as subsidies to take career assessments, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programs, and internship salary grants. The Foundation has also supported the work of the Ministerial Formation Network (MFN) through the UU Ministers Association (UUMA).
  • The Olympia Brown and Max Kapp Award 
    This award is given to an aspirant or candidate who submits a paper, sermon, or other special project on some aspect of Universalism, and should honor our Universalist heritage and the St. Lawrence Foundation, the source of a significant portion of our scholarship funds. Eligibility for this award is as the same for financial aid. Manuscripts and/or video clips should accompany the financial aid forms and be submitted to mco@uua.org by Friday, April 15, 2022. 

Other Available UU Scholarships

International Opportunities