ABHMS scholarships for students
The 2024-2025 ABHMS scholarship application window is now closed. For information about future opportunities to connect with ABHMS about financial support for your educational objectives, please reach out to our Scholarship Office.
- Scholarship amounts vary and are paid directly to the recipient’s school for credit toward tuition.
- In addition to awarding scholarships to full-time students, ABHMS is also pleased to award scholarships for part-time students and students attending community college. These awards are provided in the range of $750-$1,500, as resources are available for the 2024-2025 academic year.
- Provided they maintain eligibility requirements, recipients may receive scholarship funds for up to 6 years (consecutive or non-consecutive), regardless of enrollment status (part-time or full-time), for any one course of study.
- Do not use previous links to apply for scholarships as our platform for processing applications has changed.
- Scholarships may not be combined with other funding provided by ABHMS; however, Ph.D. and D.Min students awarded via LABS or IBS remain eligible for Continuing Education (CE) grants.
Note: Specialized scholarships may have more criteria.
ABHMS Student Scholarship
For American Baptist undergraduate, graduate, and seminarian students enrolled at accredited colleges, universities, and seminaries.
To be considered for any ABHMS scholarship, students must meet the following requirements:
- Hold active membership in an American Baptist church;
- Be enrolled at an accredited college/university or graduate program in the United States or Puerto Rico;
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 on your most recent transcript;
- Reside in the United States or Puerto Rico; and
- Provide a reference completed by the leader of the church where the student is a member.
Latin-American Baptist Seminary Scholarships (LABS)
Grants of $750-$3,000 for American Baptist students of Latinx and Hispanic origin and presently serving or will be serving in a church with American Baptist Churches USA or with its recognized institutions.
Requirement: The course of study must be pursued at an accredited institution listed in the Higher Education Directory or the Membership List of the Association of Theological Schools unless otherwise approved by the Board.
Note: This scholarship was formerly known as the Spanish-American Baptist Seminary Scholarship (SABS).
International Baptist Seminary Scholarships (IBS)
Grants of $750-$3,000 are available for American Baptist students whose first language is not English and who are preparing for ministry in the United States or Puerto Rico.
Requirement: The course of study must be pursued at an accredited institution listed in the Higher Education Directory or the Membership List of the Association of Theological Schools unless otherwise approved by the Board.
Ellen Cushing Scholarship (non-seminarian, Master's degree)
The alumni of Cushing College provide scholarships to female graduate students preparing for a human services career inside or outside of a ministry context. This scholarship grants students up to $1,500 for the 2024-2025 academic school year.
This is a non-seminarian scholarship.
Note: M.Div. and D.Min. students are ineligible.
Emerging Leaders Cohort + Summer Passionary Institute
In its inaugural year, the scholarship department of ABHMS is searching for the organization’s first Emerging Leaders Cohort in collaboration with the Healing and Transforming Communities programming of its Summer Passionary Institute (SPI).
The Emerging Leaders Program enables students between the ages of 18-28 to learn and develop themselves as leaders through advocacy, networking, organizing and storytelling skills.
Through unique service-based programming in the summer of 2024 and skills training and reflection throughout the academic year, Emerging Leaders will learn how to discern their vocation and apply the skills they gain to positively impact the communities they belong to and care for.
At the end of the cohort cycle, Emerging Leaders will attend a paid retreat to Puerto Rico in June 2025, where they will present their final projects and meet other young adults through ABHMS’ Intercultural Ministries Building Bridges program (an invite-only cohort for Puerto Ricans on the island). The cohort will learn about Puerto Rican culture, struggles with colonization and independence, and other issues related to the island. They will then have an exploration period that includes local food, beach time and additional downtime to commune with their peers.
Applicants selected for the cohort will receive a summer stipend from SPI and an additional scholarship from the ABHMS scholarship department upon completion of the yearlong program.
Access to the application for the Emerging Leaders Program will be given to those who apply for an ABHMS scholarship. Upon completing the application for an ABHMS scholarship, the submission page will provide a link to the Summer Passionary Institute Program + Emerging Leaders Cohort.
The deadline for applying is April 15, 2004, at 5 p.m. ET.
Apply today!
Continuing Education Grant
American Baptist Ministerial Leaders registered in the Professional Registry may apply for a Continuing Education Grant to be used for conferences, events, courses, and D.Min. and Ph.D. studies.
Click on any of the images above to download its associated flyer as a printable PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply for an ABHMS scholarship?
American Baptist students who reside in the United States or Puerto Rico and are enrolled at an accredited college/university or graduate program in the U.S. or Puerto Rico with a cumulative GPA of 2.50 on your most recent transcript.
Note: We do not offer scholarships for international students residing outside of the U.S. or Puerto Rico.
When will I be notified if I received a scholarship?
Scholarship recipients will be notified of their award via email by June 1, 2024. Please check your inbox, junk, spam, and trash folders before contacting us about the status of your application.
Three times per year, our Continuing Education Grant Recipients will be notified of their award. More information can be found here.
How is the money disbursed?
Scholarship funds are sent directly to your school for disbursement to your account. If you transfer schools or graduate early, you must notify the ABHMS Scholarships Program. Failure to notify the Scholarships Program of such changes may result in loss of scholarship. Funds are typically disbursed in mid-August for the fall semester and mid-February for the spring semester.
How often can I receive an ABHMS scholarship?
Recipients may receive scholarship funds for up to 6 years (consecutive or non-consecutive), regardless of enrollment status (part-time or full-time) for any one course of study.
Who can I contact for assistance?
For general scholarship-related inquiries, please contact our scholarship office at Scholarships@abhms.org or at 610.768.2067. Emails will receive a faster response as our dedicated team is readily available online to assist you!
How can I extend this scholarship ministry?
ABHMS invites individuals, churches and organizations to contribute to the principal of the American Baptist Scholarship Fund, which provides the major source of income for the American Baptist Home Mission Societies Scholarship Program. Gifts, made payable to the American Baptist Scholarship Fund, can be made online or mailed to:
Scholarships Program
American Baptist Home Mission Societies
1075 First Ave.
King of Prussia, PA 19406
For information about bequests and charitable annuities, please contact the American Baptist Foundation at 800-ABC-3USA, x2393. A region foundation representative will be pleased to discuss options with you.
