Seminary Grant Program Introduction and Instructions

Seminary Grant Program Introduction and Instructions
PURPOSE (Revised, Extremely important—Must read)

The Seminary Grant Program of the Upper New York Annual Conference is designed to assist eligible students in meeting the costs of a program of academic study leading toward ordination and full membership in the Upper New York Annual Conference as Elders and Deacons. Grants are provided to eligible students who demonstrate in good faith they are preparing for ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. The Board of Ordained Ministry’s expectation is

grant recipients will serve a minimum of five years within the Upper New York Annual Conference.

Note: Course of Study is not funded through this grant program. Such funding is under the Registrar for Local Pastors and comes from the Ministerial Educational Fund. Funding for undergraduate studies uses a separate application. To receive it contact the Rev. William Gottschalk-Fielding at the conference center. Visit www.unyumc.org and select Board of Ordained Ministry Forms.
BASIS
The basis for all grants is availability of funds, financial request and prayerful discernment by the Board of Ordained Ministry of The Upper New York Annual Conference.

GRANT AWARDS (Revised, Extremely important—Must read)

Full-time students may receive up to $30,000 over a period of up to four years, with an annual limit of $10,000. Part-time students may receive up to $30,000 over a period of up to eight years, with an annual limit of $6,000. Priority will be given to students who attend United Methodist-related seminaries. “Full-time students” are defined as those enrolled in the Master of Divinity program with a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester. Students in other master's-level programs who are pursuing ordination are considered “Full-time students” if they are enrolled in at least 9 credit hours per semester. If you drop below

full-time status or change the number of classes submitted to us, you must let the Board of Ordained Ministry know. Immediately email: candidacy@unyumc.org, or risk your eligibility for future grants.

Eligibility Only certified candidates for ordained ministry in the Upper New York Annual

Conference are eligible for seminary grants. All certified candidates are under the care of their respective District Committees on Ordained Ministry and the Board will consult the pertinent DCOM to confirm each candidate’s status. Applicants must be enrolled in a University Senate-approved seminary and pursuing a degree appropriate to the ministry of the ordained Deacon or Elder, as determined by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (typically M.A. for Deacons and M.Div. for Elders Applicants must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. Exceptions will be considered by the Board of Ordained Ministry on a case-by-case basis.

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APPLICATION DEADLINES
Applications for the 2026-27 academic year must be received by the Recruitment and Enlistment Division of the Board of Ordained Ministry no later than June 30,

2026. Grants are awarded on a year-by-year basis. Applicants must submit a new application each year. The application is found on the Board of Ordained Ministry Forms page of the UNYAC website (www.unyumc.org

GRANT PAYMENTS (RevisedExtremely importantMust read)

Checks are typically mailed twice annually (half of the grant in each payment) from the conference treasurer’s office. Checks are made payable to the school and are mailed directly to the school. The first check is mailed around mid-August and the second check around mid to late-January if all the paperwork is submitted.

Before releasing the 2027 spring semester’s check to the school, each grant recipient must submit an official/unofficial transcript of the fall 2026 semester showing their grades. Also, each grant recipient must submit a new institutional certificate specifically for the spring semester. These can be emailed to us at candidacy@unyumc.org. The hard deadline for submitting this information is no later than January 31, 2027.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
1. Forms are found on the UNY Annual Conference web site (www.unyumc.org Acquiring the proper forms is the candidate’s responsibility.

2. Read the seminary grant policy information carefully including all updates listed.

3. Complete the grant application in full. Complete the ESTIMATE OF EXPENSES in detail, showing expenses incurred in the pursuit of theological education (e.g. tuition, room & board, books, fees, travel Complete the information concerning other scholarships received. Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant and will fall under the same time restraints listed above. Note: you must provide the emails for the DS and Seminary Financial Officer where indicated.

4. Request for the Registrar of the seminary or graduate school to complete the Institutional Certificate of academic enrollment (found on last page Some Registrars are not available in the summer months, so the status can be certified by any academic officer. Enrolled students--try to do this before leaving at the end of the spring semester.

5. The applicant must send the completed application along with the certification of academic enrollment to the Recruitment and Enlistment Division of the Board of Ordained Ministry and meet all deadlines.
Seminary Grant Program Grant Application
Name (Last, First, Middle)
Permanent Address
Address during academic year (if different)
Home Phone
Format: (000) 000-0000.
Mobile Phone
Format: (000) 000-0000.
Email address
example@example.com
Date of birth

MonthDayYear
Gender
Marital Status
Number of Dependents
Relationship(s) and age(s)
Home Church
Present appointment, if any
Date of Certified Candidate status

MonthDayYear
From which District were you certified
Name of educational institution (during grant period)
Name of degree program
Anticipated year of graduation
Beginning date of next school term

MonthDayYear
Status (as defined by the institution)
Number of registered academic hours/credits
Fall (if none, indicate zero)
Spring (if none, indicate zero)
Are you seeking ordination in the UNY Conference?
If you selected Yes, you are seeking ordination, are you on track for:
Amount received previous years from Seminary Grant Program (if none, indicate zero)
*ESTIMATE OF EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES FOR 2026-2027 ACADEMIC YEAR:
Tuition and Fees:
Books and Supplies (if none, indicate zero):
Student Housing (if none, indicate zero):
Travel to and from school (if none, indicate zero):
Campus Meals (if none, indicate zero):
Miscellaneous Expenses (describe). If none, indicate zero:
TOTAL EXPENSES:
Please list any other scholarships/grants you are receiving for the 2026-2027 academic school year. If none, please indicate "none".
*What is the amount of the Grant which you are requesting?
*This information does not have any effect on the grant request/award. However, the Board of Ordained Ministry would like to gain insight into the actual cost of the various educational institutions to continually evaluate the Seminary Grant Program.
Please use the space below to share any information you feel will be helpful for us to know as we consider your application. (optional)
I have read and agree with the expectations set forth in the Upper New York Annual Conference’s Seminary Grant Program. This includes the revised Purpose section and the specific deadlines for both submission of the Grand Application and the submission of all necessary paperwork for both the Fall and Spring grant disbursement. I understand the requirements, date and deadlines listed above are firm and unchangeable.
Applicant's Signature
Date of Applicant's Signature

MonthDayYear
D.S. Signature - required to be considered for the Grant
DS Email
example@example.com
Date of D.S. Signature

MonthDayYear
For questions or to confirm submission:
EMAIL: candidacy@unyumc.org POSTAL MAIL: Board of Ordained Ministry, PO Box 207, Washington Mills, NY 13479
PLEASE NOTE:
A confirmation email will be sent once the application is received. IMPORTANT: If you do not receive confirmation within ten days, please contact BOM Support at: candidacy@unyumc.org

THE GRANT APPLICATION/REQUEST AND ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE JUNE 30, 2026.
Attach transcripts here:

Cancelof
Seminary Grant Program Institutional Certificate
The following informaiton is to be filled out by Dean, Registrar or Financial Services officer and is required to be considered for the Grant
Name of Student -required to be considered for the Grant
Number of hours/courses per semester the institution considers full time
Number of hours/courses per semester enrolled by this student
Fee per semester hour
I hereby certify (Name of Student)
admitted to be enrolled at (Name of Institution)
As a candidate for the degree of:
Address of the institution's accounts receivable office to mail a grant check:
Signature
Date

MonthDayYear
Email of form signer
example@example.com
PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED FORM TO:
Board of Ordained Ministry, PO Box 207, Washington Mills, NY 13479 on or before 6-30-26.
Should be Empty:

Seminary Grant Program Introduction and Instructions

BASIS

APPLICATION DEADLINES

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Seminary Grant Program Grant Application

*ESTIMATE OF EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES FOR 2026-2027 ACADEMIC YEAR:

TOTAL EXPENSES:

For questions or to confirm submission:

PLEASE NOTE:

Seminary Grant Program Institutional Certificate

PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED FORM TO: