Private School Grants

The majority of students will need assistance with paying private school tuition fees, and one of the ways in which they can obtain this assistance is by applying for – and being awarded – one or more grants.

General Information about Private School Grant Programs

A grant is a non-refundable award that is made to a student in need either to fund a specific research project or to generally assist with paying tuition expenses. Private schools are not government-funded so, on the whole, their tuition and residency costs exceed those of public schools.

Most private schools have therefore established institutional grants – grants that are funded through the school itself – in order to assist their students with coping with the financial burden of being educated through their school.

In order to apply for these grant programs, students have to meet certain eligibility requirements, and these requirements will differ from program to program. Examples of eligibility requirements include:

1. Being resident in a specific state, city or university/college residence hall;
2. Being related to a particular person (for instance, the son or daughter of an ordained minister);
3. Being of a certain academic level; and
4. Having to audition or submit a portfolio of work.

Private schools exist throughout the country and are not just contained to one area or state, and this list is merely representative of the available private school grants. Students who are interested in finding out more about private school grants should contact private schools in their area or review the Financial Aid sections of private school websites.

State and federal grants are also available through private schools but these are not classed as institutional grants as they are not specific to one school. These types of grants are also available through public schools and include programs like:

1. The Federal Pell Grant Program; and
2. The TEACH (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) Program.

Representative Institutional Grant Programs offered through Private Universities and Colleges

Institutional Grant Programs at Graceland University (Iowa)

The grant programs offered by Graceland University (GU) include a series of Performance Grants for fine arts, performing arts and athletics. Each grant will have its own specific eligibility requirements and can be summarized as follows:

1. Art Grants: awards are offered to students wishing to major in any of the artistic disciplines offered by GU including ceramics, sculpture and commercial art as well as drawing and painting. A student wishing to apply for an art grant must complete and submit the application form together with a letter of recommendation from his or her art teacher and also submit a portfolio of eight or ten pieces of their best work;
2. Vocal Music Grants and Instrumental Music Grants: students who wish to apply for these grants have to audition and also have to file both an application form and a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form;
3. Theater Grants: here students will also have to audition in order to become eligible for this program as well as file an application form together with a letter of recommendation from either a theater instructor or theater director; and
4. Athletic Grants: various athletic grants are offered by this university and details of each individual grant can be obtained from a particular sport’s Head Coach.
   All completed application forms, as well as any queries, must be sent to The Admissions Office, Graceland University, 1 University Place, Lamoni IA 50140 (tel: 641-784-5000 and website)

Institutional Grant Programs at Pacific Lutheran University (Washington)

Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) offers several different institutional grant programs to its students including the following:

1. The Alumni Dependent Grant: only students whose parent(s) attended PLU for at least one year are eligible to apply for this grant, which pays out $1,000 per year for four years;
2. The Clergy Dependent Grant: here the only students that are eligible to apply are those who are children of ordained ministers who are currently actively serving full-time in a Christian congregation. Again, the successful student will receive $1,000 per year for four years;
3. The International Grant: no application is required in terms of this program and the grant is awarded automatically to the selected international student. The amount paid out will vary but will be relevant to either a four year undergraduate program or a two year graduate program;
4. The Americas Grant: this program is only available to students from countries situated in North, Central or South America excluding the USA. These students must enrol full-time at PLU and must be a resident of either South Hall or a PLU residence hall room. Again, amounts vary but are relevant to four and two year undergraduate and graduate programs respectively;
5. The Nordic Grant: this program has been developed specifically for Icelandic, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish students that live on campus. Again students must live in either a PLU residence hall room or South Hall and awards are available for either four year undergraduate or two year graduate programs ; and
6. The Achiever’s Grant: this is an award that is made only to students who have been selected to receive the Washington Education Foundation Achiever’s Scholarship. The amount paid out is $2,000, and one of the selection criteria is financial need.

Pacific Lutheran University should be approached directly should any students or prospective students require further information. Queries can be addressed to PLU C/O The Office of Financial Aid, 12180 Park Avenue South, Tacoma, WA 98447 (tel: 253-531-6900 and website).

Alaska Bible College Need Based Grants (Alaska)

Whether or not a student’s application for this program will be successful is based almost solely on that student’s level of financial need. There is also no set amount that will be paid in terms of these grants, and the size of actual payments will depend on the amount of funds available. Students will be eligible to apply for these grants if:

1. They are enrolled at the college in either part-time or full-time programs and they intend to complete these programs;
2. They demonstrate financial need as defined in the Alaska Bible College Need Based Grant Application; and
3. They file certain documentation along with the application form including transcripts of their or their parents’ income tax returns and the Student Aid Report that they would have received after completing their FAFSA form.

There are two deadlines for the submission of applications for this program: December 1st for the Spring Semester and July 1st for the Fall Semester. Whether or not a student’s grant will be renewed will depend on his or her continued academic performance. Further information regarding this grant program can be obtained directly from the Alaska Bible College at P O Box 289, Glenallen, AK 99588 (tel: 1-800-478-7884 and website)

Institutional Grant Programs at Wayland Baptist University (Texas)

At least two institutional grant programs are offered at Wayland Baptist University (WBU): the Local Church Grant and the Residence Hall Grant.

1. The Local Church Grant: this first-term grant is available to a full-time student who is a duly admitted member of a church that donates to the university either on a monthly or an annual basis. The grant will be provided in the church’s name and is in the amount of $250;
2. The Residence Hall Grant: this grant provides financial assistance of $500 per semester for eight consecutive full-time semesters, and students who are receiving these awards have to maintain certain academic standards in order for the payments to continue. The purpose of this grant is to recruit out-of-state students and the eligibility requirements relevant to these awards include:
   1. Students have to be resident in one of several states including Nebraska, Alaska or Oklahoma or in either San Antonio or Wichita Falls, Texas;
   2. Students have to be recommended for the program by either the state’s Executive Director of the Baptist Convention or the region’s Wayland Center Director; and
   3. Students must be enrolled for full-time study and live on-campus in a Wayland dormitory.

More information concerning this university’s grant programs can be obtained from the campus at 1900 West 7th Street, Plainview, TX 79072 (tel: 1-800-588-1928 and website).

The Burlington College Grant (Vermont)

Burlington College offers its own institutional grant program which has been established specifically to fill the gap between financial aid eligibility and tuition costs. Criteria for eligibility will include the following:

1. Applicants have to be enrolled as either part-time or full-time students at Burlington College and have to demonstrate financial need; and
2. Applicants have to meet certain requirements as set down by the College’s Financial Aid Office.

As much as $2,000 will be awarded to each successful applicant depending on exactly how much money is available in each academic year. Those students who are interested in attending this college and applying for this grant can contact the college’s Financial Aid Office directly at 95 North Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401 (tel: 1-800-862-9616 and website).

New England College Grant Program (New Hampshire)

Students can apply for this program either before or after the priority deadline for application submissions has passed. Those who apply before the deadline, however, are in a better position as those who apply after the deadline are only considered for acceptance should there be any funds left to distribute after all awards have been made to those who applied before the deadline. Requirements for eligibility include:

1. Students have to be enrolled at the college on a full time basis; and
2. Students have to file a complete application for financial assistance with the college’s Student Financial Services Office.

Further information regarding this institutional grant program and any other program that the college may administer can be obtained from them at 98 Bridge Street, Henniker, NH 03242 (tel: 603-428-2000 and website).

Institutional Grant Programs at the Centenary College of Louisiana (Louisiana)

This college offers at least the following institutional grant programs:

1. Christian Leadership Center Grants: these grants are offered through the school’s Christian Leadership Center, and students will have to complete an essay and be interviewed by the Center Director to see if they are eligible for selection; and
2. United Methodist Ministers’ Dependent Grants: to be able to apply for this grant, a student has to be a dependent of a United Methodist Minister. Students also have to be enrolled for a full-time program at the college and, if selected, will receive an amount of $5,000 per year.

The Centenary College of Louisiana can provide further information regarding these grant programs and they can be contacted at 2911 Centenary Boulevard, Shreveport, LA 71104 (tel: 1-800-234-4448 and website).

Institutional Grant Programs at Chaminade University (Hawaii)

Several grant programs are offered at this university and each have their own eligibility requirements. The available programs include:

1. The Freshman Merit Based Leadership Grants: if selected, a student would receive $4,500 per year for a four year degree program. Students must be enrolled for full-time study and must provide proof of having maintained a high school cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of between 2.50 and 2.99 or above;
2. The Hawaii Freshman Merit Based Leadership Grants: eligibility requirements for this program include that a student has to be resident in Hawaii and has to have graduated from a high school in Hawaii. Further requirements are the same as those for the Freshman Grants and, under the Hawaii Freshman Grant program, students will receive annual awards of $5,500 for four years;
3. The Transfer Grant Programs: in terms of these programs, students must be transfer students now enrolled for full-time study at the university. They must also maintain a cumulative GPA of between 2.50 and 4.00 and, here, they would receive $4,000 per year; and
4. The Hawaii Grant: students eligible to apply for this grant must have either graduated from a high school in Hawaii or will have obtained an associate degree through a community college in Hawaii.
5. They must be full-time first year or transfer students at the university and must have maintained a cumulative GPA of 2.25 and above. The selected student will receive $3,000 per year.

Apart from the above, there is also the Need Based Grant for which financial need is the deciding factor in the selection process. Students who are interested in attending the Chaminade University and applying for one or more of its grant programs can contact the university at 3140 Waialae Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816 (tel: 1-800-735-3733 and website).

Sullivan Institutional Grant at Sullivan University (Kentucky)

This is a privately funded grant program offered by Sullivan University in terms of which awards of up to $4,000 are made to selected students every year. Eligibility criteria include:

1. Students have to demonstrate financial need; and
2. Students have to be deemed qualified to receive the award in terms of standards set by the university’s Office of Financial Planning.

Further information regarding this grant program can be requested from Sullivan University, and they can be contacted either by telephone (1-800-844-1354) or through their website.

Opportunity Grants at Mississippi College (Mississippi)

Mississippi College (MC) offers at least two grant programs that are unique to MC: The Freshman Achievement Award Opportunity Grant and the Transfer Achievement Award Opportunity Grant. The eligibility requirements relevant to both of these programs include the following:

1. Applicants must be commuter students;
2. Applicants must write an essay entitled “What is the importance of a Christian education?”;
3. For the Freshman Achievement Award, applicants must score at least a 18 on their American College Test (ACT) or 870 on their Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and, for the Transfer Achievement Award, applicants must be able to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.00; and
4. For the Freshman Achievement Award, applicants must file transcripts of their high school grades and SAT or ACT scores and, for the Transfer Achievement Award, applicants must file their official college transcripts.

MC also places an upper limit of $4,500 on all scholarships and institutional awards, so the amount awarded under the Opportunity Grant plus any other award cannot exceed this $4,500 cap. Students can obtain further information regarding these grant programs directly from Mississippi College at 200 South Capitol Street, Clinton, MS (tel: 601-925-3000 and website.

Presidential Grant at Johnson & Wales University (Rhode Island)

Johnson & Wales (JWU) offers two privately funded grants: the JWU Grant and the Presidential Grant. Students who are accepted into the Presidential Grant program will receive one award of $2,000 and there is no deadline for the submission of grant application packages. Any JWU student can apply for this grant and there is only one eligibility requirement: Students must have been accepted into JWU for the previous academic year but must have not been able to enroll.

JWU can be contacted in order to request further information about this grant program and the others that they offer. They can be reached 8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI 02903 (tel: 1-800-DIAL-JWU and website).

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