Tuition and Fees Notes
General Note on Fees:
In the table above, various fees are not included in the fees column in order
to make comparisons between seminaries possible. For instance, tuition for
pre-sem courses such as summer Greek, refresher courses, extra summer courses.
Also, fees not charged every student each year at the seminary, e.g.,
application, transcript, graduation/diploma, late registration, health
insurance, and vehicle parking stickers.
Order of Notes: The order of the
seminaries below follows the order of the chart—by most to least expensive over
four years with room & board included:
#1: Concordia St.
Louis Missouri (LCMS)
P. 17-20: A person must take on
average 13.22 credit hours per quarter, and there are three quarters in a year.
With 18 credit hours for vicarage, it comes up to 137 credit hours.
p. 70 There now is a tuition cost
of $11,070 for vicarage, plus a vicarage fee of $579. Perhaps the vicarage and
the person's home congregation helps pay this vicarage cost?
p. 71 $25 and $35 fees are Student
Technology Fees.
p. 72 Room & Board charge
listed is the cheapest rate available (e.g., double-occupancy dorm room).
This is probably unrelated to the new vicarage tuition
charge, but see:
Convention Proceedings 2010, 64th
Regular Convention, LCMS, Houston, TX, July 10-17, 2010, Resolution: To
Increase Impact of Vicarage Program,
p. 133.
Despite the high price, Concordia St. Louis' enrollment is
up this year (2011-12), probably due to many students going to pre-seminary and
seminary starting in 2007, simply because the economy is bad. The thinking goes
that now's the time to go to school when not so much money can be made. From email:
"The incoming class
(2011-2012) is comprised of 133 students, including all those newly enrolled in
residential and distance programs: 70 residential M.Div. students; four
certificate students; one deaconess student; 10 EIIT (Ethnic Immigrant
Institute of Theology) students; 19 SMP (Specific Ministry Pastor Program)
students; one DIT (Deaf Institute of Theology) deaconess student; and five CHS
(Center for Hispanic Studies) students and one CHS deaconess student. In
addition, Concordia Seminary’s Graduate School has 22 new students: five M.A.
(Master of Arts) students; eight Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) students, and
nine S.T.M. (Master of Sacred Theology) students. The nineteen new SMP students received vicarage assignments during
the Opening Service as well."
President Harrison encourages people to identify young
adults to enter the ministry (
video).
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#2: Concordia Ft.
Wayne Indiana (LCMS)
Apparently no tuition is charged for vicarage, but the
Vicarage Fee/Internship Fee is $579.
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#3: Luth. Theo. Sem. at Philadelphia
(ELCA)
p. 32: "The expected course
load for a full-time first professional student is generally ten course units
per year, taken at the rate of four to five units per full semester and between
one and two units during the January or Summer Terms."
p. 35: “Affiliation Fee is for
attending non-ELCA seminary and only affiliating with an ELCA seminary.”
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#4: Trinity Luth. Sem., Columbus, Ohio
(ELCA)
“Trinity is the only ELCA seminary
that has no debt and deferred maintenance. This places our school in a strong
position for the future. As synod and church-wide support continue to
decrease...”
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#5: Luther Seminary,
Minneapolis, MN (ELCA)
“Mandatory Annual Fee
Mandatory for all Luther Seminary
students registered for three or more semester courses, including interns.
Insurance premiums billed annually.
Health Insurance Cost-sharing Plan:
Not available for family coverage: $1,420”
Note: Luther
Seminary in Minneapolis is the only seminary where I saw a cost-sharing plan,
though I might have easily missed it looking at the fees of other seminaries.
Health insurance through the seminary is a mandatory fee at all ELCA seminaries
for full-time students. Health
insurance is commonly available through most seminaries and can be added to the
student bill.
P. 80: "A normal course load
for the master of divinity degree is 10 courses per year"
P. 158: “Board & Housing”
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#6: Pacific Luth. Theo. Sem., Berkeley,
California (ELCA)
No meal plan is mentioned.
“Each Wednesday, a community lunch
in the PLTS refectory offers the opportunity for our community to share a meal
together.”
“There is a common kitchen and
dining area on the basement level of Beasom equipped with a gas range and oven,
pots, pans, baking equipment, dishes and utensils, and assigned refrigerator,
freezer, and shelf space for each resident. “
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#7: Lutheran Theological Southern
Seminary, Columbia, S.C. (ELCA)
“Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary will become the
university’s [Lenoir-Rhyne University,
Hickory, N.C.] school of theology.”
Note: The merger allows Lenoir-Rhyne U to offer first-year
seminary courses before students move on to seminary, which is similar to what
the LCMS's Concordia U's want to do:
“The Lutheran Theological Southern
Seminary in Columbia, S.C., entered into a collaborative partnership with
Lenoir-Rhyne University, making this the first combination of a Lutheran
seminary with a university....“My goal is that we would be the primary seminary
in the United States,” Miller said.”I hope we can continue to offer excellent
education"....The two institutions plan to combine administrative and
financial operations. L-R currently manages the financial component of the
seminary, but wants to merge its recruiting, registration, fundraising,
advancement and academic programs with LTSS....Powell said he hopes to offer
first-year seminary courses at L-R that will provide students with the
fundamentals to continue their education at Lutheran Theological Southern
Seminary. He also hopes with the completion of the merger that L-R can offer
graduate programs at LTSS.”
Note: 7 weeks of lunch for summer Greek is $112, so 36 weeks
for the 9 months of the regular school year work out to $576 (my guesstimate):
p. 10: My Note: Assuming ELCA member
tuition rate
p. 11: Single Room (single
occupancy) $2,970
p. 12: My Note: Only lunch is
offered in the refectory.
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#8: Luth. Theo. Sem. at Gettysburg, PA
(ELCA)
“Tuition $13,050 (Fees included in
tuition).
*Based on 30 credits per academic year.
Internship Tuition: 1,000 (est)”
Budget:
“Food & Household Supplies -
$3,500”
No meal plan cost is listed:
“In the last decade, LTSG has been
a model among the ELCA in preparing and living within a balanced budget. As a
result of this care, Gettysburg Seminary comes to 2010 with a decade of
balanced budgets. By many measures, Gettysburg is first or second among ELCA
seminaries in terms of its financial strength....Today, the higher cost of
delivering quality degree programs with fewer residential students
necessitating more individualized courses of study, and the fact that this
school can no longer increase tuition, room and board at the level of the past
decade is bothersome. As ATS and MSCHE are well aware, there is a severe crisis
in seminary education in this country and Canada, and even a crisis with the
M.Div. degree itself, which remains by far the degree most often sought at our
school.”
“Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Gettysburg, Pa., adopted a budget for 2009-2010...Tuition increased by 5
percent.”
p. 54 “Beginning with the 2011-12
academic year, fees are included in tuition.
Internship Tuition: $ 1,000 per
year
p. 55 Room & Board: Dormitory
rooms are furnished and dormitory students must purchase the meal plan.”
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#9: Wartburg Theo. Sem., Dubuque, IA
(ELCA)
I couldn't find any estimate of meal plan, even for lunches.
“Tuition for a Master of Divinity
degree is payable at the current rate each year for three years. Shortening the
time spent earning the degree does not reduce the cost.”
Residence Hall Units: ranges from
165-235 Sq Ft: $275
Housing:
“You may purchase meals in the
kitchen, or you may purchase food and cook for yourself. If you take your meals
in the school refectory, you must plan ahead for weekends and vacation periods
when the food service is closed. Be sure to save some money to cover food
during weekend and holiday times.”
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#10 Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago (ELCA)
Like most ELCA seminaries, their website mentions a refectory,
but there's no information about meal plans. Everyone is on their own,
apparently:
“During the internship year, a
student does not pay tuition, therefore, no financial aid is awarded”
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#11: Bethany Lutheran Seminary, Mankato,
MN (ELS)
P. 18 Tuition and Fees.
Note: Not ATS accredited.
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#12: Lutheran
Theological Seminary, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (ELCA)
“Small Room $7,490 per academic
year (all meals included)”
“BTh/MDiv/MTS/Certificate Programs
Credit: $650 per course
Upgraded MDiv course: $750”
Note: Most Canadian seminaries are associated with
universities. Also, one runs into "upgrading" of courses and even of degrees,
for example, from B.Th to M.Div. The B. Th. Is the equivalent of MDiv in the Anglosphere
(Australia, New Zealand, etc). Sometimes additional coursework or reading is
necessary for the upgrade:
“...holders of the B.Th. degree
from St. Andrew’s College may apply to the Academic Committee to have their
B.Th. upgraded to an M.Div. A new diploma will be issued upon surrender of the
B.Th. diploma and payment of a processing fee.”
“Any Continuing Education course
which is to be used for academic credit will need to be upgraded by further
work to meet the standards of full academic courses.”
2. an accumulated average of not
less than 65% over the three or four years of study in residency.
REQUIRED CURRICULUM: 21 COURSES + 9
Electives
So that works out to 10 courses per year for three years
(for our tuition and fees calculation purposes).
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#13: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary,
Mequon, WI (WELS)
Note: Not ATS accredited.
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#14: Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary,
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada (LCC)
“p. 52: $735 per three credit hours
(graduate),
p. 52: Inasmuch as Concordia is
subsidized by Lutheran Church–Canada for the primary purpose of training
pastors for LCC, an educational fee surcharge of 10% will be applied to
students from partner churches, and 25% to all others.
p. 52: The seminary
administration’s need-based disbursal of Concordia’s financial aid funds will endeavour,
as appropriate and where possible, to supply 80% of tuition expenses.
p. 53: Student Activity Fee: $1.75
per registered semester hour ($63 for 36 credits)
p. 18: Transfer Students
To qualify for the M.Div. or M.T.S.
degree, students who transfer from an accredited seminary or theological school
recognized by Brock must complete at least their final 36 credit hours at
Concordia.
p. 21: M.Div. Degree Requirements:
Successful completion of 111 semester hours (93 required)
p. 23: 36 credit hours per year for
years 1, 2 and 4, and vicarage counts as 6 credit hours during the 3rd year.”
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#15: Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Waterloo,
Ontario, Canada (ELCC)
MDiv Program at a Glance:
• Number of courses: 30 courses
plus placements for Contextual Stream students
• Format: full-time or part-time
studies
• Tuition: approximately $18,000
for program
“Completion of the program includes
three years of course work, as well as a one year internship normally in the
fourth year of study.
MDiv contextual option requires 31
half-credit courses“
Note: Tuition is $2,386 per term, but every Canadian student
receives a scholarship (bursary) of $518, so the real tuition rate is $1,868
per term. I think the vicarage is 3 terms because they want the student
interning a full year. Otherwise, the school year is 9 months or two terms
(Fall and Winter). There is a vicarage fee of $501, but the placement church
usually picks that up.
“Full-Time Tuition $2,386.00 per
term
MDiv Internship: $167.00 per term
for 3 terms
Bursary* $518.00 per term
International Students: $5,175.00
per term
Normally the placement covers the
cost of the Internship tuition. Bursaries are not available to students on MDiv
Internships.
Internship tuition: $167.00 per
term for 3 terms”
My note: Room and Board for two
terms: single dormitory: $4,263.00
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#16: Concordia Luth.
Sem., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (LCC)
Note: I added the field education fee in as a vicarage fee
(though field education isn't vicarage) since I don't think other seminaries
charge for field education. Also, I suppose the field education fee is a
one-time fee, and I want to keep the cost comparison chart meaningful:
Tuition per credit hour: $220.00
Library fee (full-time students):
$30.00/semester
Student activity fee (full-time
students): $30.00/semester
Vicarage fee (6 hours x tuition
rate per hour): $1320.00
Parish Ministry Immersion lab fee:
$150.00
Note: A person would have to take 31.33 credit hours per
year to come up with 94 credit hours in three academic years. Vicarage year is
credited as 6 credit hours:
“The Master of Divinity program is
a four-year full-time course of study
The Master of Divinity degree
requires satisfactory mastery* of 100 credit hours”
I only came up with $21,999 for tuition for 4 yrs including
vicarage tuition. Even with fees it only came up to $22,508. Perhaps they
lowered the price from 24,000?:
“Tuition alone for the four years
(including vicarage) exceeds $24,000.”
“But the seminaries’ pursuits are
more necessary now than ever: now more than 60 of the 320-or-so LCC churches
have pastoral vacancies — that’s one in six; what’s more, 50 LCC pastors were
eligible to retire during one recent three-year period, and some of them have
retired; the situation is not getting better.”
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Other information of Interest:
ELCA
NEWS SERVICE: Lilly Endowment Awards ELCA $1 Million to Address Seminarian
Debt Concerns, January 5, 2010
“The ELCA has about 2,500
seminarians in its eight seminaries, and supervises the work of another 115
seminarians in other seminaries who are preparing for ordained ELCA
ministry....The ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission is a seminary scholarship program
created by the ELCA. Since 2000 it has distributed more than $4.6 million in
scholarship support for 516 students enrolled at ELCA seminaries....In general
"more seminarians have debt, and their debts are larger," said Donald
L. Huber, project coordinator. Such
debts have negative implications for seminaries and for the church as seminary
graduates seek to pay loans or default on them, which is already happening, he
said....Debts carried by new pastors and professional lay leaders are a
significant concern, said the Rev. Paul N. Hanson, director, Fund for Leaders,
ELCA Development Services. "I
believe that the research will show that this debt is having an adverse effect
on ministry in congregations....The project goal is to reduce the number of students
who graduate with debt and to lower the size of that debt, Huber said. Project leaders plan to develop an overall
strategy for fundraising for students, he added.”
End of Notes
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