Fall financial aid figures released

Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary made its fall distribution of financial aid, with grants totaling $148,345. The average award was $1,595 per student. This represents an increase of $293 per student over last fall’s distribution (up by 22%). It should be noted that the financial aid distributed by the WLS scholarship fund represents only a portion of what students receive. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to foundations such as Siebert and Salem as well as to other scholarship funds and to many congregations within our synod for supplementing what we can do.

The Student Scholarship Fund is a valuable benefit to students seeking to continue their theological education at the seminary. Through awards from this fund, the Financial Aid Committee seeks to: enable students to devote themselves more fully to their studies by avoiding the need to work more than 20 hours a week at off-campus jobs; ensure that students’ debt load will not substantially increase during their years of seminary study; and ensure that all students who want to continue their studies for the public ministry are able to do so.

In fiscal year 2005-2006 churches, individuals, and organizations gave $168,270 directly to the seminary for student aid. This fiscal year, gifts totaled $378,575, an increase of 124%. President Paul Wendland notes, “To see the response of individuals and congregations to our students’ needs has been truly humbling. How can we thank God enough for prompting such open-hearted generosity?”