The Largest Financial Aid Program at RTS
The Church Partnership Program is the largest financial aid program at Reformed Theological Seminary. In one year alone, RTS partnered with churches to match over $800,000 of church gifts. Together, RTS and local churches contributed over $1.6M to help students with the cost of tuition through the Church Partnership Program.
The Design
The Church Partnership Program is an opportunity for the church to partner with a student to help shoulder the cost of tuition. If the student is approved through the financial aid application process, RTS will match the contribution of the student’s home church, dollar for dollar, up to 1/3 of the cost of tuition.
Most commonly this means the church contributes 1/3 of the student’s tuition, RTS matches it, and the student is left with 1/3 of tuition.
However, the church can also contribute more or less than 1/3 of the student’s tuition. For example, if the church can pay for more than 1/3 of the student’s tuition, it will reduce the amount that the student owes. Even if the church paid the full cost of tuition, RTS still puts 1/3 of tuition on the student’s account and the excess can be used for other expenses. If a church can only afford 20% of the student’s tuition, RTS will match that 20%, leaving the student with 60%.
Duration
Unlike other financial aid which has a limited duration based on the student’s degree program, the Church Partnership Program will continue as long as the student is enrolled at RTS and the church continues to give.
To Apply
The Church Partnership Program is part of financial aid. Once admitted as an RTS student, applicants must submit their financial aid application by the financial aid review deadline. In order to complete the application, the participating church must submit the Church Statement of Intent form (see below). The Scholarship Committee then processes the application and sends an award letter.
Church Partnership is awarded in lieu of other financial aid. RTS does not stack scholarships.
The Church Statement of Intent
The church initially fills out their Statement of Intent form to accompany the student’s financial aid application. The church is declaring their intent to support the student for the duration of their studies at a certain percentage as the Lord provides. If, at any point, the church’s intent changes, the church may simply submit a new Statement of Intent form.
The Church Payment
To ensure that the church funds are tracked properly, churches should either
- send a check made out to RTS with the student’s name in the memo line, or
- use the link below and be sure to put “CPP” in the “Special Notes or Instructions” field.
Timing of Church Payment
To ensure that your student is not charged finance fees because the church payment is late, the church payment should be on the student’s account within 30 days of starting a new class. Please communicate with your student about when their classes start each term.
Year-End Audit
Every year on May 25 RTS audits the Church Partnership Program for our fiscal year (which runs from June 1 to May 31). Please work with your student to make sure that all the CPP funds they receive from RTS have been matched by the church. If RTS has given more than the church, the excess funds will be removed during the May 25 audit.
Questions
For questions about the Church Partnership Program, please contact either your RTS campus admissions office or email the Office of Financial Aid.