Lutheran Church Scholarships

Lutheran Community Foundation

The Lutheran Community Foundation offers the nationwide Lutheran Community Foundation Scholarship in the amount of $5,000 to a graduating high school senior with a GPA of at least 3.5 on a scale of 4.0. In addition, the LCF administers several scholarship programs from individual churches around the United States, including the California-based Tulare County Lutheran Scholarship Program For Undergraduates and the Washington-based Silverdale Lutheran Church Scholarship, awarded in amounts of up to $4,000. Applications for LCF scholarships are available on the organization's website -- thelcf.org.

The Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America organization offers several scholarship programs to female church members. For example, the Opportunity Scholarships for Lutheran Laywomen are available to ELCA women who are aged 21 or older, are pursuing a degree outside the ministry and have experienced an interruption in their studies of two or more years. The Herbert W. and Corinne Chilstrom Scholarship is awarded to women pursuing a career in the ministry, and is awarded in amounts ranging from $600 to $1,000. In addition, Women of the ELCA also offers scholarships to faculty and administrators at institutions affiliated with the ELCA.

Some regional community foundations throughout the United States administer scholarships for Lutheran students. For example, the Bolivar Area Community Foundation administers the Zion Lutheran Church Ministerial Scholarship Fund for Missouri students. The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin offers the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Scholarship to congregation members who demonstrate financial need. The Lutheran Church Missouri Senate Joint Seminary Fund is administered through the Blue Mountain Community Foundation in Walla Walla, Washington.

Many local churches make scholarship support directly available to congregation members. For example, the First Lutheran Church in Bemidji, Minnesota offers several scholarships to members, such as the $200 Youth and Family Board Scholarship to defray a student's room and board and the First Lutheran Church Women Scholarship for female members pursuing studies within the ministry. The Sheridan Lutheran Church in Nebraska offers the $4,000 Learn and Work Scholarship to area students. The Zion Evangical Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa awards annual scholarships of $750 to church members.