College of Arts & Sciences

Partnership Scholarship Program

Matching your church scholarship dollar for dollar

History

The Partnership Scholarship Program began in 1974, matching church scholarships for needy undergraduate students. In 1984 the Partnership Scholarship Program was expanded to include all students enrolled in traditional programs. Bethel has provided more than $1.75 million in Partnership Scholarships since 1984. The maximum Partnership Scholarship was raised from $500 per student per year to $1,000 per student per year in 2001.

Purpose

The Partnership Program has three objectives:

To encourage Christian men and women to consider the possibility of a quality Christian college education at Bethel University.
To create new sources of financial support for Bethel students.
To involve local churches in the exciting ministry of encouraging their youth to pursue an education at Bethel University.

Maximum Award

Bethel will provide a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $500 per student per semester ($1,000 per year).

Student Eligibility Criteria

Students must be degree-seeking, enrolled full time, and in good standing in the College of Arts & Sciences at Bethel University.

The following groups of students are not eligible for a Partnership Scholarship:

Post-baccalaureate students
Students receiving Bethel employee tuition benefits
Students whose tuition is paid by an employer, ROTC, Postsecondary Enrollment Options, or other full-tuition remission programs
Students not in good standing
Students enrolled in the Graduate School, the College of Adult & Professional Studies, or Bethel Seminary (These students may receive church scholarships, but they are not eligible for the matching Partnership Scholarship because their tuition is already significantly discounted by Bethel.)

Church Eligibility Criteria

The church scholarship program must be established and approved by the church governing board or the congregation.
Funds for the church scholarship must come from one of the following: (a) the annual church budget, (b) endowed sources, or (c) a special scholarship fund. If a special fund is created, contributions are given to the fund and not to individual students. Students and/or students' parents cannot contribute to the special fund (and thus benefit from their personal giving).
The church scholarship must be awarded by a scholarship committee (or equivalent) within the guidelines established and approved by the church.
The church must submit both the Partnership Agreement Form and scholarship monies for the entire academic year by August 1.
For more information on establishing an eligible church scholarship program, visit our church scholarship program webpage.

Application Process and Program Deadlines

The Partnership Agreement Form and a check for the annual scholarship are due August 1. Checks should be sent directly to the Office of University Financial Aid with the Partnership Agreement Form to ensure that funds are applied to the appropriate student(s). Bethel will not match church scholarships that are paid directly to the student(s), submitted without the signed Partnership Agreement Form, or postmarked after August 1.

Impact of Partnership Scholarships on Other Grants and Scholarships

Church scholarships and Partnership Scholarships are normally awarded in addition to any other grants and scholarships for which a student qualifies. In some cases, the addition of these awards may reduce a student's eligiblity for loan or work study programs. In very rare cases, the addition of a church scholarship and matching scholarship will cause the reduction of other gift aid. In these cases, Bethel will notify the church and student before reducing other types of gift aid.