Care Matching Grant

Amount

$200/semester (9 units); $100/semester (2+ units)

Criteria

  • Tuition assistance from student’s home church of at least $200(part-time 2+ units)/$400(full-time 9 units).

Description

A major component of financial aid at MBBS is the Student CARE (*C*ongregations *A*ssisting with *R*esources for Education) Program. Churches have often called out students in a discernment process that encourages them to seek further training. The student CARE program enables the home congregation to continue their involvement with their seminary students in tangible ways such as prayer, encouragement, and financial support through the years of seminary training.

Churches who want to assist students may individually decide how they will finance that support. CARE funds consist of donations over and above any salary earned by the student. (Churches should not send CARE funds for services of the student. Services done by the student for the church should be paid through the church’s payroll.) Some options are to pay their student’s tuition as part of the church budget, encourage individual members of the congregation to designate contributions to a CARE or seminary scholarship fund, or pay the student’s tuition but consider it as a loan. The church should then establish criteria for forgiveness of the loan – e.g. if the graduate serves a minimum of five years in church- or denominationally-related ministry, the loan could be forgiven at the rate of 20% per year.

Students are encouraged to communicate regularly with their home congregation. This will allow the congregation to understand them, relate to them, and regard their assistance as an investment in the future of the church. This will also supply a model for others in the church to realize that a call into leadership assures them of a caring, supportive congregation.

All students applying for financial aid are asked to complete the Home Church Profile for CARE (page 3 in the financial aid application form). This helps the financial aid office appropriately inform their church regarding the CARE program.

The Director of Financial Aid is a liaison between the seminary and the home church. Using the information from the student’s financial aid application – Home Church Profile for CARE, she will contact the home congregation annually to encourage them in their CARE support.

Funds from the church should be sent directly to the seminary in Fresno, in a U.S. dollar check payable to M.B. Biblical Seminary. Canadian churches should send their to MBBS-BC in Langley in Canadian dollars. All CARE monies are credited directly to the student’s account.

CARE Grant

The Seminary will give a CARE Grant to each degree-seeking student enrolled in at least 2 units of regular classes whose home church gives a minimum amount through CARE (see chart) Students taking only special classes (directed studies, Anglican studies, cross-registered, CCE/CCC, etc.) do not qualify for the grant.

Full-time (9+ units)

  • Minimum church contribution: $400 U.S. ($600 Cdn.)
  • MBBS CARE Grant: $200 (fall & spring only)

Part-time (6-8 units) and
Less than Part-time (2-5 units)

  • Minimum church contribution: $200
  • MBBS CARE Grant: $100 (fall & spring only)

The CARE Grant is in addition to other financial aid, and is credited to the student’s account after the minimum contribution is received from the church. CARE funds consist of donations over and above any salary earned by the student in the church. Funds received from denominational headquarters or other organizations do not qualify for the CARE Grant. Unclassified or Letter of Permission status students, or any other student whose entire tuition is paid or waived by the seminary may receive CARE but will not be eligible for the Seminary CARE grant. If funds are received through the CARE program from the churches that should have been salary the student does not qualify for the CARE grant.

U.S. Churches should send their CARE checks to: (Check should indicate care funds for specific student)

M.B. Biblical Seminary
Business Office
4824 E. Butler Ave.
Fresno, CA 93727
USA

Canadian Churches should send their CARE checks to:

M.B. Biblical Seminary
7600 Glover Rd
Langley, BC V2Y 1Y1
CANADA