External Scholarships

Scholarships Available to School of Ministry Students

• BGAV Nontraditional Ministry Education Scholarship Funds: Funds are provided by Virginia Baptists for ministerial and lay leaders from cooperating churches of the BGAV in accessing training and continuing education opportunities provided by the BGAV and BGAV ministry partners, such as Leland. These scholarships are intended to assist nontraditional students who are defined as part-time students in non-degree programs of study, emphasizing continuing education for ministry in the local church.

• District of Columbia Baptist Foundation: The D.C. Baptist Convention has scholarship money available for members of D.C. Baptist Convention churches who are planning to attend a Baptist seminary or a seminary with a Baptist studies program. 

• Memorial Baptist Church Foundation: The Memorial Baptist Foundation provides scholarships for highly qualified seminary students who need financial assistance.

Scholarships Available to Graduate Certificate Students

• BGAV Nontraditional Ministry Education Scholarship Funds: Funds are provided by Virginia Baptists for ministerial and lay leaders from cooperating churches of the BGAV in accessing training and continuing education opportunities provided by the BGAV and BGAV ministry partners, such as Leland. These scholarships are intended to assist nontraditional students who are defined as part-time students in non-degree programs of study, emphasizing continuing education for ministry in the local church.

• District of Columbia Baptist Foundation: The D.C. Baptist Convention has scholarship money available for members of D.C. Baptist Convention churches who are planning to attend a Baptist seminary or a seminary with a Baptist studies program. 

• Memorial Baptist Church Foundation: The Memorial Baptist Foundation provides scholarships for highly qualified seminary students who need financial assistance.

Scholarships Available to Master’s Degree Students

Scholarships that have been awarded to Leland Students:

• Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) Ministerial Educational Funds: Funds are provided by Virginia Baptists for ministerial students from cooperating churches of the BGAV who need aid in financing their undergraduate or graduate education in preparation for vocational ministry.

• Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund, Inc.: The Keesee Fund was established in 1941 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Keesee of Martinsville, Virginia to aid worthy men and women to obtain an education. Students must be in an M.Div. program or certain other master’s degree programs and have been a resident of Virginia or other specified states for at least one year before entering an educational institution.

• District of Columbia Baptist Foundation: The D.C. Baptist Convention has scholarship money available for members of D.C. Baptist Convention churches who are planning to attend a Baptist seminary or a seminary with a Baptist studies program. 

• Memorial Baptist Church Foundation: The Memorial Baptist Foundation provides scholarships for highly qualified seminary students who need financial assistance.

• Virginia Baptist Foundation: Generally, recipients of Virginia Baptist Foundation scholarships must be full-time students and members of a Virginia Baptist church.

• Addie Davis Scholarships: The Addie Davis Scholarships provide financial support for Baptist women enrolled in seminary to pursue a calling to ministry and leadership. The scholarship is named in honor of Rev. Addie Davis, the first woman ordained to pastoral ministry by a Southern Baptist Church in 1964.

• Veterans’ Educational Benefits: Leland’s participation in the GI Bill® educational benefits program ended on December 31, 2022. For information about Leland’s scholarship for veterans, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

Additional scholarships:

• American Baptist Home Mission Societies Scholarships for Students: The ABHMS annual scholarships are available for members of American Baptist churches who live in the United States or Puerto Rico. Recipients may re-apply each year and may receive scholarship funds for up to three years of seminary study.

  • The Individual Seminarian Grants are available for M.Div. students.

  • The Spanish American Baptist Seminary Scholarship Fund provides grants for American Baptist students of Hispanic origin who are pursuing a seminary degree and who are presently serving or who will be serving in a church in the American Baptist Churches, USA association, or with its recognized institutions.

  • The International Baptist Seminary Scholarship Fund provides grants for American Baptist students whose first language is not English and who are preparing for ministry in the United States. 

  • The Asian American Grant provides a grant for seminarians working in a church during the summer whose church matches the grant.

• Christians for Biblical Equality: The scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to women who are pursuing a master’s degree in a ministry field related to preaching, communications, writing, youth ministry, pastoral work, or nonprofit work. 

• Church Mutual: All questions regarding the Religious Scholars program must be sent via email.

• Disciples Home Missions: To be eligible, applicants must be a member of a congregation in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and preparing for ministry in the Christian Church.

• T.B. Maston: The recipient of the T. B. Maston Scholarship is to be someone who reflects the integrity, commitment, and passion of T. B. Maston. The candidate should be a graduate student or a post-graduate student in the field of Christian ethics. The candidate should be rooted in Baptist congregational life, involved in “historic” Baptist traditions, and committed to research and study that will engage the larger Christian community and the world in living life ethically.

• United Methodist Church: The UMC offers several scholarships to eligible Methodist students.

• Women’s Missionary Union: The national WMU organization has numerous scholarship funds to assist Southern Baptist students, including the children of Baptist missionaries (NAMB and IMB), and those preparing for Baptist missions service. Individuals with no current Baptist connection cannot be considered for a WMU scholarship.