PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES

Students are encouraged to have an informed financial plan to meet their educational and living expenses while attending ESR.  This allows students to make the best use of the various sources of assistance, and thus, the school’s educational resources.  Students are encouraged to meet with the Business Manager to develop their personal financial plan, using the following information.

The Financial Aid program of ESR is designed to assist students who have limited resources to meet their educational expenses, and to encourage full-time participation. Within the financial aid policy established by the Dean of ESR, financial aid awards are based on information supplied by the student. The Director of Recruitment and Admissions awards first-year, full-tuition Cooper Scholarships. The Business Manager determines a student’s eligibility for Need-based Aid, Federal Student Aid (FSA) loans, and other special scholarships and fellowships.

ESR’s educational program is highly subsidized by the types of financial aid described below.  Some students are able to finance their share of education costs without our assistance.  Others develop a package of support that typically includes a combination of scholarship funds from ESR or denominational resources, part-time work, FSA loans, and other sources of external support.  It is ESR’s hope that each student will be able to work out a plan that avoids undue financial pressure, excessive employment or unmanageable indebtedness. Experience has shown that students seldom are able to carry a full academic load and work more than 20 hours per week.

Financial Aid Application Process

FSA Loans and/or Need-Based Aid

Complete and sign an ESR Financial Aid Application. A critical part of the application is the Budget Worksheet.

Return the application to the ESR Business Office.

Complete a FAFSA on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  On the last page, enter both ESR’s school code E00170 and Earlham College’s code 001793. The Business Office has paper FAFSA’s available.

Within two weeks of receipt of your application or the FAFSA results, whichever is later, you will receive a Financial Aid Award letter.  If applicable, also enclosed will be a Financial Aid Acceptance form and a Request for Federal Student Aid Loan form.

Sign and return the Acceptance form and/or request for FSA loans within 30 days.

If you request an FSA loan, you will receive a package of information on steps to take before arriving at ESR.  If you have not received FSA loans from ESR in the past, you will then meet with the Business Manager during your first week of classes to finalize the process.

Cooper Scholar Program

To apply for all types of Cooper Scholarships, see details in Types of Aid, below.

International Students

All international students must complete an International Student Statement of Financial Position, even if they will not require Financial Aid.  This information is necessary in order to grant a student the F-1 Visa required to enter and study in the United States. According to Federal law, an international student must document financial resources adequate to meet the Cost of Attendance of one year’s study and living expenses.  These funds may come from a variety of sources.  Some students receive an International Cooper Scholarship, which provides some funds for living expenses, but not the entire amount required.  Other sources of funding are from the student’s personal savings, family income or assets, sponsorship by their monthly or yearly meeting, or other agencies and foundations. International students, by law, may work only on the Earlham College or Earlham School of Religion campus. ESR will assist the student in obtaining a paid job, but this is not guaranteed.

See page 64 in the Admission section for detailed information. To apply for an International Cooper Scholarship, follow the directions in TYPES OF AID, below.

ESR Access Scholarship

No application is required.  The Business Manager automatically awards the scholarship to eligible students. See the Types of Aid section below for additional information.

Cost of Attendance Budget Norms

ESR’s Need-based Aid and FSA loans are based on the student’s Financial Need.  This is the Cost of Attendance (COA) less your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), less any outside aid received. COA is calculated from the student’s personal budget on the ESR Financial Aid Application. EFC is determined by information the student enters on their FAFSA. ESR aid and FSA loans, when combined with other student resources, may never exceed the Cost of Attendance.

Each year, the Business Manager estimates the Cost of Attendance (COA) for a “typical, frugal” ESR student. The COA is different for Residential and Access students, single and married students, as shown in the chart below. A student’s actual COA will probably vary from the norms. These norms are used as a guideline to complete the Financial Aid Application Budget Worksheet, which is a key part in the Financial Need calculation. All students, whether or not they are seeking aid, should complete a Budget Worksheet in the formation of their financial plan.

There are additional costs you should consider for your personal budget that are not included in the COA. These include, but are not limited to, car payments, personal debt repayment and life insurance.

Deadlines

New Students may complete a FAFSA and ESR Financial Aid Application, for FSA loans and Need-based Aid, anytime after January 1st, for the following academic year. There is not a deadline for applications; however, funds for Need-based Aid and Cooper Scholarships are limited, and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Returning Students must complete a renewal FAFSA and ESR Financial Aid Application between January 1st and April 15th, for the following academic year.  Late applications will not be considered until after the start of classes in the fall, and will be awarded as funds allow.

Eligibility and Limits

Cooper Scholarships, Need-based Aid and FSA loans are available only to degree-seeking students. Acceptable Academic Progress Standards, as published in the Student Handbook, must be maintained. Students who fail to meet these standards are place on academic probation and continue to receive aid for one session only.  If they remain on probation after that session, all aid will be denied until acceptable progress is made. Students with mitigating circumstances can appeal in writing to the Business Manager. See the ESR Student Handbook and page 32 for additional information on academic progress and probation.

ESR financial aid of all types is limited to a combined maximum of eight sessions for residential M.Div./M.Min. students (12 for Access students), or 81 attempted credit hours whichever is reached first. M.A. students are limited to a combined maximum of four sessions for Residential students (six for Access) or 36 attempted credits hours.

Most forms of financial aid require a minimum number of credit hours each session, including two-week and weekend Intensives, full semester classes and year-long classes. In order to receive and maintain a Cooper Scholarship, a student must take nine credits per session.  Need-based Aid, ESR Access tuition scholarships and FSA loans require six credits each session.  There may be other requirements specific to each type of aid, as listed below.

TYPES OF AID

Cooper Scholar Program

In honor of ESR’s founding Dean, Wilmer Cooper, and his wife, Emily Haines Cooper, the ESR Board of Advisors established the Cooper Scholar Program. Wil Cooper envisioned ESR as a place where the most gifted leaders from all branches of the Society of Friends would come for study. Priority is given to Quaker students who have been identified as promising leaders and ministers by their monthly and yearly meetings. As funds allow, Cooper Scholar awards may also be granted to non-Quaker students who have similarly been identified by their denominations.

Cooper Scholars sign a moral obligation covenant agreeing to contribute four volunteer hours of service to the ESR community for each credit hour covered by the scholarship. In addition, they agree to remain in good academic standing and heed the advices and requests of ESR on personal and moral concerns.

There are three types of Cooper Scholar awards:

• Residential
• International
• Minority 

The eligibility and selection requirements are the same for all three.  The grants vary, as noted below.

Nomination and Selection: Each prospective Cooper nominee must be recommended by both his/her monthly and yearly meetings. The monthly meeting nomination is of primary importance. Normally a small group of two or three persons appointed by monthly meeting Ministry and Counsel (or its equivalent) will meet with the student to discern his or her leading and call to ministry and to study at ESR.

When the monthly meeting is clear to recommend a member as a nominee for a Cooper Scholarship, it should communicate its recommendation to ESR and to an appropriate group or weighty Friend within the yearly meeting who are familiar with the prospective student’s call to and gifts for ministry.  This group or individual (or an equivalent representative from within the applicant’s religious organization) should also provide a letter of recommendation to ESR. The ESR Admissions Committee selects Cooper Scholars from among those nominated.

Nomination should be sent to:

Director of Recruitment and Admissions
Earlham School of Religion
228 College Avenue
Richmond, IN 47374

Eligibility: Cooper Scholars must be full-time, residential, degree-seeking students.  A minimum of nine credit hours must be taken every session. If a student takes less than nine credits in any session, their scholarship is suspended. If/when the student returns to full-time, they must request re-instatement of their scholarship from the Business Manager.

In additional, Cooper Scholar recipients will meet the following criteria:

Be active members of the Religious Society of Friends or other Christian group
Demonstrate personal qualities of leadership
Have a commitment to ministry and/or service
Reflect spiritual sensitivity and maturity
Have demonstrated strong academic ability
Plan to complete a degree program at ESR

Residential Cooper Grant: Full tuition for 27 credit hours of study at ESR. Successful M.Div/M.Min. students may have their award renewed for an additional 27 credits.  For M.A. students, the award is for 27 credit hours only.

International Cooper Grant: Full tuition plus a living stipend totaling *$20,000 per academic year, for a maximum of three years.  The student must take 27 credits per academic year to complete the M.Div/M.Min degree in three years. Preference is given to Quaker students from outside of the United States who affirm an intention to serve the Religious Society of Friends as pastors. The living stipend is not sufficient to cover the student’s entire living expense, so other sources of income must be found, as described above in the Application section.

Minority Cooper Grant: Full tuition up to 54 credits, for African-American or Hispanic members of a Christian denomination, with preference to those affirming an intention to serve as pastors.

Thomas J. Mullen Scholarship

Grant: Full tuition scholarship for the final 30 credits of the M. Div.degree or for 9-18 hours to complete the M.A. degree.

Eligibility: Any Cooper scholar in good standing may apply for the Mullen scholarship in the year in which they will successfully complete 48 hours of the M. Div. or 21 hours of the M.A. degree. Up to 4 Mullen Scholarships will be offered each year, as funds permit.

Need-Based Aid

Grant: Except in cases of exceptional need, the scholarship covers up to 40% of tuition.

Eligibility: Need-based Aid is awarded to residential, degree-seeking students, taking a minimum of six credits per session.  Need is calculated from information provided by the student on their FAFSA and Financial Aid Application. Need-based Aid is available to students who have either not received a Cooper Scholarship, or those who have completed the credits covered by a Cooper Scholarship

ESR Access Scholarship

Grant: 25% of tuition (percentage subject to change on a yearly basis)

Eligibility: Degree-seeking ESR Access students who continuously enroll in a minimum of 6 credits each session. The scholarship will not be awarded if the student drops below six credit hours for more than one session. An ESR Financial Aid Application and FAFSA are not required to receive this scholarship.

Federal Student Aid (FSA) Loans

Through Earlham College, ESR participates in the Federal Direct (Stafford) Loan Program and the Perkins Loan Program. Before applying for FSA loans, ESR counsels students to carefully consider their ability to repay loans, based on expected future income and other factors. The Business Manager can assist you in this determination. Students expressing interest in FSA loans will receive a booklet, “The Guide to Federal Student Aid”, that provides detailed information on receiving and repaying Stafford and Perkins loans.

Loan Amount:  Using Federal guidelines, the Business Manager determines the amount for which a student is eligible. Calculations are based on information received on the student’s ESR Financial Aid application and FAFSA. See COA budget norms, page 70.  The student may request all or part of the eligible amount, which is disbursed to the student’s account in two equal payments. See disbursement of fsa loans below.

Eligibility:  FSA loans are available to all degree-seeking students enrolled in at least 6 credits per session. Stafford Loans can be used for living expenses after tuition and fees have been deducted.  Perkins Loans are available to students with exceptional need, as calculated using Federal guidelines.

Special Scholarships

Generous donors provide some scholarships with unique awards, guidelines, requirements and application processes. The Business Manager issues a “Call for Applications” at appropriate times during the year, with details on eligibility and restrictions. Currently, there are two special scholarships:

The Tom Mullen Ministry of Writing Fellowship awards $1,500 to a student who spends the Spring Semester at ESR working on a “publishable” manuscript while attending a Ministry of Writing class. The Nancy Kortepeter Mullen Scholarship was established to honor the courage and compassion of Nancy Mullen, the wife of former ESR Dean Tom Mullen It awards full tuition payment for 27 credits.

Non-ESR Sources Of Aid

ESR encourages students to utilize all other resources of financial aid. The Business Office will cooperate with any outside agency to coordinate aid. For confidentiality reasons, a written request from the student is required before ESR will release a student’s aid application, or information contained therein, to an outside agency.  Some sources students should explore are denominational support, family support, and non-ESR scholarships (see ESR’s web-site for more information).

Disbursement of FSA loans

Academic Calendar

A student’s Cost of Attendance and total credit hours covers any or all parts of term in which the student takes classes.  FSA loans, however, are disbursed according to Earlham College’s academic calendar, which does not include any two-week intensives. All FSA loans are disbursed in two payments.  If the loan covers the full academic year, those two disbursements come at the beginning of each semester, in early September and early February. If the loan is for one session only, the first disbursement is at the beginning of the semester, and the second at the half-way point of the semester, mid-October, or mid-March.

Refunds

If the student has requested loans in an amount that exceeds tuition and fees, that amount will be refunded to the student to use for those living expenses detailed on their Financial Aid Application Budget Worksheet.  Refund checks are issued within 14 days of the loan disbursement.  If a student requires a small advance for books and supplies, they should see the Business Manager.