BGCT Ministry Scholarship

Baylor University, in cooperation with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, provides tuition assistance to Baptist students who are preparing for careers in church-related vocational ministry. The amount of the BGCT Ministry Scholarship is 5% of tuition for Baylor undergraduate hours. 

Additional scholarship assistance may be available for ministry students who demonstrate financial need. In order to determine eligibility for the additional assistance, the applicant must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid www.fafsa.ed.gov, as well as a CSS Profile.   Please note that BGCT Ministry Scholarship recipients are ineligible for the state-funded Tuition Equalization Grant, per State of Texas regulation.

To be eligible a student must:

1.    Show evidence of a divine call to church-related vocational ministry.

2.    Demonstrate a lifestyle of commitment to the principles of the Christian life.

3.    Be an active member of a Baptist* church.

4.    Provide certification from his/her church.

5.    Be working toward a Religion major or minor or other ministry-related degree such as Church Music or Church Recreation. **

*First-year students must be certified by their home Baptist church.  Annual renewal of the BGCT Ministry Scholarship will require certification by a local school-year Baptist General Convention of Texas church.

**Begins with initial applicants for the 2019-2020 academic year.  Exceptions will be considered for some mission field areas.

The student must complete a BGCT Ministry Scholarship Initial Application including testimony of personal call to vocational ministry (testimony to be uploaded with scholarship application).  In addition to your personal information, you will be asked to provide an accurate email address for the pastor or church staff member who can provide evidence of your church certification.  This scholarship application is to be completed prior to the beginning of the semester for which the scholarship application is being made.

Qualifying students who accept this BGCT Ministry Scholarship assistance commit themselves to take Religion 2480 "Introduction to Ministry" at some point in their studies at Baylor. A ministry-vocations assessment, intended to assist in self-awareness and call clarification, is also a requirement of this scholarship program and is a part of the Religion 2480 course. Failure to satisfactorily complete the Religion 2480 course will prevent the student from graduating from Baylor University unless the BGCT Ministry Scholarship is repaid.

Eligibility for the BGCT Ministry Scholarship must be reviewed and reaffirmed annually.  The student will complete a BGCT Ministry Scholarship Renewal Application.

The student must meet the following renewal requirements:

• Demonstrate a lifestyle of commitment to the principles of the Christian life.
• Provide an accurate email address for their certifying pastor, so a completed Church Certification Renewal Form may be obtained, thereby furnishing evidence of the student’s involvement with, support of, and commitment to a local cooperating BGCT church.  (Ministry Scholarship recipients are urged to become involved with a local school-year BGCT church early in the school year and to identify themselves to the pastor and staff of the local school-year BGCT church so that the renewal certification requirement can be met.)
• Provide a written reaffirmation of a sense of call to church-related vocational ministry and a desire to continue to receive the BGCT Ministry Scholarship (uploaded with the application.)
• Be working toward a Religion major or minor or other ministry-related degree such as Church Music or Church Recreation.
• Meet the Baylor University standards for measurable satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the Statement of Satisfactory Academic Progress (copies available from the Baylor University Office of Academic Scholarships and Financial Aid).
• Be in compliance with any additional requirements or policies of Baylor University and the Baptist General Convention of Texas, for which official notification has been previously given.

For further information or to apply for the scholarship, please contact Heather Starkey in the Ministry Guidance Office or call (254) 710-3739. The Ministry Guidance Office is located on the Baylor campus in the Reynolds Conference Suite on the north end of Alexander Residence Hall and facing Baylor Avenue.