Graduate Financial Aid

Refer to the Financial Aid  section of the Academic Catalog for complete financial aid information and policy related to both undergraduate and graduate students. Some graduate specific information is listed below.

Degree-Seeking

A student in this category who has been granted full admission to the graduate program may be eligible for a variety of federal, state, and institutional financial aid.

Annual loan limits for Federal Direct Loans will be determined by term enrollment.

• A student enrolled in graduate-level courses is eligible for graduate loan limits.
• A student enrolled in undergraduate leveling coursework is eligible for fifth-year undergraduate loan limits provided the student has not met their undergraduate aggregate loan limit. For leveling course enrollment during a 16-week term, 12 credit hours is considered full-time.

A period of 12 consecutive calendar months is allowed for completion of leveling coursework imposed by the Graduate Admissions Committee as a degree requirement. Loan limits for students enrolled in graduate and leveling classes concurrently are determined by majority enrollment.

Teacher Certification Programs

Non-degree post-baccalaureate students who are enrolled for the purposes of teacher certification may be eligible for federal financial aid as a fifth-year undergraduate provided the student has not met their undergraduate aggregate loan limit. For teacher certification course enrollment during a 16-week term, 12 hours is considered full-time. These students must be accepted into the graduate program as non-degree seeking students and be fully accepted into the Teacher Certification program in order to receive federal financial aid.

Other Eligible Certification Programs (not linked to a degree-seeking program)

Non-degree post-baccalaureate students who are enrolled at least half-time in an eligible standalone certification program may be eligible for federal financial aid according to the classification of the program, provided the student has not yet met their aggregate federal loan limits. Eligibility requires at least half-time enrollment each term. These students must be fully accepted into the eligible certification program in order to receive financial aid and should contact the Office of Financial Aid for confirmation of eligibility.

Enrollment Definition

The definition of full-time enrollment is dependent upon the campus of attendance. Enrollments are based on sixteen-week terms (fall and spring) at all campuses. Summer is considered a trailer to the academic year and aid eligibility may or may not be available. A graduate student enrolled in graduate level courses (5000 or 6000 level) must be enrolled in at least 6 hours per term to be considered full-time and 3 hours per 8-week session to be considered half-time. Undergraduate enrollment definitions will apply to students enrolled in undergraduate leveling coursework and non-degree post-baccalaureate students completing Teacher Certification. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for questions related to enrollment requirements for specific types of graduate financial aid.

Baptist General Convention of Texas Ministerial Financial Assistance Program

Baptist students taking courses at Wayland who reside in the state of Texas may be eligible for financial assistance from the BGCT.

All Ministerial Financial Assistance recipients must meet the following requirements:

1. Submit a completed application including all necessary documentation. Packets may be obtained from School of Christian Studies office on the Plainview campus (1900 W. 7th, CMB #1276, Plainview, TX 79072). Packets must be processed in the school office in Plainview by April 15 of the academic year for which aid is desired.
2. Enroll in one of the following: Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, Master of Arts in Theological Studies, Master of Divinity, or Master of Divinity/Master of Business Administration.
3. Be an active participant in a BGCT church or new student from outside Texas with membership in a Baptist church in the first year of participation and an active participant in a local church affiliated with the BGCT in subsequent years.
4. Complete MNST 5300 - Foundations in Ministry  unless the student received credit for MNST 3300  or its equivalent as an undergraduate. If MNST 5300  is awarded credit but the equivalent undergraduate coursework does not indicate a Baptist Heritage component, the student will need to take THST 5351 - Baptist History . Master of Divinity students will also complete seven hours in Spiritual Formation or Christian Spirituality. Other degrees will complete three hours.
5. Renew application each academic year.

Upon university notification that the applicant has met all admission standards and has furnished the required materials, the director of the Ministerial Financial Assistance Program, on behalf of the Christian Education Coordinating Board, shall notify the applicant of acceptance into the Ministerial Financial Assistance Program.