Baylor Board of Regents Approves Significantly Reduced Tuition Rate for Seminary Students
On Friday, November 5, 2021, the Baylor University Board of Regents approved and announced a significant decrease in tuition for master's-level degree programs at George W. Truett Theological Seminary and extended this reduced rate to all seminary doctoral programs. Thus, the "sticker price" of a Truett education for the 2022-2023 academic year has decreased from $1,071 per credit hour to $690 per credit hour.
"I am elated that the excellent theological education for which Baylor's Truett Seminary is already widely known will now be even more affordable for more students. This drastic—indeed historic—reduction in tuition for every student on each campus is directly attributable to a University that is committed to providing quality ministerial training and to donors who care deeply about those who being educated and equipped for gospel service," said Todd D. Still, PhD, DeLancey Dean and Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures at Truett. "Truett Seminary is now more strategically situated to serve the Church in Texas and beyond."
This lowering of the Truett "sticker price" has been a multi-year initiative driven by Seminary administration and aided by Baylor leadership in multiple departments, particularly within the University Business Office. Following last year's removal of the student fee, this tuition reduction demonstrates Baylor University and Truett Seminary's continued commitment to making theological education affordable and accessible.
"As we continue to see growth in graduate professional education, it is increasingly important that our financial models are aligned with the market and are an asset to the development and success of our Baylor programs," said Susan Anz, Vice President of Finance. "This tuition reduction for seminary students is an important piece of Baylor University's commitment to financial stability and ingenuity, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Truett Seminary on this initiative."
Beginning in Fall 2022, the Truett Seminary tuition cost will be $690 per credit hour for students pursuing the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, Master of Theological Studies, Doctor of Ministry, and PhD in Preaching, as well as the newly approved Master of Arts in Theology and Sports Studies, Master of Arts in Contextual Witness and Innovation, and Master of Arts in Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice.
In addition to this significant reduction in tuition, Truett Seminary will also continue to award substantial merit and need-based scholarships, totaling over $2.3 million each year. These scholarships are the result of generous donations and support from hundreds of donors since Truett’s inception in the early 1990s.
Currently, approximately one third of master's-level seminary students have been awarded a full tuition scholarship and 100 percent of Truett students have received at least some scholarship support. In addition, Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry students who attend a Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated church receive a $150 per credit hour scholarship, while Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and Master of Theological Studies students receive $100 per credit hour.
"One of the four foundational pillars of Illuminate is the University's 'Unambiguously Christian Educational Environment,' a characteristic that is embodied by Baylor’s Truett Seminary," said Nancy Brickhouse, PhD, Provost of Baylor University. "This significant tuition reduction affirms the University’s commitment to the training of thoughtful, faithful Christian ministers by seeking to make theological education at Baylor affordable, transparent, and accessible for those who have been called to gospel ministry."