International Scholarship Program

ELCA scholarships can support a variety of academic programs, as long as the course of study is linked to the leadership priorities of the endorsing church or institution. ELCA scholarships support both short-term and long-term study at a variety of levels, including one-off courses, certificates, diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, sabbaticals, and more. Many different subject areas are eligible for ELCA scholarship support, depending on the leadership needs of the applicant’s endorsing church or institution. Most ELCA scholars study in their home countries, though some study in other parts of the world. Refer to the Scholarship Application Guidelines document for detailed information on the types of scholarship applications and their eligibility requirements.

The International Leaders Program accompanies global companion churches and institutions to resource and connect leaders. The purpose of the scholarship program is to build leadership capacity in ways that align with the strategic priorities of each church/institution. Given this, all scholarship applications must be endorsed by the appropriate authority at a church/institution that has a companion relationship with the ELCA. By applying for and accepting an ELCA scholarship award, applicants commit to serving in leadership with their endorsing church/institution upon completion of their funded academic program. Similarly, the endorsing church/institution commits to providing to the scholar a position of leadership (paid or volunteer) that utilizes the skills gained.

Application forms become available every August. Access information is shared directly with the head office of each companion church/institution and is explained in the Scholarship Application Guidelines document. Completed applications are due in October. Applications are reviewed by the International Leaders Program staff and scholarship application review committees. Final decisions are typically released by email between April and June, though the exact timing can vary.

Please review the Scholarship Application Guidelines document for detailed information on selection criteria. Our reviewers score applications based on factors such as: alignment with strategic leadership priorities of the endorsing church/institution; commitment to service; application completeness & quality; track record of leadership or leadership potential; study location; and cost.

Scholarship offers are typically customized to each applicant’s specific situation. The program may offer either full or partial awards, based on the quality of the application, the needs expressed in the application, and the funds available. ELCA scholarships primarily support direct academic costs like tuition and fees, but living expenses associated with an academic program are sometimes supported as well. Applicants typically submit an itemized scholarship budget proposal and school fee structure as part of the application. The application review committee uses the budget and fee structure, among other factors, to determine the award amount offered. The details of the approved scholarship budget are provided at time of acceptance, and awardees may either accept or decline an offer.

Typically the program will not cover retroactively any expenses incurred before the start date of the award. This is why applicants who have not begun their academic programs are prioritized over those who begin studying before scholarship support is approved. The program is typically not able to directly support expenses associated with family members of the scholarship holder.

The scholarship application forms are completed online and vary depending on the application type. The application includes both short-form and essay-form questions, as well as required documents like a church/institution endorsement form, transcripts from past academic programs, scholarship budget, and school fee structure. Applicants may submit the ELCA application before gaining admission to an academic program, but an acceptance letter from an academic institution is eventually required before a scholarship award can be activated.

Applications are completed online through the ELCA GrantMaker system. Instructions for using the GrantMaker system are found in the Scholarship Application Guidelines document. We recommend that you wait to start an application until you are endorsed according to the guidelines.