Phillips Enlivens Spirit of Generosity to Support Students in Pastoral Leadership
by Anne Carter Walker, PhD, Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs
Phillips Theological Seminary is a progressive school that believes education should be available to everyone, not just those who can afford it. The increased costs of undergraduate education often force students to delay or bypass graduate school or to drop out of school altogether, and therefore to forego vocational aspirations.
With the median annual salary for a denominational pastor with a master’s degree falling around $45,000, a seminary education is becoming more and more out of reach for many people with a heart for ministry and a passion for social change. It is these concerns that prompted a partnership across Phillips to understand more about the student debt burden and how seminary resources might assist in closing the student debt gap and nurturing the future of pastoral ministry.
Last fall, the Phillips Board of Trustees approved enhancements to our financial resources for students pursuing ministry and pastoral leadership. This commitment dedicates over $5 million over the next five years to support students financially, including sweeping increases in all student aid, dedicated resources to pay for students’ books and travel expenses, and a competitive scholarship + stipend program.
Increases in Tuition Remission for All Phillips Students
Included in the $5 million package are across-the-board tuition reductions for all Phillips students at both the master’s and doctoral levels. Starting in January 2025, all Phillips students receive 80-100% tuition remission. Providing this support means that students—who often carry full time course loads and hold down full- and part-time jobs in addition to one or two ministry roles, and are by-and-large in mid-life, which means they likely care for dependents and/or elders—can effectively let go of much of the financial burden of seminary, allowing them to pursue their total wholeness, and wholeness in the work of ministry, as they make their way through theological education. This is especially unheard of at the doctoral level, where most students across North American pay out of pocket or pay a substantial portion of their program costs.
Support for Books, Travel, and Lodging
Not only do Phillips students receive support for tuition, our school also pays for their books, working with The Same Page Bookseller in Claremore, OK, to purchase and deliver course texts direct to our students. With a great majority of Phillips students residing outside of the Tulsa metro area, many of them out-of-state, travel support is also an essential consideration in the total expense to students in seminary. Phillips offers up to $1,500 annually per student for travel and lodging expenses. And, with the addition of Bedford House, a new Phillips short-term lodging and conference facility which is currently under construction, students will have additional opportunities to create spaces of community and belonging as they pursue their studies. Bedford House is set to open in Fall 2025.
Seminary Scholars: A Community of Belonging, Right Here in Tulsa
New to Phillips in the Fall of 2025 will be the Seminary Scholars program, a collective of scholarship + stipend recipients who are committed to their theological studies and to building community here in Tulsa. Seminary Scholars provides 100% tuition coverage plus a $21,000 annual stiped to select student applicants who pursue their studies at the master’s level, maintain a 3.5 GPA, and reside in Tulsa. The impetus behind Seminary Scholars is the creation of a meaningful network of support and belonging for those pursuing pastoral leadership and ministry while resourcing the whole student, both in and outside of the classroom. While taking classes from Phillips’ world-class faculty, Seminary Scholars will be resourced with professional development opportunities, community mentoring and internships, and social gatherings to nurture their personal and professional lives and find sustainable living here in Tulsa.
Enlivening a Spirit of Generosity
Phillips is able to provide a sustainable path to a degree in pastoral ministry by supporting the whole student while we make pathways for the development of the future of ministry and pastoral leadership. This work is tangible act to ethically and responsibly nourish and strengthen our investment in the students and in the future of this work.
It is a sincere effort to find creative ways to improve the experiences of our students, to make Phillips more available to community and local stakeholders, and to continue to pursue the Phillips mission to impact the world through the provision of progressive theological education in the way of Jesus. This work is not possible without the individuals and donors who have invested in Phillips and in the future of the church.
For more information on Phillips degree programs and study options, visit https://ptstulsa.edu/prospective-students/. To make a gift to Phillips, visit https://ptstulsa.edu/emerging-vision/.