Scholarships & Financial Aid

 
General: The first and most important step for any student seeking financial aid is to apply for admission to Ouachita. An application for admission serves as an application for most OBU scholarships. Likewise, to be considered for additional federal aid sources, the student (and their parents) must submit the FAFSA, which is available to complete October 1, 2020. Notification of all scholarship awards is made by Student Financial Services through the mail.

Notification of all scholarship awards will be made by Student Financial Services through the mail.  Students who have been accepted may also view aid information through their OBU web portal account at info.obu.edu.

Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) Scholarships

Two Arkansas Baptist State Convention scholarships are available and are described below. Students can apply for both scholarships at the same time at this website: https://www.abf.org/scholarships

The primary deadline for applications will be February 1. At that time, a majority of the available scholarships will be awarded. For students who are accepted to Ouachita after February 1, and who thus miss the primary deadline, applications can still be submitted up until August 1, when the remaining scholarships will be awarded.

The ABSC Ministry Leadership Development Scholarship

Basic Qualifications: Student must be a member of a Southern Baptist Church, have a declared major in Christian Studies, and feel called by God to either 1) pastoral ministry; 2) youth/student ministry; or 3) church planting ministry. This call will need to be clearly stated in the student’s on-line application. Residency in Arkansas is not a requirement.

Scholarship amount: If the student’s home church agrees to contribute $250 per year, the ABSC will contribute $2,000 per year. If the student is also working in a Southern Baptist church as a staff member while a student, The ABSC will contribute another $2,000 per year.

The ABSC Pryor Scholarship

Basic Qualifications: Student must be a member of a Southern Baptist Church in Arkansas and feel called to fulltime missions or to fulltime church ministry of some type (pastoral ministry, ministry to youth, ministry to children, ministry to women, worship ministry, etc.). A major in Christian Studies is not required.

Scholarship amount: $2,000 per year

Pruet School of Christian Studies (PSCS) Advisory Board and PSCS Ministry/Missions Scholarships

For incoming freshmen and transfer students

The Pruet School of Christian Studies offers a small number (usually 15-20) of scholarships to incoming freshmen and transfer students which can be stacked with their merit aid from Ouachita.  These scholarships typically range from $500 - $2,000 per year and are awarded primarily on the basis of financial need, but ministry potential is also considered (with ministry being defined in a wide sense, including all areas of church ministry and missions).  To apply for these scholarships send an email to Dr. Jeremy Greer at [email protected] with the following information:  A statement regarding your call to Christian vocation and what kind of ministry in which you are interested; your high school GPA; ACT/SAT test scores.

This application should be received before Ouachita’s priority aid deadline of December 1, at which time the majority of the scholarships will be awarded.  For those who are accepted past this deadline, late applications will still be reviewed and considered for any remaining funds.

Endowed scholarships for upperclassmen

The OBU Pruet School of Christian Studies has a limited number of endowed scholarships that are designated for upperclassmen (sophomores, juniors, and seniors). The number and the amount of these scholarships vary from year to year. The amount generally ranges from $250 to $3,000 per year, and awards will be based primarily on need. The student must have a FAFSA application on file with Student Financial Services to be eligible.

To apply for an upperclassman scholarship, send an email to the Dean of the Pruet School of Christian Studies (Dr. Jeremy Greer) at [email protected] with the following information: A short statement regarding your call to Christian vocation and what kind of ministry you are interested in; a description of your involvement in church (whether here at OBU or at your home church); a description of any other ministry activities you have participated in; your current GPA at OBU, and a brief explanation of your need. If your financial situation has changed recently (creating your need for additional scholarship aid), be sure to mention this and explain your situation.

This application must be submitted by April 1. Awards will be made in mid-April for the following school year. Occasionally, a few scholarships will be available for the Spring semester; applications for these must be submitted by November 1, and awards will be made at the end of November for the upcoming Spring semester.

The Austin L. Ingram Chaplaincy Scholarship

These scholarships range from $2,500 per year to $4,500 per year. To qualify students must in interested in serving vocationally after graduation as a military chaplain, a hospital chaplain, or a prison chaplain. To apply for this scholarship send an email to Dr. Jeremy Greer at [email protected] with the following information: A statement regarding your call/interest in chaplaincy; your high school GPA; ACT or SAT test scores.

This application should be received before Ouachita’s priority aid deadline of December 1, at which time the majority of the scholarships will be awarded.  For those who are accepted past this deadline, late applications will still be reviewed and considered for any remaining funds.

For additional information and application procedures, contact Patricia Fowler (870.245.5599; [email protected]).