Financial Aid

Loyola's Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS) offers a number of opportunities for financial assistance. Eligible students must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program and meet normal admission standards.

Generous awards are available and every effort is made to make our program affordable. Last year alone, we awarded over $640,000.00 in financial assistance to our students.

Any financial assistance a student receives from IPS is one part of a larger financial aid package arranged through the Office of Student Financial Assistance. Students must work with the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) and the Office of the Bursar to coordinate the financing of their IPS education. Click HERE for a graduate student financial aid checklist.

For a list of 2012-2013 IPS tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar Website.

To be given full consideration for IPS scholarship and grant awards, applicants must submit a completed IPS application and all supporting materials by the financial assistance deadline for the term. Applications received and completed after the deadline will still be considered for admission, but applicants may not be eligible for financial awards.

We accept applications for admission on a rolling basis, and we invite you to apply now to any of our terms (Fall, Spring, or Summer).

Types of IPS Financial Assistance:

Merit-Based Scholarship

IPS has a limited amount of merit scholarships funded by endowments. These are awarded to deserving students in recognition of exceptional promise as demonstrated by a record of outstanding achievement in previous academic work and leadership initiatives. Merit scholarships cover a portion of for-credit tuition for the duration of a student’s full-time continuous studies in a degree program at IPS. Exact amounts will be determined by the IPS Scholarship Committee. Students will be notified of the size of the award prior to the start of the semester.

Because these funds are awarded on a limited basis, we encourage students to apply for other forms of financial assistance including the FAFSA, the IPS Need-Based Grant, and other outside sources of funding.

Students must apply for the Merit-Based Scholarship concurrently with their IPS admissions application. Please see the application form for term deadlines. 

Click here for the Merit-Based Scholarship application form: Merit-Based Scholarship Application

Need-Based Grant

IPS need-based grants are financial awards given to students by the University in recognition of financial need. Grant dollars are applied to the tuition costs of students for course work which meet the requirements of IPS degree programs, and do not include zero credit hour courses, workshops, IPS audits and/or fees. The award is for one semester: applicants must reapply for each semester.

To be given full consideration for an IPS need-based grant, applicants must submit a completed application and all supporting materials by the financial assistance deadline for the term listed on the need-based grant application form.

• U.S. Citizens: Students applying for need-based grants must submit to the university the Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Information about the FAFSA can be found at www.fafsa.ed.gov or on the website for the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA). Loyola's federal school code is 001710.

• Non-U.S. Citizens (including undocumented students and international students): Students who are not U.S. citizens are eligible for and are encouraged to apply for the IPS need-based grant. These students should fill out the need-based application without submitting a FAFSA. For more information on how Loyola University Chicago is supporting undocumented students, please visit the Loyola DREAM page.

Click here for the IPS Need-Based Grant application form: Need-Based Grant Application

Sponsored Matching Grant

The IPS Sponsored Matching Grant assists students actively involved in professional ministry or with a not-for-profit organization. Forms must be submitted 1 month prior to the semester for which they are applied.

If a parish, school, hospital, diocese or some other sponsoring agency is willing to pay 25% of a student’s tuition, Loyola University will match that amount (but not over ¼ of the 1, 2 or 3 credit hour per course tuition) leaving the student to be responsible for 50% of the tuition charges. These grants apply to tuition only, and do not cover 0-credit courses, fees, books, supplies, IPS audits, etc. This grant may not be used in conjunction with other non-loan tuition programs, including the IPS Need-Based Grant, if the total would exceed 100% of the tuition (only) in any given semester.

Click here for the Sponsored Matching Grant application form: Sponsored Matching Grant Application

The Stanley J. Hallett Scholarship

This scholarship, sponsored by SCUPE, is a need-based grant for students in the MA in Social Justice and Community Development program. To receive the scholarship, students must be admitted into the MASJCD degree program and registered for at least two courses in each of the semesters they apply for the scholarship funds. Tuition scholarship awards are paid directly to Loyola University. Scholarship decisions will be made in September of each academic year, and recipients will be notified in writing. The fund provides a $500 scholarship which is then matched by a $500 grant from IPS. The scholarship is named in memory of Stan Hallett, a guiding voice in the establishment of the program from its origins at North Park University. Hallett was an urban planner, entrepreneur, professor, theologian, community organizer, political strategist, conflict mediator and environmentalist. He worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Saul Alinsky, and helped to organize important civic groups, including the Center for Neighborhood Technology, the Woodstock Institute, and the Neighborhood Capital Budget Group.

Click the following link for the Hallett application form: Stanley J. Hallett Scholarship sponsored by SCUPE

IPS Graduate Student Worker Positions

The Institute of Pastoral Studies, in conjunction with Loyola University Chicago, funds six students in student work assistance positions. Students are awarded $3,000 annually for two semester of work. Students are expected to work eight hours per week for two 14-week semesters. The type of service is determined on an individual basis, but is intended to meet the needs of the IPS office and to help the student in professional growth. These positions are awarded at the beginning of each Fall and are good for the full academic year.

Students must apply by March 1, 2013. Students are required to send the Graduate Student Worker Application, a resume demonstrating previous office experience, a  cover letter outlining their qualifications and financial needs to Julia Jakab, Coordinator of Student Services for IPS, at jjakab@luc.edu.

Other Financial Aid Opportunities

There are several options for financing your IPS education through non-IPS financial assistance. The options listed below, while often times extremely generous, will exclude a student from IPS-based scholarships, grants and the graduate student worker positions.

Mission Grant

Mission Grants support the mission and values of Loyola and only cover courses taken for credit.

Award Amount

Students pay one-third of their tuition; a sponsoring agency pays another third; and Loyola pays the remaining third.

Requirements

Eligible students include members of religious orders working in developing countries; international Jesuits; faculty, staff, and administrators employed by one of Loyola's sister schools. Recipients of Mission Grants forfeit their eligibility to receive other University-funded scholarships, assistantships, or grants.

Apply

For application information, contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

Archdiocese of Chicago Lay Ecclesial Ministry Program

IPS participates fully with the Archdiocese of Chicago's Lay Ecclesial Ministry Formation Program. Students who anticipate working for the Archdiocese of Chicago upon completion of their degree program are encouraged to contact the Archdiocese of Chicago's Lay Ministry Formation Office.

Award Amount

Students pay one-third of their tuition; the Archdiocese of Chicago pays another third; and Loyola pays the remaining third.

Additional funds may be available for students who are admitted to the Archdiocesan Lay Ecclesial Formation program who are working to foster lay ecclesial ministry among members of African-American, Asian, Polish, and Hispanic communities.

Requirements

Student must be admitted to the Archdiocesan Lay Ecclesial Formation program

Apply

To apply, visit the Archdiocesan Lay Ecclesical Ministry Program website.

Archdiocese of Chicago Critical Needs Scholarship

The Archdiocese of Chicago has funds available for its employees who are working to address the critical needs of the Archdiocese.

Award Amount

Students pay one-third of their tuition; the Archdiocese of Chicago pays another third; and Loyola pays the remaining third (up to $3,000 total award)

Requirements

Visit the Archdiocesan Lay Ecclesial Ministry Critical Needs overview page

Apply

To apply, visit the Archdiocesan Lay Ecclesial Ministry Critical Needs application page

JVC MAGIS

Any former member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps or Jesuit Volunteer International who is interested in learning more about JVC MAGIS (and corresponding scholarship opportunities) at Loyola Univerity Chicago can visit this page for more information.

Loyola University Campus Ministry Graduate Assistantship

Campus Ministry will have two openings for Graduate Assistantships available for the 2013-2014 academic year. To see the list of openings go to:

LUC.edu/studentdevelopment/assistantships/positions/

Requirements

Campus Ministry's graduate assistantship is a program for Loyola graduate students who are exploring a call to ecclesial ministry. While examining this call in the context of a university community, GAs work toward proficiency in the skills necessary to answer the call, namely pastoral leadership, pastoral care and program management. GAs commit to a minimum of twenty five hours per week. The assistantship begins on or near August 1. GA’s have one-year agreements while most students renew for second year in order to complete their master’s degree.

Apply

Visit the Student Development website for more details regarding Graduate Assistantships. Students must submit a letter of interest, a resume, and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three professional references and an online application by January 15, 2013.

Contact the Director of Campus Ministry, Lisa Reiter at lreiter1@luc.edu or 773.274.3000 with questions.