Eligibility Requirements
- You must be an incoming college first-year student or a current first year, sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student enrolled in an accredited institution in the United States.
- You must be an active, full member of a United Methodist Church for at least one year prior to application (some programs require three years membership) as of Aug.1, 2024.
- You must maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.
- International applicants can apply if all the above criteria are met.
If you do not meet these requirements, your application will not be considered.
Yes. The scholarship portal opens in January each year. Scholarships are awarded each year for the fall semester. You must apply for a scholarship with updated documents and recommendations each year you are eligible. (You have seven years of eligibility while working toward a degree at an accredited institution.)
Use your personal email addresses instead of your school email address. This allows us to maintain contact with you after graduation and /or a school change.
You were asked for the key because of the path you used to access the application. Enter gbhemscholarship (no space).
Review the list found here. If you are unsure, choose the United Methodist General scholarship. Note: we review each application to evaluate the program that best fits it.
You should list your first choice. You may change your college choice any time before the March 31 application deadline. If chosen, you need to confirm your final choice.
If you change schools after receiving a scholarship, you must notify the Office of Scholarships at umscholar@gbhem.org. Our scholarship programs have specific criteria which must be followed.
Review the email from our application vendor that explaining why your document was rejected. Once you have corrected the issue, upload a new copy of the document.
All required documentation must be uploaded to your online application by March 31. You must follow the upload instructions exactly or your application will remain incomplete. Uploaded documents by the deadline will be processed and considered on time. We do not accept documentation by mail or email.
You should request a recommendation as early as possible. You do not have to wait your application is complete before requesting your recommendations.
You must submit your recommendations before the March 31 deadline if you included an email address for your recommenders. As the applicant, you must ask your recommenders permission before sending them the form. The form should be sent ahead of time to ensure they have enough time to complete your recommendation.
Remember, your urgency is not always someone else’s; be mindful of their time.
It means you are a roster member of a United Methodist Church or a member of the Central Conference (international students). We do not accept members from other denominations. Our scholarship funds are benefit United Methodist Church students.
Application reminders and award information will be emailed from email addresses: donotreply@applyISTS.com and GBHEM@applyISTS.com. Add both to your “safe senders list” to ensure critical emails are not sent to your spam or junk folder. You are responsible for verifying that your application is complete by the deadline.
Funds will be issued via one (1) check or electronic funds in late August or early September, pending completion of the online Acceptance and Verification of Enrollment Form. Your funds are only payable to the institution listed on your My Profile page.
All funds will be disbursed to your college/university.
Tax laws vary by country. In the United States, scholarship funds used exclusively for the payment of tuition or textbooks are normally not taxable. The scholarship recipient is responsible for taxes, if any, that may be assessed against your scholarship award. We recommend consulting your tax adviser for more guidance. You may also consult IRS Publication 970 for further information.
An independent selection committee evaluates applications and selects recipients based upon program or endowment criteria.
While there is no specific scholarship for clergy dependents, they can apply for other United Methodist scholarships. Many UM-related colleges and universities have scholarships and tuition discounts specifically for clergy dependents.
You must provide a verification of enrollment form for the fall term. You must be enrolled in the fall of the year in which the scholarship is awarded and return a verification of enrollment to claim your scholarship.
Yes, as long as the applicants are enrolled and pursuing a degree at an accredited institution.
A student may receive one GBHEM scholarship each year.
