Student Loan Repayment

Broom Tree Fellows

The Broom Tree Fellows Program for 2025 will open in January!
 

The Broom Tree Fellows Loan Forgiveness Program assists ministry workers with education-related debt. The program is especially interested in religious leaders who exhibit the highest levels of faith, commitment, and service to God. 

Over the past nine years, the program has provided over 300 loan forgiveness awards—exceeding $600,000—to ministry workers dedicated to expanding Christ’s reach. These Christian ministers represent 15 denominations from dozens of churches and religious organizations across the country. 

It is our hope that, with lightening the load of their education-related debt, ministry workers are able to flourish in their ministry.

Please visit our website at www.BroomTreeFellows.org to learn more about our program and to obtain additional copies of the application. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BroomTreeFellows.

Churches and ministry organizations are not limited in the number of Broom Tree Fellows applications that can be submitted, so please share this opportunity with others working in your ministry who may have student loan debt.

The SED Student Loan Repayment Program is Now Closed

The 2025 Student Loan Repayment Program will open next Fall!

The Southeastern District (SED),  Student Loan Repayment Program, provides grants to rostered church workers, both full and part-time, to help them repay college and/or seminary education loans. All rostered or roster-eligible synodical graduates who are currently working in the Southeastern District are eligible to apply for this grant. For questions about the Student Loan Repayment Program, contact Sid Heetland at sheetland@se.lcms.org

This program is for individuals who have completed their synodical training and are currently serving LCMS in the SED. If you are currently a student, please refer to the following SED Student Aid Program Application by clicking here.

For the purposes of this program, eligible colleges, universities, and seminaries include:

·       Concordia colleges nationwide or in Canada

·       Lenoir-Rhyne University, NC

·       Seminaries in Fort Wayne, IN and St. Louis, MO

·       Valparaiso University, IN

Applications for MinistryFocus Grants Now Online

Online applications for 2025 LCMS Rostered Church Worker financial assistance grants are now available online.  The applications are available HERE. These grants are available to pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education, and other LCMS-rostered church workers in all districts through the MinistryFocus general fund. Applications must be submitted by December 31, 2024.