29 Southwest Texans get
help from Student Day offering

Southwest Texas students getting UM financial aid

Twenty-nine Southwest Texas college students are receiving nearly $65,000 in financial aid this school year from The United Methodist Church.
The money—$60,000 in scholarships and $5,000 in loans—comes from denominational sources supported by the annual United Methodist Student Day special offering.
Nov. 26 is the officially designated Sunday for this year’s offering. It’s one of six denomination-wide special collections on The United Methodist Church calendar each year. Congregations may receive money for student loans and scholarships on any Sunday before Dec. 31.
Southwest Texas United Methodists gave $6,937 to the Student Day offering in 2005. That was down from $8,627 in 2004.
Last year 30 Southwest Texas students received financial aid from the denomination.
Money from the Student Day offering goes to the Office of Loans and Scholarships at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in Nashville, Tenn.
The office issued more than $6 million in loans and scholarships to 4,250 students during 2005. That compares to $6 million in aid to 4,091 students in 2004, $6 million in aid to 4,028 students in 2003, $7 million in aid to 4,984 students in 2002 and $8.4 million to 5,561 students in 2001.
Declining revenue from the Student Day and World Communion Sunday special offerings has reduced available financial aid, said Angella Current-Felder, executive director of the financial aid office.
“Thanks to the connectional system and the people called United Methodist,” she said, “more than 3,000 students will receive a scholarship or loan to attend undergraduate or graduate schools this fall.
“This is just one example of our board’s effort to strengthen lay and clergy leadership within our congregations.”
The Office of Loans and Scholarships receives money from investments, the World Communion Sunday special offering and other sources besides Student Day gifts.
The Nashville office rebates 10 percent of Student Day receipts—$637 this year—to the conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry for local merit scholarships. Those awards are announced each year at the annual conference session.
Chelsea Rumbo, Wesley UMC, Harlingen; Erin Roe, Highland Lakes UMC, Buchanan Dam; and Katherine Maples, First UMC, El Campo, received the 2005 Southwest Texas Conference awards.
United Methodist scholarships and loans are available to students attending accredited institutions. Some are limited to specific academic majors or United Methodist-related schools.
Information about scholarships and loans for the 2007-2008 academic year is available at www.gbhm.org.