Scholarships and Awards

Since the founding of Berea College in 1855, generous donors have provided numerous endowments to support academic scholarships and awards for students of the College.  Many of those donors who had strong interests in studies of religions and spiritualities, especially Christian religions, provided scholarships for students who chose to study religious and spiritual phenomena: either as students who chose the Major in studies of religions and spiritualities at Berea College or during graduate studies of some kind after graduating from Berea College.  For this reason, the Department for Studies of Religions and Spirituality administers several academic scholarships and awards for students or graduates of Berea College each academic year.

The Faculty in the Department makes all final decisions about these academic scholarships and awards.  In the Department for Studies of Religions and Spirituality, however, the terms, “scholarships” and “awards,” refer to two different categories of financial aid for students of Berea College.

First, the category of “scholarships” refers to aid that the Faculty distributes to academically-worthy students who pursue academic studies of religions, religious or spiritual phenomena more broadly, or spirituality most generally (at either collegiate or graduate levels).  If students want to apply for scholarships, for either continuing study toward the Major in Studies of Religions and Spirituality at Berea College or graduate studies in religions or spiritualities after graduation from Berea College, they must complete an application for scholarships (application.doc, application.pdf) that they may obtain from the departmental website or from the departmental Chairperson.

Second, in contrast, the category of “awards” designates honors that departmental Faculty bestows on students who have demonstrated excellence in academic studies of religions or spiritualities at Berea College or during initial graduate studies after graduating from Berea College.  For awards, however, students and graduates of the College cannot apply.  Normally, the Faculty of the Department identifies candidates for such awards from those students either who have pursued the Major in Studies of Religions and Spiritualities or have taken courses in such studies with members of the departmental Faculty.  The Faculty, however, occasionally also receives recommendations about outstanding students or graduates of Berea College from other members of the larger College Faculty.  With such academic awards, the Faculty in the Department for Studies of Religions and Spirituality affirms and celebrates superior academic performance by students in studies of religious and spiritual phenomena.