Applying for aid
To apply for need-based aid or loans, you will need to complete the FAFSA. To apply for scholarships, please visit our Scholarships webpage and review the application information for each scholarship.
Ready to start your journey for good at ESR? Use the links below to get started.
Steps to getting aid
- Complete the FAFSA online at fafsa.ed.gov. On the last page, enter Earlham College’s code 001793.
- Review your financial aid award letter from ESR.
- Accept or decline any FSA loans in your Banner account.
- Complete the to-do list on the back of your financial aid award letter.
Your financial aid award
For applications submitted between January 1st and April 15th, a Financial Aid Award letter will be sent by April 30th. For applications received after April 15th, an award letter will be sent within two weeks of the receipt of the application or FAFSA, whichever is later. The award letter will include instructions on further steps a student must complete in order to receive any awarded aid.
If a student has not received FSA loans from ESR in the past, the Business Manager will contact him/her to discuss financial aid, including budgets and loan repayment.
APPLYING FOR NEED-BASED AID AND LOANS
To be considered for financial aid, students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents must complete the FAFSA. Complete the FAFSA electronically at fafsa.gov or through the myStudentAid mobile app and include Earlham’s school code of 001793.
ACCEPTABLE ACADEMIC PROGRESS
One of the purposes of ESR Financial Aid is to encourage full-time participation, although what is considered full-time may be different for Residential, Access or Certificate students. In addition to credit hour limits, there are also limits on the combined number of Sessions for which a student may receive aid. Sessions need not be consecutive; sessions in which a student has been approved for Leave of Absence, or are on Academic Probation without aid, are not counted.
Acceptable Academic Progress Standards, as published in the Student Handbook, must be maintained in order to receive both ESR financial aid and FSA Loans. Students who fail to meet these standards are placed on academic probation and continue to receive aid for one session only. If they remain on probation after that session, all aid will be suspended until acceptable progress is made. Students with mitigating circumstances can appeal in writing to the Business Manager. See the information on academic progress and probation.
The limits on ESR financial aid are:
| Degree/campus | Maximum credits | Maximum sessions |
|---|---|---|
| M.Div./M.Min. – Residential | 84 | 8 |
| M.Div./M.Min. – Access | 84 | 12 |
| M.A. – Residential | 48 | 4 |
| M.A. – Access | 48 | 6 |
| Certificate | 18 | 6 |
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All international students must complete an International Student Statement of Financial Position, even if they will not require Financial Aid. This information is necessary in order to grant a student the F-1 Visa required to enter and study in the United States. According to Federal law, an international student must document financial resources adequate to meet the Cost of Attendance of one year’s study and living expenses. These funds may come from a variety of sources. Some students receive an International Cooper Scholar Award, which provides funds for frugal living expenses, but possibly not the entire amount, depending on a student’s needs and life-style. Other sources of funding are from the student’s personal savings, family income or assets, sponsorship by their monthly or yearly meeting, or other agencies and foundations. International students, by law, may work only for Earlham College or Earlham School of Religion. ESR will assist the student in obtaining a paid job, but this is not guaranteed.
Learn more about applying to ESR as an international student →
Happening on campus
2026 ESR’s QLC Pastors Conference
Time: 12:00 amThis pastors conference is uniquely 2 days (both offered onsite or virtually):
Friday, 9-18 ~ Ministry Transitions: Leading through the Liminal is geared toward pastors.
Saturday, 9-19 ~ Navigating Pastoral Transitions with Faithfulness and Grace is for other spiritual leaders (such as Friends on search committees or other non-pastors leading through pastoral transitions.)
This event presented by the Quaker Leadership Center @ Earlham School of Religion is offered ON SITE @ Earlham School of Religion and ONLINE via Zoom.
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Heart of Peace 2026
Time: 7:00 pmThe 2026 HEART OF PEACE: A Speaker & Seminar Series The Quaker Leadership Center (QLC) invites the communities of Earlham School of Religion, Earlham College, Bethany Theological Seminary, Western Yearly…
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Was Quaker women’s ministry in the 1650s a foundation for the modern Quaker testimony of equality?
Time: 7:00 pmSteve Angell’s talk is based on his most recent publication, Martha Simmons: A Life that examines Martha Calvert Simmons (1624–1665), regarded as one of the foremost Quaker female ministers in…
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