Tuition & Financial Aid
Tuition
Student Body Fee
$20.00 per semester
SKSM fee per credit
SKSM tuition is $960 per credit (starting Fall 2025).
The per-credit tuition is subject to change. This fee applies to all program, certificate, and special students.
California (only) Students
Student Tuition Recovery Fund
The State of California established the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) to relieve or mitigate economic loss suffered by a student in an educational program at a qualifying institution, who is or was a California resident while enrolled, or was enrolled in a residency program, if the student enrolled in the institution, prepaid tuition, and suffered an economic loss. Unless relieved of the obligation to do so, you must pay the state-imposed assessment for the STRF, or it must be paid on your behalf, if you are a student in an educational program, who is a California resident, or are enrolled in a residency program, and prepay all or part of your tuition.
You are not eligible for protection from the STRF and you are not required to pay the STRF assessment, if you are not a California resident, or are not enrolled in a residency program.
Currently, the assessed fee is $0.00 per one thousand dollars. Should a non-zero sum be implemented at a later date, Starr King will collect the fee from California residents during each term of enrollment.
For more information on this charge, please visit:
https://www.bppe.ca.gov/lawsregs/strf.shtml
Special Students
Special Students (i.e. students who are not currently matriculated in an SKSM degree program) may register through Starr King to take a Starr King course (residential, intensive, immersion, or online). The tuition is the same as a Degree Student.
Total degree Tuition must be paid in full 30 days prior to graduation.
Tuition Transition Summer Cash Flow Challenge
Personalized Payment Plan
Please register for your Summer Intensives as planned.
Continuing M.Div. and MASC students lacking access to Federal Student Loans until the Fall semester and who have difficulty paying the fee per credit for Summer Semester classes may set up a Personalized Payment Plan with SKSM.
Please contact Owais Qureshi at oqureshi@sksm.edu by June 20 to set up your Personalized Payment Plan.
Institutional Scholarships can also be used for Summer Intensives. To do so, please notify Owais at oqureshi@sksm.edu.
Billing
Once a student registers for their course(s), they will automatically be billed for the amount of units to be acquired from the course(s). After completing your registration for any given semester, you will be able to pay for your courses using Student Planning. Tuition must be paid in full by the end of Late Registration or a payment plan must be in place.
Credit Card, Check, Cash, E-Check, and Money Order Payments
- Online through Populi by credit or debit card
- By mailing check or money order (made payable to “Starr King School for the Ministry”) at:
- Starr King School for the Ministry
- c/o Student Accounts Manager
- 414 13th Street, Suite 700
- Oakland, CA 94612
- In person by check, cash, or money order with Owais Qureshi, Student Accounts Manager. Credit cards cannot be accepted in person.
Minimum Credits for Student Loans
Minimum Credits for Student Loans
For purposes of federally-supported financial aid programs, to receive full-time benefits a student must be enrolled for a minimum of 9 credits each principal term (i.e. Fall, Intersession/Spring, and/or Summer). To receive part-time benefits, a student must be enrolled for a minimum of 6 credits each principal term (i.e. Fall, Intersession/Spring, and Summer). Students who take fewer than 6 credits in a principal term may enter repayment for loans and are not eligible for loans within that semester.
Tuition Refund Policy
If a student withdraws or is dismissed by the faculty from a Starr King degree program during any term of instruction, (Summer, Fall, Intersession, or Spring), they may be eligible for a refund of tuition they have paid that term. The Student Accounts Manager will calculate any tuition refund owed to the student based on the withdrawal date as follows.
For semester-length courses (ten weeks or longer):
- Prior to the end of Late Registration: full refund of tuition due for the semester.
- During the 3rd week of classes: 80% of tuition paid that term.
- During 4th and 5th week of classes: 50% of tuition paid that term.
- During 6th and 7th weeks of classes: 25% of tuition paid that term.
- After the 8th week: no refund.
*For Oregon residents: During 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th week of classes: 50% of tuition paid that term. After the 8th week: no refund.
**For Washington residents: After the 5th week: no refund
For intensive and intermediate-length courses (1-9 weeks):
- By the conclusion of the 1st day of instruction: full refund of tuition.
- By the conclusion of the 2nd day of instruction: 80% of course tuition.
- By the conclusion of the 3rd day of instruction: 50% of course tuition.
- After the 3rd day of instruction: no refund.
Return of Federal and Nonfederal Financial Aid Program Monies
Students who receive federal Title IV financial aid are subject to the return of Title IV funds (R2T4) calculation, in which a pro-rata refund of federal loans is calculated by the number of calendar days up to 60% of the enrollment period. After 60% of the enrollment period is completed by the student, no refund of federal loan monies will be issued. See the SKSM Academic Catalog for the full R2T4 policy.
Additionally, any nonfederal financial aid program monies will be subject to the same pro rata refund calculation.
Complaint Procedure:
An individual may contact the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education for review of a complaint. The Bureau may be contacted at 2535 Capital Oak Drive Suite 400 – Sacramento, CA 95833 or www.bppe.ca.gov/enforcement/complaint.shtml
Tel: 916.431.6959 – Fax: 916.263.1897
For Washington State residents seeking information and resources about student loan repayment or seeking to submit a complaint relating to your student loans or student loan servicer, please visit www.wsac.wa.gov/loan-advocacy or contact the Student Loan Advocate at loanadvocate@wsac.wa.gov.
Cost of Attendance
The following estimates are based on the current price per credit of $925. These charts do not include non-tuition expenses, such as books & supplies, loan fees, housing, transportation, etc.
| Per Semester (12 credits) | Per Year (24 credits) | |
| Tuition | $11,520 | $23,040 |
| Student Body Fees | $20 | $40 |
| Total | $11,540 | $23,080 |
| Program | Total Program Tuition (excluding Student Body Fees) |
| Master of Divinity (90) | $86,400 |
| Master of Arts in Social Change (48) | $46,080 |
| Joint MDiv & MASC (114) | $109,440 |
| Certificate in Unitarian Universalist Studies (12) | $11,520 |
| Certificate in Multi-Religious Studies (12) | $11,520 |
| Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies (18) | $17,280 |
| Certificate in Psychedelic Justice & Companioning (12) | $11,520 |
Financial Aid
Starr King annually provides Institutional Tuition Scholarship Awards (ITSAs) to assist students with the cost of tuition. These scholarships are awarded through an internal process by the Starr King Scholarship Committee. The Scholarship Committee considers the financial need of each applicant as well as the school’s commitment to educating to counter oppressions and our desire to manifest a just, multiracial, multicultural learning community.
Starr King’s scholarship application is built into Populi (both our learning management software and student accounts management software). Current students applying for the next academic year and prospective students (who have completed their applications for the next academic year) will need to apply through this system to be considered for institutional scholarships.
The scholarship application will open on February 15 and will close on April 1. Returning students must apply every year for Institutional Scholarships during the Spring semester to receive assistance for the following academic year. Returning students may only apply once per year – during this timeframe. Students that do not apply will not be considered for scholarships for the academic year. Apply before April 1st to be considered for scholarships for the following Academic Year.
Those who apply for admission between April 2 and June 1 will remain eligible for other forms of financial aid. Applicants may continue to apply for admission for Fall until June 1 but may not be eligible for scholarships.
How to Apply for SKSM Institutional Tuition Scholarships
1. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the federal processor online at fafsa.gov. Please note the following:
- The SKSM federal school code is G04080
- For financial aid for the 2025-2026 Academic Year, submit the 2025-2026 FAFSA using 2023 tax records if you have not yet filed a federal tax return for 2024. Update the information once you complete your taxes.
- You can submit your FAFSA from October 1 through June 30.
2. Complete the Starr King Institutional Tuition Scholarship Application between February 15 and April 1.
Expected Timeline for the Starr King Institutional Scholarships
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FUNDING DEADLINE FOR THE 2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR IS APRIL 1. Any scholarships awarded may not be released until a signed acceptance letter and “thank you note or card” is received by Starr King.
| Deadlines and Events | |
| Scholarship Application Opens | February 15 |
| Priority Funding Deadline for New Students | April 1 |
| Final Funding Deadline for Returning Students | April 1 |
| Award Letters Go Out | May 1-31 |
| Spring Scholarship Application Deadline for New Students* | November 1 |
| *New Spring students who apply after November 1 will have no eligibility for scholarship funding but will remain eligible for student loans and grants. These students may apply for scholarships in future years at SKSM. | |
Other Types of Financial Aid (i.e., Federal Direct Loans and Federal Work Study)
The Business Office partners with Financial Aid Solutions (FA Solutions) for all processes related to Federal Financial Aid. FA Solutions stands ready to assist you in any way necessary. For more information about the federal financial aid application process, please contact the Financial Aid Office at (510) 902-3989 or send an email: financialaid@sksm.edu.
UUA Scholarships for Unitarian Universalist Seminarians
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) provides scholarships directly to students who are preparing for Unitarian Universalist ministry. Scholarship aid is for seminarians who have achieved aspirant or candidate status for UU ministry, but some forms of assistance are occasionally available for entering students.
After graduation from seminary, the UUA provides debt-reduction assistance for those who enter the ministry. Rev Darrick Jackson is the Director of Ministerial Credentialing at the UUA and can answer any questions you may have: djackson@uua.org.
Please note the various application deadlines at the link below. Note that the application requires several letters of reference. Be sure to start early to submit your application. Current information and application instructions are available at www.uua.org/careers/ministers/becoming/scholarships.
Other scholarships funded by UU organizations
St. Lawrence Foundation CPE Grants
The St. Lawrence Foundation for Theological Education seeks to aid students in aspirant or candidate status with the Unitarian Universalist Association by offering stipends to pay up to $750 tuition for the UUA required one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at an accredited CPE center. The Foundation will send the tuition payment directly to the CPE Center. Therefore, students who submit this application must be committed to taking CPE at the center named and, in the timeframe, specified. A postgrant report will be required from the student. The Foundation needs to use limited funds to meet the needs of many students. Please do not apply for this scholarship if you have other sources of funding for CPE tuition or if you are able to cover the expense yourself. To access the application form, click here.
The Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley Scholarship
Offered by the UU Women’s Federation, this program provides direct financial support to aspirants or candidates to UU ministry, or candidates in the UUA religious education or music leadership programs, who identify as women of color, Latina, or Hispanic. Applicants must complete an online form. There are two funding cycles per year, with deadlines of March 1 and October 1. More information can be found here.
UUA Program Assistance Grant for Career Assessment
Aspirants with financial needs may request a $1000 Program Assistance Grant from the UUA Ministerial Credentialing Office (MCO) to offset the costs related to the career assessment. Please contact the UUA Ministerial Credentialing Office when an assessment has been scheduled so that the MCO can arrange to send the grant directly to the career center.
Other Outside Scholarships
In addition to the types of aid listed above, students are advised to seek financial support from outside sources, such as savings, support from friends and family, aid from churches or denominations, and grants or scholarships from outside organizations.
Non-Tuition Student Aid
Current students should consult the Student Handbook regarding opportunities to receive financial aid for non-tuition expenses.
***Please note that SKSM Institutional Scholarships (ITSAs) are for tuition only and scholarships of any form are not guaranteed or promised.
Start your Application
If you have questions or need technical support completing the application,
please contact us at admissions@sksm.edu or call us at 510-902-3994.