Maitripa College Education Fund Scholarship

Since 2006, Maitripa College has awarded the Education Fund Scholarship to full-time degree students who demonstrated need, merit, and a commitment to complete their degree. Applications are evaluated by the Maitripa College Scholarship Committee, and a notification of awards is made to the students after the add/drop deadline date each semester.

The selection criteria for the scholarship award is based on an assessment of student need in combination with merit. This information is analyzed by our scholarship committee, which approves partial tuition grants based on this information.

General Scholarship Guidelines

(Applicable to Education Fund Scholarship and any other scholarship offered by Maitripa College unless specified in scholarship materials.)

Scholarship recipients will be chosen by Maitripa College’s scholarship committee on the basis of:

  • financial need
  • demonstrated commitment to completing requirements for their degree
  • demonstrated excellence of academic progress within their degree program
  • statement of purpose in accordance with the mission and vision of Maitripa College, as stated in student’s application form

Award Notification

Recipients will be notified of their award by email in summer before the start of the Fall semester.

Scholarship Eligibility

To be eligible for scholarships, the student must:

  • be enrolled as a full-time student in a Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies or Master of Divinity degree program at Maitripa College
  • commit to the completion of the entire program
  • complete and submit the scholarship application to the Maitripa College Scholarship Committee by the deadline specified in application materials

Scholarship money may not be applied towards courses which the student has previously completed and earned a passing grade. This includes the students’ desire to repeat the course for informational or personal growth purposes. If extraordinary circumstances apply where the student may wish to retake the course to improve an earlier grade, the student must discuss their situation with the Director of Student Services or Dean of Education.

Scholarship Review and Revocation

Scholarship monies may be revoked and students asked to refund the amounts in the case of:

  • unsatisfactory attendance
  • failure to comply with the rules and regulations of the college
  • failure to complete the term failure to complete the necessary coursework or a grade of “C+” or lower in any course
  • any other factors specified in the student’s scholarship acceptance form

Scholarship students’ transcripts will be reviewed by the scholarship committee at the end of each semester to ensure that the student is in good standing and complying with all of the stipulations listed in the general scholarship guidelines. Students who are not in compliance with the guidelines at the time of review will be given a warning in writing, and will have 30 days to establish compliance with said guidelines. Students unable to establish compliance with the guidelines within 30 days may have their scholarships revoked at the discretion of the scholarship committee, and will be held fully responsible for all outstanding balances and fees payable to Maitripa College.

Monastic Scholarships

A limited number of scholarships may be available for ordained monastics who wish to study at Maitripa.

To be considered for Maitripa College institutional scholarships, students must meet the following criteria by the scholarship application deadline:

  • Be admitted into a degree program or the Classical Tibetan Language Summer Intensive for the year of application
  • Have a cumulative 3.5 GPA (returning students only)

Monastic Scholarships are awarded to graduate students who are ordained as a monk or nun of any religious order. A maximum of $15,000 is awarded to cover tuition and fees for the academic year. Typically, students hold the scholarship until the student graduates; award amounts are based on each student’s registered credit hours. 

No living expenses or stipends are covered so all applicants must have a means to cover those expenses. The scholarship is renewable, but subject to review of English language skills and GPA. Graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 to retain academic eligibility for this award.

Part of the application process asks you to describe the nature of your monastic commitments or vows and the duration of your monastic commitment. Preference is given to applicants who have chosen monasticism as a lifelong path and whose commitments or vows include restrictions on financial income (i.e. vows of poverty or the like.)

A review panel may take necessary steps towards verifying the applicant’s qualification and shall decide on the amount of scholarship awarded according to funding availability as well as the applicant’s qualification. Prior recipients of this Monastic Scholarship may also apply by filling out a new application form and submitting a new essay.