Make Your Education Affordable
IBS is committed to helping degree and certificate students invest in their future — generous scholarships are available to significantly reduce your tuition costs.
Who can apply?
If you are a US resident, enrolled in a degree or certificate program, and maintain satisfactory academic progress, you’re eligible to apply (note: auditors and special students are not eligible for scholarships).
How it Works
When applying for admission, you have the chance to apply for a scholarship at the same time, and no separate process is needed.
Returning students reapply each spring to renew their award for the next academic year (scholarships cover both fall and spring terms).
Don’t miss the deadline: March 1 is the priority deadline for admission and scholarship awards for the following academic year. Certificate program applicants should note that applying by the June deadline may limit scholarship eligibility, so applying early is best. Check the academic calendar for full details.
Funded by a Community Committed to Buddhist Education
Scholarships are not need-based but based on the availability of funding. Members of the Buddhist Churches of America, the Jōdo Shinshū Hongwanji-ha, and other organizations and individual donors have generously raised funds in support of IBS student scholarships which are available to all students enrolled in our degree and certificate programs.
Federal Student Aid
The Institute of Buddhist Studies does not participate in the US Department of Education’s Title IV funding programs. This means that IBS students are not eligible for federal student loans.
Rather than investing in the resources necessary to secure loans, IBS has committed to raising scholarship funds to best support students’ education. Please contact the admissions staff with any questions or concerns about IBS’s participation in federal aid, VA benefits, or related programs.
Travel Grants
The Institute of Buddhist Studies encourages and supports students to present work at academic or scholarly conferences. A limited number of travel grants may be available to those students who are presenting at conferences. Generally, IBS awards up to $500 for domestic and $1000 for international travel, depending on availability of funding.
To be eligible, students must be (1) enrolled in any degree or certificate program, (2) maintain satisfactory academic progress, and (3) provide documentation that their paper has been accepted and that they have registered for the conference.
Please contact the Student Services and Enrollment Coordinator for the appropriate form; applications must be submitted by September 15 for conferences scheduled from September through January, and January 15 for conferences scheduled from January through August.
Takashima Scholarship Fund for the Ryukoku Student Exchange Program
The Institute of Buddhist Studies encourages and supports students who wish to study Buddhism in Japan. The Takashima Scholarship Fund has been created to support BCA ministerial aspirants participating in the Ryukoku University student exchange program. IBS may award up to $2,500 for either a single semester or $5,000 for a full academic year of study, depending on the availability of funding.
To be eligible, students must (1) be enrolled in a degree program; (2) maintain satisfactory academic progress; (3) be accepted into the exchange program; and (4) have demonstrated progress in nearing the completion of their thesis project.
Applications must be submitted by May 1 for students planning to begin the exchange program in the US fall semester and November 1 for students planning to begin the exchange program in the US spring semester.