Other Financial Options

Grant Aid from Other Sources

Students are encouraged to seek outside scholarships and grants to supplement their financial aid awards from YDS. Such funding may include support from students’ home churches, dioceses, or local foundations, as well as from government or private organizations.

Outside awards may be combined with a YDS scholarship up to the Estimated Cost of Attendance. However, if the total amount of a student’s YDS and non–YDS grants exceeds the Cost of Attendance, the YDS scholarship may be reduced to eliminate the excess.

The following links will take you to sites not directly affiliated with Yale Divinity School:

YDS Dining Benefits

All YDS degree students, regardless of financial aid status, receive free dining credits for use in the Divinity School Refectory. In 2025–2026, degree students enrolled in 9 credits or more will receive $1,300 in annual dining credits; degree students enrolled in fewer than 9 credits will receive $650 in annual dining credits. There are no cash equivalents or reimbursements for the free dining credits, and the credits cannot be used at other dining locations on campus.

The YDS Refectory offers breakfast and lunch options Monday through Friday and provides an inviting place for members of the YDS community to eat, talk, and spend time together. For more information on the Refectory, visit the Yale Hospitality website.

Students receive 50% of their dining credits in the fall semester and 50% in the spring semester. Unused fall-semester credits may be carried over for use in the spring; all unused credits expire at the end of the spring semester.

Degree students who want a declining balance to use at other Yale Dining locations on campus may purchase Eli Bucks on the Yale Hospitality website. Students who have used all of their free dining credits may use purchased Eli Bucks at the YDS Refectory as well. Nondegree students may also purchase Eli Bucks.

Scholarship Opportunities

Need-based and merit scholarship options for financial support.

Learn more

Campus Employment

Many students use earnings from a campus job to help with their expenses. Wages from campus jobs are paid directly to the student each week. Matriculated students can find job listings, applications, and other resources on the Student Employment website.

International students with F-1 visa status are eligible for most jobs listed through Yale’s Student Employment Office. For more information, visit the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) website.

Education Loans

Some students choose to borrow education loans for costs not covered by their scholarship awards or other resources. U.S. citizens and permanent residents who complete the FAFSA and enroll at least half time at YDS (6 credits or more per semester) are eligible for federal education loans. Students apply for federal loans using the YDS Federal Student Loan form.

Students may also choose to apply for “alternative” or “private” education loans offered by private lenders such as banks and credit unions. For alternative/private education loans, students apply directly to lenders. Those lenders, in turn, contact Yale, and the two parties work together to issue the loan funds through the university.

For more information on federal student loans available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, visit the Federal Student Aid website. Students interested in private education loans can find a lender comparison tool and other information on the ELMSelect website.

Yale Payment Plan

The Yale Payment Plan (YPP) spreads payment of billed expenses out over a period of months. Enrollment in YPP is optional and begins in May. For more information, visit the Student Accounts website.

The Yale Payment Plan is not recommended for students receiving a YDS scholarship that covers their Yale-billed expenses or for students living in on-campus Yale apartments (with rent charged monthly). Students living in Yale dormitories (with rent charged by semester), STM and part-time students who do not waive Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Care coverage, and students who do not receive YDS aid may consider YPP a helpful option for managing their Yale term bills.

Budgeting

Creating a budget can help students understand what financial resources they have and determine what others they will need at YDS. A budget can also help students decide whether to borrow and, if they borrow, the amount of loan funds to request.

Resources