If you’re considering Weimar University, one of the first questions you may ask is simple: “How does this work financially?” It’s a fair question, and it deserves a clear answer. Weimar University has made a deliberate choice not to participate in federal grants or student loan programs. That decision is sometimes misunderstood, but for us it is a feature, not a limitation.
“The borrower is servant to the lender.”
Proverbs 22:7
A Journey of Faith, But Also Finance
We are mentoring our students to develop a spirit of self-support that prepares them for a lifetime of ministry and mission. More than a financial model, financing your education at Weimar is a spiritual journey of learning to trust the Lord with real needs.
“Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing.”
Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing
Learning to draw on God’s resources as you step forward in faith is not a lesson confined to your student years. It is a quality we want every Weimar graduate to carry for the rest of their lives.
Freedom to Follow Your Calling, Without Financial Strings
For many of our students, the most liberating reality of a Weimar education isn’t discovered at graduation. It’s discovered the moment they realize they don’t have to take a job that doesn’t align with their calling. When you graduate without government or bank debt, you are free. Free to go directly into the mission field. Free to serve with an organization whose mission matters to you, without first having to satisfy a lender who doesn’t share your values. That freedom doesn’t happen by accident. It is the result of a system designed from the ground up to encourage stewardship and responsibility.
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
1 Corinthians 4:2
A Different Approach to Financing Education
Students take an active role in financing their education through a combination of:
- Work opportunities — Canvassing at Weimar can bring in over $500 a day toward tuition for motivated students
- Personal and family support
- Scholarships and institutional aid — for those who qualify
- Sponsorships — see below for why we actively encourage these
- Careful, intentional financial planning
The results speak for themselves:
| National Average | Weimar University | |
| Annual tuition | $39,4001 | $34,030 |
| Students with federal loan debt | Over 50%2 | 0% |
| Average debt at graduation | $37,7003 | $2,500 |
That’s over 93% less debt than the national average.
If a Weimar graduate carries any debt from their education, it will not be owed to a bank or the government, rather it will be to a family member, a friend, or a scholarship fund. Repayment happens on human terms, when you are in a position to give back, not under threat of compounding interest or penalty.
Why We Encourage Sponsorships
We encourage our students to seek sponsorships not only to deepen their own faith, but to offer potential sponsors the privilege of participating in developing the next generation of workers for God. What better investment than supporting a student who will spend the rest of their life multiplying that gift in ministry?
“It is a privilege and a duty for God’s servants to ask both believers and wealthy men of the world for means to advance the work of the Lord.”
Ellen G. White
“I knew God was calling me to Weimar, but I knew it would take far more than just me working. I had no family support and did not feel I could seek help from others. I prayed for weeks for God to show me how, and He did. He connected me with someone who opened my eyes to see that it was a privilege offered to someone else to help support my education. Within a day of reaching out, someone offered to match my support up to $5,000. In just a few weeks, I had $10,000 committed to my education. It has truly been a wonderful and faith-building journey.”
— Caleb, Weimar Student
Why We Don’t Participate in Federal Funding
As a self-supporting, private, accredited university, we are committed to educating students in harmony with Christian values, a deep understanding of Scripture, and a calling to heal a hurting world. Participating in federal funding programs would place us under regulatory frameworks that increasingly shape what institutions can teach, how they operate, and how they make decisions. While many schools navigate that path, we have chosen a different one. The freedom to remain fully aligned with our mission is worth protecting, without filtering our education through ever-changing government mandates that take effect the moment we accept government funds or loans.
Step Forward in Faith
We recognize that choosing Weimar is both a response to a calling and a real financial decision. If you’re wrestling with whether it’s possible, we want to be clear: if God is calling you here, it is possible. But calling is never passive. It asks you to stretch spiritually, and yes, financially. To give your best effort and step forward in faith. We have seen it time and again: when students are willing to do all they can, God provides a way.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
Weimar University provides the highest quality, mission-driven education at the lowest cost we can responsibly offer. Don’t wait. Apply. Step forward in faith, and begin the path God is preparing for you.
References
1 College Board. Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2023. https://research.collegeboard.org/trends/college-pricing
2 National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/npsas/
3 Education Data Initiative. Average Student Loan Debt Statistics https://educationdata.org/student-loan-debt-statistics