BMA Promise Expanded, Award Amounts Updated

More students will be able to take advantage of the popular BMA Promise scholarship at Central Baptist College, thanks to action taken by the CBC Board of Trustees during its meeting on Saturday, March 1. The Board’s decision also altered how the scholarship is awarded, ensuring it can benefit students for years.

“Since its inception, the BMA Promise has made it possible for students from around the globe to attend CBC,” said Executive Vice President Dr. Jeremy Langley. “This year, students on this scholarship have come to Conway from across Arkansas, the surrounding states, and as far away as Nicaragua and Honduras.”

The BMA Promise scholarship is intended to make attendance at CBC more affordable for students who hold membership in a Baptist Missionary Association (BMA) church. First announced in June 2023, the BMA Promise provided a “tuition-free” college education for up to 50 BMA students. CBC currently has a waiting list of students who desire to take advantage of the tuition discount. New guidelines adopted by Trustees this week raise the cap to 60 students but limit the scholarship’s amount in some situations.

“It is exciting to have so many students interested in CBC and the Promise scholarship,” Langley said. “Balancing affordability for students while being good stewards of the college’s resources can be tricky, but the new policy seems to do just that.”

New guidelines divide students into three categories:

• Bible Department Majors — Students with a declared major in the Bible Department will receive the same scholarship award as the original BMA Promise - a discount up to the amount of billed tuition.

• Students who are Pell-Eligible — Students who are eligible to receive a Pell grant and live in CBC-owned housing will receive a discount up to the amount of billed tuition. Pell-eligible students who live off-campus will receive a discount of up to 50% of billed tuition.

• Students who are not Pell-Eligible — Students who are not eligible to receive a Pell grant but live in CBC-owned housing will receive a discount of up to 50% of billed tuition. Those not eligible to receive a Pell grant and live off-campus will receive a discount of up to 25% of billed tuition.

“No matter their situation, the new BMA Promise guidelines have the potential to provide a significant tuition discount for all BMA students,” Langley noted. “We hope to continue raising the cap each year as resources allow.”

The BMA Promise is intended to fill the gap between a student’s federal, state and other aid and the cost of billed tuition. Funds from the scholarship are not refundable and do not cover room and board expenses or the cost of mandatory fees. All students receiving the BMA Promise scholarship will be expected to maintain a 2.50 GPA to continue receiving the discount, which is renewable for up to eight semesters.

Students already enrolled at CBC and participating in the BMA Promise will be grandfathered under the original policy and will continue to receive their current financial aid package. The revised BMA Promise award guidelines apply to any student enrolling at CBC after July 1, 2025.

— Baptist College, a four-year, private, liberal arts college owned and operated by the Baptist Missionary Association of Arkansas, is dedicated to transforming lives through education that integrates Christian faith and academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment. Offering approximately 40 baccalaureate degree programs, CBC also boasts 16 athletic teams competing in the NAIA’s AMC conference and supports six fine arts performance groups. For more information about CBC, visit cbc.edu.