I don't know how it is now in our Southern Baptist seminaries, but when I started at SWBTS in '78 a student that was a Southern Baptist had a number of benefits. One, the Cooperative Program picked up the majority of the tab (I think I paid under $200 a semester). Along with that the seminary gave many students on-campus jobs (along with their spouses). Finally, the modest but adequate housing was very inexpensive.

My wife and I were not parents during most of time we were in seminary. Also, my wife got a nice paying job at Texas Christian University. I worked many hours (as many as I was alllowed) at seminary. I worked in the AV Library. A good deal of the time the activity was so light at work that I was allowed to study while working.

God was very good to us.

__________________
Ivan Schoen, Pastor * Maranatha Baptist Church, Poplar Grove, IL * http://maranatha-sbc.org/

"I want to assist churches and to assist pastors in training pastors. But, after fourteen years of service in this capacity, I am absolutely certain that the finest theological seminary on earth is absolutely incompetent at replicating the actual life of a Gospel congregation. I want to train a generation of pastors who will train pastors, and I want to help them in that task." --- Dr. R. Albert Mohler, President of THE Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY