MK Scholarship Organization Approval

What is the MK Scholarship?

The Missionary Kid Scholarship (MK Scholarship), established for new students beginning enrollment in the Spring 2015 semester or later, is available exclusively for children of missionaries. College-age children may apply for the MK Scholarship prior to enrolling at Liberty University if their parents are currently serving on a foreign mission field outside of the United States with a Liberty-approved organization.

For more details about the MK Scholarship and the student application process, please click HERE. For a full list of eligibility requirements click HERE and click the Residential Undergraduate Scholarships drop-down and scroll down to find the Missionary Kid Scholarship.

Who Approves Organizations for the MK Scholarship?

While LU Shepherd office manages the student application process, LU Serve manages the organization approval process. In order for prospective students to apply for the MK Scholarship their organization must be a Liberty-approved organization and receive approval prior to prospective students applying for the scholarship.

In order for prospective students to apply for the MK Scholarship, the must confirm with LU Shepherd that their parent’s mission organization is a Liberty-approved organization. If it is not already approved, the mission organization must apply to be a Liberty-approved organization with LU Serve through the process outlined below.

Apply to be an Approved Organization for the MK Scholarship

Criteria

Christian mission organizations that exhibit biblical doctrinal and missional alignment and meet standards for stateside MK care and financial accountability set forth by Liberty University may apply to be approved organizations for this program. Contact LU Serve by emailing serverelations@liberty.edu for more information and to receive the application link.

Applications may be submitted at any time throughout the year. However, there will be only two evaluation windows where applications will be reviewed to be approved or denied.

Churches and/or denominations who act as a ‘sending agency’ will automatically be denied for this program, as only registered mission organizations with a stateside MK Care Representative are eligible to be considered for approval.

Summer Evaluation Window

June 1, 2025 | Summer Organization Application and Reference Letter Deadline
June 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025 | Summer Organization Application Evaluations
June 30, 2025 | Summer Organization Approval Decisions Emailed to Applicants

Winter Evaluation Window

January 24, 2026 | Winter Organization Application and Reference Letter Deadline*
January 27, 2026 – February 7, 2026 | Winter Organization Application Evaluations
February 7, 2026 | Winter Organization Approval Decisions Emailed to Applicants

Student Application & Selection

October 1, 2025 | Student Application is Live for the 2025-2026 Award Year
January 24, 2026 | Student Application and Agency Verification Letter Deadline
January 27, 2026 – February 7, 2026 | Student Application Reviews
February 17, 2026 – February 28, 2026 | Interviews
March 7, 2026 | Award Applicants
March 17, 2026 | Contract Signing

For a student’s application to be evaluated, their mission organization must be an approved organization. If the mission organization is not approved, it may apply at any time throughout the prior year to be approved before the student’s application is evaluated and will be reviewed in either of the two evaluation windows, depending on when it is submitted.

If a student from a non-approved organization wishes to apply once the Student Application is live and during the Winter Evaluation Window for organization approval, the student and organization may simultaneously submit applications. If both applications and reference/agency verification letters are fully received before the January 24, 2026 deadline, they may both be considered – first, the organization and, if approved, then the student. If the mission organization is approved, the student’s application will be evaluated during Student Application Reviews. If the mission organization is not approved, the student’s application will not be considered.