Thanks to an innovative partnership developed through Elmhurst College’s religious affiliation with the United Church of Christ, members of the UCC denomination who enroll in one of Elmhurst’s master’s degree or graduate certificate programs can take their first course for free.

The free graduate course voucher, offered through the Elmhurst College-United Church of Christ Partner Program, will be available beginning this fall to members of any of the more than 100 Elmhurst College-UCC partner churches located around the country.

The free course voucher program is the most recent example of Elmhurst College’s continuing effort to make its longtime affiliation with the UCC more relevant and meaningful. Elmhurst College President S. Alan Ray presented the first graduate course voucher to the Reverend Geoffrey Black, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, on May 31 when Black attended Elmhurst’s Commencement to receive an honorary doctorate of divinity.

“The Elmhurst-UCC voucher program is another example of the College’s continued commitment to working with the UCC to build a vibrant, vital relationship,” said Elmhurst College Chaplain H. Scott Matheney. “It’s a clear message from both institutions about the value of higher education for an educated faith in an educated society.”

The voucher program is for students who have been admitted to an Elmhurst College master’s degree or graduate certificate program, and vouchers are offered on a space-available basis. For more information, please contact William Kartsimas in the School for Professional Studies, at (630) 617-3069.