Free stuff and not-so-free stuff

I survived First Week at Luther Seminary. Considering that it was pretty much nonstop fun — no classes yet — there wasn't much to survive. Just a lot of helpful orientation sessions and chances to meet people. Oh, and free stuff. I made out like a bandit. Here is a summary of all the freebies I accumulated, compliments of the seminary and partnering organizations, through my involvement this week:

• Six free meals
• Two T-shirts
• A $100 gift certificate to the seminary bookstore
• An Augsburg Fortress book bag
• An Evangelical Lutheran Church in America lunch bag
• One 256-megabyte USB flash drive
• One pedometer
• One tetanus shot
• One stapler
• One DVD about the apostle Paul
• One water bottle
• One "God can use someone like you" silicone bracelet
• Two notepads
• One lanyard
• Three pens
• One large lemon-lime Arctic Rush slush at Dairy Queen
• Minor upper-arm soreness from the aforementioned tetanus shot

The bad news is (1) this showering of free stuff will not continue and (2) the cost of attending seminary will far outweigh the combined dollar value of these complimentary items. I won't bore you with a bulleted list of costs for a seminary student, but the bottom line is that this undertaking changes your financial situation more than a little. With this in mind, the seminary sponsored a stewardship workshop for new students on Friday.

I must note with deep gratitude that my generous home church and the ELCA are together covering most of the $9,700 yearly tuition. And as you'll notice by clicking on the link about seminary costs that I put in the last paragraph, the tuition and fees paid by students are only 22 percent of the total education costs (thanks, donors!).

Also on the bright side: My wife, Tracy, and I recently finished paying off Tracy's grad-school debt. And we have managed to stay out of other debt (aside from car payments) with a common sense approach to spending. I know we're in better shape than many other seminary students and their families who may come in with considerably more debt from college or mortgages to pay off.

It won't get easier as seminary progresses. As shared in Friday's workshop, members of Luther Seminary's class of 2006 graduated with a combined $3.9 million in outstanding student-loan debt and an average of $41,681 per borrower. The line of work they're entering doesn't exactly offer a quick payback. And of course, it's crucial that church leaders not let debt damage their lives and service.

Considering the remaining seminary costs and the drop in my income from when I was working full-time, Tracy and I are examining ways to keep from borrowing much or dipping into our savings. It's not going to be easy, and we know we're going to have to cut our spending. Pretty much anyone considering seminary needs to know this dimension of changes to life.

But it can be done, and the seminary offers students tools such as financial coaches to make it happen. My parents made it through while my dad was at seminary. With some smart habits and faith in God, we'll make it, too.

If only indebtedness were as easy to avoid as tetanus.