LMU Receives $5.57 Million for Marymount Scholars
Marymount Scholars Program at LMU will receive $5.57 million to support Catholic high school students with admission and resources.
By Academic Writing Club Newsroom
Loyola Marymount University has received a $5.57 million gift from the Marymount Education Foundation to establish the Marymount Scholars Program. The partnership includes LMU, MEF and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It will support more than 70 Catholic high school students considering LMU, including up to 18 new students each year. The gift is the largest contribution to LMU’s Catholic High School Promise Program.
Support for Six High Schools
The program guarantees admission and provides financial support and resources for qualified seniors from six participating schools. These are Bishop Conaty–Our Lady of Loretto High School, Bishop Mora Salesian, Cantwell–Sacred Heart of Mary College Prep, Junípero Serra High School, St. Bernard College Prep and St. Pius X–St. Matthias Academy.
The Promise Program began in 2025, and its first cohort, members of the LMU Class of 2030, started at the university in the 2026-27 academic year.
Thomas Poon, President at LMU, said:
“The Marymount Education Foundation's generous commitment to LMU underscores how partners with shared values and a bold vision can create pathways to expand access to higher education. This program will transform the lives of more than 70 ambitious and talented Catholic high school students considering LMU as their college home.”
Resources Through Graduation
Marymount Scholars will receive faculty mentorship, career and professional development resources, study abroad stipends, and funding for technology, laptops and books. The program also offers one-on-one support from foundation mentors during students’ four years at LMU, from campus visits to career coaching sessions.
Robyn Jones, Founding Executive Director at MEF, said:
“MEF is gratified that its support will remove barriers for dozens of local high school students who select LMU as their college of choice. Expanding access to higher education and creating pathways to help students achieve lifelong success are key elements of the foundation's mission.”
A Pathway to LMU
For students in the participating high schools, the program combines guaranteed admission with financial and academic support intended to help them take part in university life through graduation.
Chibby Obi, LMU first-year student and LMU Catholic High School Promise Program Scholar at LMU, said:
“The LMU Catholic High School Promise Program helped make the dream of college a reality for me. Having the ongoing support of the program and getting to know my cohort peers has made me excited for the four years ahead.”
