Loyola Marymount University was welcoming a $5.57 million gift Friday from the Marymount Education Foundation that will establish a program providing financial support and other resources to students from six Los Angeles-area Catholic high schools.
The gift establishes the Marymount Scholars Program, a partnership involving LMU, the foundation and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles aimed at helping students facing financial and other barriers attend the university.
LMU’s campus is in the Westchester area of Los Angeles.
The program will support up to 18 new students annually who participate in the LMU Catholic High School Promise Program, an academic partnership established in 2025 between the university and the archdiocese’s Department of Catholic Schools. LMU said the $5.57 million commitment is the largest gift to the Promise Program since it was established.
“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,” LMU President Thomas Poon said. “This program will transform the lives of more than 70 ambitious and talented Catholic high school students considering LMU as their college home.”
Qualified high school seniors participating in the Marymount Scholars Program will be guaranteed admission to LMU and receive financial assistance and other resources, according to the university.
The six participating schools are Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School, Bishop Mora Salesian, Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary College Prep, Junipero Serra High School, St. Bernard College Prep and St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy.
The first cohort of students in the broader Catholic High School Promise Program, members of LMU’s Class of 2030, began attending the university at the start of the 2026-27 academic year.
“I am delighted by this new partnership, which will make Catholic education more affordable and more available to young people in our archdiocese,” Archbishop Jose H. Gomez said. “It is a great example of what we can do when we work together, and I look forward to a long relationship between our Catholic schools and Loyola Marymount University.”
In addition to financial assistance, Marymount Scholars will have access to faculty mentorship, career and professional development resources, technology, laptops and books, along with stipends toward study-abroad opportunities, according to LMU.
Students will also receive one-on-one assistance from foundation mentors throughout their four years in the program, including campus visits and career coaching.
“MEF is gratified that its support will remove barriers for dozens of local high school students who select LMU as their college of choice,” Marymount Education Foundation Founding Executive Director Robyn Jones said. “Expanding access to higher education and creating pathways to help students achieve lifelong success are key elements of the foundation’s mission.”