Open the Doors to Catholic University for Students in the D.C. Metro Area
The D.C. Metro Scholars program gives students from traditionally underrepresented communities the opportunity to receive a Catholic University education through financial support.
Your gift would help these students face one less burden as they pursue their education, as well as pave the way for the next generation of Cardinals.
Your Support Makes an Impact
Our goal is to increase the number of undergraduate students from our local community by significantly reducing the financial barrier many students face when pursuing higher education.
At this time, the percentage of undergraduate students from traditionally underrepresented communities in the D.C. Metro area is 15%; our goal is to have 20% representation by the 2025-2026 academic year. A similar program last year resulted in a 127% increase in first-year students from traditionally underrepresented communities in D.C.
How will the D.C. Metro Scholars Program expand on last year’s success?
- Broaden coverage to the D.C. metropolitan area
- Recognize that students from traditionally underrepresented communities require more financial support (i.e., $15,000/year) and, often, additional time to complete their education (five years, rather than four)
- Calculate that a donor may fund one D.C. Metro Scholar for four years of undergraduate study for $63,200, and for five years of undergraduate study for $79,000 (both payable in installments)
Who receives the benefits of the D.C. Metro Scholars Program?
- Students, empowering those from traditionally underrepresented communities, our neighbors, to earn a university degree and change the trajectory of their lives
- Employers, building a strong pipeline of ethical, skilled, diverse employees for our region’s businesses and organizations
- Catholic University, enabling us to become a richer, more inclusive community of learners
A natural fit with Catholic University, the new D.C. Metro Scholars Program is:
- Consistent with our mission, faithfully living out the tenets of Catholic social teaching, in service to our neighbors
- Aligned with our history, including the first African-American woman to earn a doctoral degree in mathematics in the U.S. (1943); the Partnership Program, founded in 1969; and the Sister Thea Bowman Committee, set up in 2020 to formulate recommendations regarding racial equality on campus
- Boosted by our comprehensive support programs, designed to ensure that students matriculate, persevere in their studies to reach graduation, and succeed at the University (e.g., Take Flight, the Center for Cultural Engagement)
- Likely to succeed in our ideal setting, as we are a University that:
- Values each human being, educating holistically – in mind, body and spirit
- Operates like a small liberal arts college, while enjoying the benefits of being a major research institution
- Is located on the largest, greenest campus in D.C.
- Is home to a well-rounded student body
- Has the infrastructure to support larger, more diverse classes