Foundation Scholars - Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso

The Catholic Foundation manages endowed funds to help families pay for Catholic education. The funds were established to help high-achieving students and children from low and middle-income families have the opportunity to experience the gift of a Catholic education. There are 28 funds designated for Catholic schools with a combined value of over $8 million. Building the endowed funds to our initial goal of $12 million will generate $480,000 annually to support access to Catholic education.

191 Students received scholarships for the 2023-2024 school year

$223,344 in scholarships were awarded in 2023

Contact the Catholic Foundation at (915) 872-8412 to learn about starting a fund.

Find a Scholarship Fund to Support

Why Your Support Matters

There are more requests for scholarship assistance than the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso and our local schools can provide. Yet many students attending El Paso’s Catholic schools require financial aid. Of the 2,100 students enrolled in El Paso’s Catholic Schools, nearly one out of four qualify for the federal lunch program. Many more families would like to attend but find the tuition out of reach. While our schools work hard to keep tuition affordable—from $3,500 to $8,100 per year—the need for financial aid outpaces the availability.

The Benefits of Catholic Education in Our Community

Students who attend Catholic schools are more likely to attend church and remain Catholic as adults.
Hispanic and African American Students who attend Catholic schools are 42% more likely to graduate from high school and 2.5 times more likely to graduate college.
Over 80% percent of students who graduate from Catholic schools attend college, compared to 44% of students in public schools.
In Catholic high school, 98% of low-income, minority children graduate, compared to only 66% of students in public schools.
Catholic school students are exposed to a wide variety of views, more likely to vote, more likely to be civically engaged and more likely to earn high wages than their public school peers.

Scholarship Program History

In 2009, Michael and Clara Miles established a fund for Catholic high school scholarships with a gift of $2.6 million. Their generous and thoughtful act laid the groundwork for what is known today as the Catholic Foundation’s Scholarship Program.

In 2019, the Teacher’s Salary Subsidiary Fund was added to the Catholic Foundation’s endowment program, the Catholic Legacy Fund. Established by the Office of Education with a gift of $500,000, the fund helps ensure educators in El Paso’s Catholic schools have necessary funds for salary support due to the fact that Catholic school educators are paid significantly less than their public school counterparts.

Bishop Mark Seitz established the Soñador Scholarship Fund, a scholarship fund for dreamers, with a gift of $20,000 in 2017. He believes strongly in educating our children on the border and is committed to their success. By his example, he fosters a deep appreciation for the diversity that immigrants bring to our cultural experience.