(SNR) – The Diocese of Lincoln formed The Good Shepherd Scholarship Fund in 2019 to support Catholic school students and families in need of financial assistance.
The Good Shepherd Scholarship provides vital financial assistance to Lincoln Diocese Catholic School families and students. Scholarship awards are provided based on financial need and family size. This significantly helps families by lowering the financial burden of attending Catholic Schools.
More than 6,500 students are educated in the Catholic Schools of the Lincoln Diocese, and 20% are currently receiving Good Shepherd Scholarships.
“The Good Shepherd Scholarship is an immensely important part of ensuring that parents, regardless of economic status, can provide their children with a truly authentic Catholic education,” said Nathan Seger, director of development. “We plan to keep it that way, and we hope to expand its impact to even more families,” he added.
The 2019-2020 school year was the first year of the Good Shepherd Scholarship. More than $1.2 million was awarded in scholarships, benefitting 1,170 students and their families.
Scholarships were awarded to families within 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, and they covered up to 75% of tuition, or $900 for grade school and $1,300 for high school.
Thirty-four percent of the Good Shepherd Scholarship seniors identified as minority students, compared to 33.5% in Nebraska. One hundred percent of those specific Good Shepherd Scholarship seniors graduated from high school, compared to a national rate of 85.3% and a Nebraska rate of 88.4%.
For the 2020-2021 school year, currently underway, more than $2 million in scholarships have been awarded to 1,337 students.
This year, families within 225% of the Federal Poverty Level were eligible for scholarships. The scholarships cover up to 75% of tuition, or $1,300 for grade school and $1,600 for high school. The scholarships also included $225 to cover the technology fee for 1,200 students.
The Good Shepherd Scholarship Fund was established with both donations to the Joy of the Gospel campaign and recent donations from donors who have joined and share the scholarship’s mission.
To learn more about the Good Shepherd Scholarship and how to join its mission, contact Nathan Seger at [email protected] or Eva Fujan at [email protected].
