Giving Opportunities: Southwest Scholars Program

Through partnerships with select high schools, Southwest Scholars introduces St. John’s to students in the American Southwest, breaks down barriers to admission, and gives more students from this underserved region a chance to experience the transformative power of a liberal arts education.

What Makes Southwest Scholars So Important?

Times are changing, and so is our approach to finding future Johnnies. The college can no longer rely on strategies that appeal primarily to students from affluent, suburban families—a shrinking demographic. College-age students now represent more diverse backgrounds, are often the first in their families to attend college, and have fewer resources to contribute toward tuition.

They are also bombarded with messages from larger institutions that have bigger marketing budgets—and a less expensive education model—than St. John’s.

To remain competitive, the college must take a more targeted approach that includes outreach to lower-income communities in the southwestern states, an area with population growth. Through Southwest Scholars, St. John’s can focus more intently on this region and build relationships with educators who will promote the Program to high-achieving students with an interest in the liberal arts.

The initiative has only been in place since 2018, and despite pandemic-related disruption in 2020 and 2021, St. John’s has already established partnerships with more than two dozen schools in Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.

How You Can Help

As a donor-funded effort, Southwest Scholars relies on three sources of support: annual gifts to the Fund for St. John’s, special gifts from alumni and friends who are able to give at a high level, and investment income from permanently endowed gifts.

Because the needs of Southwest Scholars are so great, the college depends heavily on gifts of $25,000 or more that are intended for the full benefit of the program. Your gift at this level will enable the college to organize events for partner schools, introduce educators to the Program through Summer Classics or the Graduate Institute, and offer scholarships to students who want to study in Santa Fe. If you are able to commit to a $50,000 gift, you can establish an endowed fund that will serve as a lasting source of support for Southwest Scholars. The gift will be permanently invested with the goal of achieving long-term growth while generating a stream of revenue that sustains the program year after year.

Learn More About Southwest Scholars and Its Multi-Pronged Approach
- Establishing Partnerships
  
  Southwest Scholars Program is the development of a partner program with select high schools throughout the six states of the American Southwest.
- Fostering Engagement with Educators
  
  St. John’s relies on teachers and guidance counselors to point qualified students to the college, but school personnel are often subject to misconceptions of their own.
- Fostering Engagement with Students
  
  In an area where small colleges are rare, gaining an appreciation for the value of a liberal arts education can be as much of a challenge as affording it.
- Creating Affordable Pathways to St. John’s
  
  Income disparities loom large in the Southwest, and this situation will likely grow more acute in the coming years.

Establishing Partnerships

The centerpiece of the Southwest Scholars is the partnership between St. John’s College and select high schools—a growing list that now includes more than two dozen partners. Partner schools gain access to a variety of resources provided by St. John’s at no cost to the school. The college in turn benefits from targeted exposure to prospective students, enhanced marketing and recruitment opportunities, and a strengthened friendship with key ambassadors who will be a voice for St. John’s in the Southwest.

St. John’s enjoys a deeper relationship with the faculty, administration, and students of participating schools.
Partners gain VIP access to St. John’s admissions and financial aid teams, as well as invitations to partners-only events.
St. John’s is able to target our marketing dollars in a more strategic and effective manner.

Fostering Engagement with Educators

St. John’s relies on teachers and guidance counselors to point qualified students to the college, but school personnel are often subject to misconceptions of their own. Some have been misled by the notion that an increasingly specialized society warrants a near-infinite supply of educational choices, each subject to even further specialization.

By providing them with a first-hand experience of St. John’s, we can help these educators to better understand the benefits of our Program and promote it more effectively–and enthusiastically–in their own schools.

St. John’s will provide key personnel from participating schools with an immersive Santa Fe campus tour—or bring St. John’s to the school through on-site seminars.
Teachers and counselors are eligible for an annual half-tuition scholarship to attend the Graduate Institute in Santa Fe over the course of four summers.
One teacher and counselor per school per year will receive a full-tuition scholarship to Summer Classics in Santa Fe.

Fostering Engagement with Students

In an area where small colleges are rare, gaining an appreciation for the value of a liberal arts education can be as much of a challenge as affording it. This is especially true for two traditionally underrepresented groups: students who are the first in their families to attend college and students from isolated, rural communities.

The Southwest Scholars Program provides opportunities for high school students to learn more about St. John’s and to enjoy a taste of the experience that awaits future Johnnies.

Travel grants enable students to visit St. John’s for an immersive Santa Fe campus tour.
Schools are guaranteed a personal visit and special presentation by admissions staff, either in person or, when necessary, online.
One junior per school per year will receive a full-tuition scholarship to Summer Academy, one of our most reliable pipelines for new students.

Creating Affordable Pathways to St. John’s

Income disparities loom large in the Southwest, and this situation will likely grow more acute in the coming years. Statistics reveal that a rising percentage of college-age students will come from lower-income households and from economically vulnerable communities where a private college education is sometimes seen as a luxury for only the wealthy to enjoy. The Southwest Scholars Program counters these factors by creating more affordable pathways for a diverse range of students.

Students are eligible to receive a $5,000 annual scholarship to attend St. John’s College in Santa Fe for four years.
St. John’s works hand in hand with partner schools to help interested students maximize their options.
A junior nominated by each high school will receive a St. John’s College Book Award.

What Our Students And Partners Have to Say About Southwest Scholars

Your gifts are expanding St. John’s reach, making our distinctive education more accessible to students—and educators—across the six states of the American Southwest.

Southwest Scholar

Avery Lin (SF25)

Thanks to my school’s involvement with the Southwest Scholars program and the financial support I received through it, I found myself realizing that St. John’s was not just another small liberal arts college. It was not just a better place—it was the only place for me.

Teacher

Chris Ferrara

Southwest Scholars has allowed Menaul School to strengthen our students’ connections to great ideas. Tutors have led workshops to get our faculty thinking about how to get our kids thinking. These trainings are force multipliers for our instructors—and that is necessary in a state like New Mexico, where schools and students often lack advantage.
Chris is a teacher with Menaul School, Albuquerque, NM.

Teacher

Aaron Pellowski (SFGI)

Attending the Graduate Institute is life-changing, no matter where you are in life. I found myself constantly exposed to new and brilliant ideas, but just as often found myself rethinking ideas I thought I’d understood long ago. As a teacher working with ambitious and curious students, my experience at St. John’s has exposed me to the higher aims of education, and I feel better equipped to open the doors of wisdom and wonder.
As a teacher at a Southwest Scholars partner school, Aaron received a scholarship to study at the Graduate Institute.

Southwest Scholar

Zippy Rowe (SF25)

I am very grateful for Southwest Scholars, as it allowed me to connect with a school that already felt like home given its similarity to my own educational upbringing at Loveland Classical. The many helping hands in combination with the scholarship have been the driving force in my ability and desire to attend St. John’s College.

Southwest Scholar