The University of Notre Dame has announced a new alliance with St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. The Alliance for Leadership Scholars is a joint partnership between Notre Dame and St. Augustine and is part of an overall strategy to generate more enrollment opportunities for top students at Catholic high schools serving historically underrepresented students.
Don Bishop, associate vice president of undergraduate enrollment, explained, “Together we will foster the development of top scholars and servant leaders. St. Augustine High School has built a legacy serving as the training ground for leadership through academic excellence, moral values, and Christian responsibility. Notre Dame’s mission as a force for good will have an enduring impact in the lives of these scholars and their communities.”
In the first year, Notre Dame seeks to enroll at least five St. Augustine students into on campus Pre-College programs for rising seniors and select juniors. Notre Dame Leadership Seminars and Summer Scholars are highly selective on campus programs led by Notre Dame faculty members. “St. Augustine students will have the opportunity to join peers from around the world, get a chance to experience the rigor of a college course, living in residence in the shadow of the Dome, building community, and develop life-long friendships,” said Paul Mueller, director of enrollment strategy, analytics, and pre-college programs.
Notre Dame will cover the cost to participate in the summer programs, including travel, room and meals, and tuition expenses for St. Augustine students each summer. The current average value of this is around $4,500 per student.
In addition, Notre Dame looks to matriculate at least three St. Augustine graduating seniors into the first-year class each fall. Not only will St. Augustine graduates receive gift aid to meet their full demonstrated need as determined by Notre Dame’s financial aid process. They will receive “no-loan” financial aid packages. Students will be expected to maintain good standing at the university and continue academic progress to preserve the “no-loan” financial aid package.
On February 4, members of St. Augustine's campus ministry leadership traveled by bus to Notre Dame with a cohort of forty-four students. While here, they attended an information session hosted by the office of undergraduate admissions and took a tour of campus with current Notre Dame students. They concluded their visit in song and prayer at The Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes. Notre Dame looks to continue this tradition by hosting a cohort from St. Augustine’s administration in the Fall of 2022.
St. Augustine High School is a college preparatory school for young men in grades 8-12 founded in 1951 by the Josephite priests and brothers, located in the heart of the New Orleans historic Seventh Ward. The urban setting gives St. Augustine’s 550 students a significant advantage in fulfilling their goals, as they interact with the larger community, learn leadership skills, and civic responsibility as part of their overall development.