La Sierra, Marymount foundation $1.15 million agreement expands scholarship program

The Marymount Education Foundation and the university signed a memorandum of understanding in February for the university to receive $1.15 million beginning with a first installment in August under the Marymount Scholars Program. Additional installments will be received in August 2027, 2028, and 2029. The proceeds will help support current scholarships for a cohort of six Marymount scholars who enrolled at the university last fall under a first memorandum signed in January 2025.

This year's memorandum of understanding expands funding to support 10 more undergraduate students, both incoming freshmen and transfers, for a total of 16 students under scholarship.

The scholarship recipients, known as Marymount Scholars, will be selected by the university and will be part of the Marymount Scholars Program which offers academic and community support including mentorship and professional development training.

"The work we do adds value to these lives and we are deeply grateful to be so significantly supported in this work by the Marymount Education Foundation." - President Christon Arthur

The program seeks to assist marginalized students from Southern California and requires that scholarship recipients be eligible to receive Pell Grant funds, a federal need-based subsidy. Individuals in each cohort will receive an average of $25,000 in scholarship funding per academic year. Individual scholarship amounts may vary, according to the agreement. Scholarship recipients will be encouraged to live on campus.

"We focus on transformational mission at La Sierra, which is often about people who have been left behind due to their life circumstances. Such populations are not a priority of people in power," said La Sierra University President Christon Arthur. "The work we do adds value to these lives and we are deeply grateful to be so significantly supported in this work by the Marymount Education Foundation. Their mission is in alignment with our own and we are truly blessed to join forces with them along this sometimes-difficult journey of helping others achieve their best potential."

"We have seen firsthand the impact that the Marymount Scholars Program has had on students at La Sierra, and we are proud to continue investing in their success." - Robyn Jones, Executive Director of the Marymount Education Foundation

"Our partnership with La Sierra University reflects a shared commitment to supporting students who demonstrate both financial need and a strong desire to make a difference," said Robyn Jones, Executive Director of the Marymount Education Foundation. "We have seen firsthand the impact that the Marymount Scholars Program has had on students at La Sierra, and we are proud to continue investing in their success. By providing sustained financial support and mentorship, we are helping scholars reach their full potential and create lasting change for their families and communities."

Marymount Education Foundation is a nonprofit 501c3 public benefit corporation. It was incorporated Sept. 1, 2022, to carry on Marymount California University's mission of transforming lives through access to education. The former 54-year-old private Catholic university in Rancho Palos Verdes closed in fall 2022 due to financial difficulties and declining enrollment.

The foundation and its Marymount Scholars Program furthers the founding university's mission of effecting positive change and transforming lives through education.