CHICAGO (May 1, 2023): Today, National College Decision Day, the Cristo Rey Network announced a $1,750,000 grant from the Deloitte Foundation to provide college scholarship funds to graduating seniors in the Class of 2023. This grant, the third grant made by the Deloitte Foundation will be administered and managed by the Cristo Rey Network national office, granting $50,000 to each of the 35 of 38 Cristo Rey schools with a senior class. Schools will award the grant funds to assist Class of 2023 graduates who intend to pursue one of 13 eligible majors at a postsecondary institution of their choice. 

“This remarkable investment in college access and completion for the Cristo Rey Network Class of 2023 will help propel the success of deserving students who enter fields of study supported by this grant, " said Elizabeth Goettl, Cristo Rey Network President and CEO. "The Deloitte Foundation’s collaboration, both locally and nationally, is helping our students to achieve ambitious goals for themselves, their future careers, and their families.”

Each local Cristo Rey school is selecting five to 25 recipients, named as Deloitte Foundation Scholars, who will each be awarded $2,000-$10,000 towards their chosen four-year degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, Data Science, Data Analytics, Math, Cybersecurity, or Informatics. Selected Deloitte Foundation Scholars will demonstrate academic and leadership excellence and financial need.

“For our students and their families, the cost of college can present challenging financial barriers to achieving their postsecondary and career goals,” said Andy Stith, President of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee. “Today, our students are making college decisions that will impact the trajectory of their education and career. This grant from the Deloitte Foundation can position our students and their families for success by helping to relieve the financial burden of postsecondary education.”

The past two years’ investments totaling $1,878,000 from the Deloitte Foundation reached 247 Cristo Rey scholars across the Network’s Classes of 2021 and 2022. One Deloitte Foundation Scholar, from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee, discovered his passion for engineering during his senior year of high school. “Through the Corporate Work Study program, my job at a local engineering firm helped pave my path towards mechanical engineering. Seeing the written plans come to life from paper to infrastructure fostered my passion to create.” Now studying mechanical engineering as a sophomore at Marquette University, he plans to pursue internship opportunities over the summer to build his professional experience for the future.

"As the Deloitte Foundation continues to make investments at the intersection of education and equity to help open doors to opportunity, we are excited to fund these scholarships for the third consecutive year," remarked Erin Scanlon, President, Deloitte Foundation." Supporting these students as they explore education and career pathways in business, accounting, and STEM is an important step in helping to diversify the next generation of business leaders.”

Cristo Rey Network is developing and scaling resources and tools to not only sustain but increase strong college enrollment and completion. Deloitte Foundation Scholars, along with all Cristo Rey college enrollees, will receive individualized guidance from their local Cristo Rey school alumni advisor as students navigate their postsecondary trajectory. In addition, the Cristo Rey Network’s National Alumni Association will connect fellow alumni from across the country through networking opportunities, provide professional development support, and coordinate workforce development offerings from Alumni Partners.

About the Cristo Rey Network 
The Cristo Rey Network of 38 high schools delivers a career-focused, college preparatory education in the Catholic tradition for students with limited economic resources, uniquely integrating rigorous academic curricula with four years of professional work experience and support to and through college. Cristo Rey partners with educators, businesses, and communities to enable students to fulfill their aspirations for a lifetime of success: students are more than twice as likely to complete a bachelor's degree by age 24, compared to the total U.S. low-income population. 

About the Deloitte Foundation
The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports education in the U.S. through a variety of initiatives that help develop the next generation of diverse business leaders, and their influencers, and promote excellence in teaching, research and curriculum innovation. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefiting high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and educators.