California Lutheran University is partnering with Marymount Education Foundation to provide scholarships to students to attend Cal Lutheran, and according to Vice President of University Advancement Regina-Biddings Muro, it is set to start in fall of 2025.
According to the Marymount Education Foundation website, “The Marymount Education Foundation will carry on MCU’s [Marymount California University] mission of transforming lives through education by awarding college scholarships and supporting educational initiatives that promote access, degree attainment, and a community of learners.”
According to Executive Director at Marymount Education Foundation Robyn Jones, the Marymount Education Foundation was created in 2023 to carry on the legacy of Marymount California University, which closed in August 2022.
“We were very particular about the type of university we wanted to partner with, we wanted an open university, meaning that all different faiths and backgrounds can go and feel comfortable there,” Jones said.
Once the students are admitted into the partnership program, the foundation is going to consistently check in with the students to ensure they are enjoying their experience, Jones said.
“So, for the foundation as a partner to decide that they want to make sure that those who might otherwise not have the opportunity to be able to come to Cal Lutheran, it’s very consistent with our vision as a university” Biddings-Muro said.
Jones said the partnership is geared towards specific types of students, who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to attend Cal Lutheran.
“We work with the university in their admitted student list to find students who are kind of a ‘B’ average, super high financial need and cannot attend the university unless they have a scholarship like this” Jones said.
Jones said the foundation recognizes that there are not many scholarship opportunities for students with a “B” average, and don’t have extracurricular activities to get a scholarship, so they are aiming to give those students a chance to attend university.
“Students who are good, strong, students who have incredible potential but perhaps not a lot of money” Biddings -Muro said.
According to Jones, they will not provide full-ride scholarships but will cover a portion of student account needs; including housing, meal plans, and tuition all up to $25,000 a year. She said the foundation will choose five or six students to receive the scholarships.
“The partnership will benefit Cal Lutheran because it will provide an opportunity for students who are eager to learn and give back to the community to attend the school of their dreams,” Jones said.
Biddings-Muro said how important a college education is to the younger generation, and how it can have a great impact on their future. Biddings-Muro also said that the partnership is not only important for current Cal Lutheran students, but for future students as well.
“The decision to attend college in those early years after high school can set the trajectory of a person’s life for the next 40 years because they are additive,” Biddings-Muro said.
Biddings-Muro said she is excited about the partnership and how it will impact the futures of many Cal Lutheran students.
“My personal belief is that higher education is about a happy life because it teaches you how to think, it puts you in a position that other people can’t impose whatever their beliefs, ideas, and values are,” Biddings-Muro said.
For further details, you can visit the Marymount Education Foundation website.
