Today the choice to invest in a four-year degree is a substantial financial decision. At Santa Clara University, we believe that exceptional students, regardless of their financial resources, are worthy of an academic experience equal to their achievements. This reality dictates that we increase our endowment to help offset the financial burden of a Santa Clara University education.

Eoin Lyons ’19, Valedictorian,  Johnson Scholar, Leadership Excellence and Academic Development Scholar: “Four years flew by. And here I am. The first in my family to graduate from a college or university. 

“I can say with confidence that I have taken full advantage of the blessed opportunity offered to me by Santa Clara University’s Johnson Scholars Program. Immersion trips to our nation’s border towns and Panamanian health clinics. Internships with Franklin Templeton Investments and KPMG in India and Silicon Valley. Studying abroad in London. Serving as a Student Ambassador. I am so grateful for my experience here, especially the support of the Leadership Excellence and Academic Development Scholars Program. I experienced a world beyond my imagination.

“In high school, I knew that a degree from a four-year college or university would be an eventual step on my life’s path. I did not know where that step would rest—or the financial burden it would carry—but a step nonetheless. And then the letters started to appear in our mailbox.

“Boston College. Georgetown University. University of Notre Dame. University of California, Los Angeles. University of Chicago. I had been accepted to nearly every school that received my application. But only one offered our family a financial package that would leave me debt-free and open doors to unimaginable opportunity: Santa Clara University.”

Established in 2003, the Leadership Excellence and Academic Development Scholars Program supports first-generation students.