By Elena Perri • Posted May 19, 2026

Mount St. Mary’s University recently formed a new partnership with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s secondary school system, which guarantees admission and a renewable four-year scholarship to qualified archdiocesan high school graduates.

Graduates with a minimum 3.0 grade point average who are admitted to Mount St. Mary’s will receive scholarships ranging from $27,000 to $35,000 per year, with a total value of $108,000 to $140,000 over four years.

Mount St. Mary’s is a private Catholic liberal arts university in Emmitsburg, Maryland, roughly two hours from Philadelphia. Established in 1806, it’s currently home to more than 1,800 undergraduate students.

The new memorandum of understanding, announced in early March, aims to bolster admissions to Mount St. Mary’s University while providing archdiocesan high school students more affordable access to Catholic higher education.

“When I first came to Mount St. Mary’s, the institutional advancement office had me on what was called a presidential meet-and-greet tour,” said university president Gerald “Jerry” Joyce, Ph.D.

“I then came back and started getting my hands dirty in the admissions world, (thinking), ‘We’re not getting as many applications from (the Philadelphia area) anymore. I think we need to go back to the schools.’”

While the university stands to benefit from a bump in admissions, making college affordable for incoming students is equally important.

“I think one of the biggest pieces is that it really takes the question of the financial need off the table,” said William Brannick, archdiocesan Superintendent of Secondary Schools and Schools of Special Education.

The partnership “gives them a great opportunity to be get outside the Philadelphia area but also be close enough to be able to get home,” he added.

For Joyce, turning his attention to Philadelphia Catholic schools was something of a homecoming.

“It felt like going home because it was where I was formed,” he explained. “I said, ‘I’d love to have more of a formalized relationship with the Archdiocese because those are the type of students who will thrive at Mount St. Mary’s.’”

The initiative almost immediately started to bring results.

“We saw an increase in our applications as I went to each of these schools,” Joyce said. “I had a few applications, for example, from Bishop Shanahan (High School) in the past five years, and this year we got 26 applications and 24 were accepted. Our applications, which we’re tracking in different categories, were significantly up in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia last year to this year.”

The feedback from school leaders has been overwhelmingly positive as well, according to Brannick.

“I think the school leaders are really excited and grateful that this approach is being taken system-wide across our 15 schools,” he said. “Number one, it takes something off their plate in that they don’t have to worry about individual agreements at each location. And number two, it’s something all our students have the opportunity to look at.”

Attending Mount St. Mary’s also offers prospective students the chance to learn about and grow in their faith in a strong Catholic environment.

“Students have core theology requirements,” Joyce said. “We have 23 different student-run Bible studies that students are really interested in, including a lot of our athletes, which is great.”

Strengthening the university’s focus on mission and ministry was an important priority for the new president.

“Campus ministry was part of student life when I arrived, and I created an Office of Mission and Ministry and added a leadership person in that area, so that’s more highlighted in the whole (student) experience.”

Joyce also incorporates his own faith background when engaging with prospective students and families.

“I have a Salesian background, so one of St. Francis de Sales’ sayings is, ‘All through love, nothing through force,’” he said. “I really emphasize everyone’s spiritual journey being unique and know it’s not one size fits all, but here you not only develop as a student, but part of that is your spiritual development.”

Looking ahead, Brannick is optimistic about the partnership.

“Colleges want to make sure their name is out there,” he said. “For us as high school administrators, we want to make sure there is a real awareness of what opportunities are available for our students.

“Being able to provide the best fit for the student personally, for them in their professional path, and then to be able to continue the journey of their faith, it’s just simply a great match.”