Southwest Scholars Program

St. John’s College, the nation’s preeminent great books college and one of the Southwest’s top liberal arts colleges, is partnering with high schools across the Southwest to promote liberal arts education at both the secondary and post-secondary levels.

By joining the Partnership, high schools gain access to a variety of training, visit, and scholarship opportunities that encourage liberal arts education for students, teachers, and college counselors. St. John’s College benefits by gaining greater exposure among both students and teachers as well as a more robust relationship with the intellectual communities of the Southwest.

Partnership Benefits

For High School Students

  • Annual $5,000 undergraduate scholarship for four years to attend St. John’s College in Santa Fe as a Southwest Scholar.
  • Annual full-tuition scholarship for a junior nominated by the high school to attend one week at the St. John’s College Summer Academy in Santa Fe.
  • Annual St. John’s College book award for a junior nominated by the high school.
  • Travel grants up to $500 for transportation expenses to Santa Fe for individual students to visit campus overnight, which includes a tour, information session, three meals, housing in the dormitories, and at least three class observations. 

For High School Teachers

  • Discussion-based seminars and teacher trainings at the high school led by a St. John’s College faculty member. 
  • Annual half-tuition scholarship for a teacher to do the St. John’s College Graduate Institute over four summers which will culminate in the Master of Liberal Arts degree.
  • Annual full-tuition scholarship for a teacher to spend one week at the St. John’s College Summer Classics program in Santa Fe.
  • Optional free use of St. John’s College seminar and laboratory spaces, as available, for teaching or faculty meetings.

For College Counselors

  • Annual full-tuition scholarship for a college counselor to spend one week at the St. John’s College Summer Classics program in Santa Fe.
  • Annual visit to the high school counseling office by a St. John’s College Southwest Scholars representative.
  • Presentations to a class/all school/all juniors, if desired, during annual high school visit by St. John’s College Southwest Scholars representative.
  • Optional annual group field trip for students to St. John’s College, which includes a tour, information session, lunch, and a faculty-led seminar. 

Joining Southwest Scholars Partnership

  1. Contact the Director of the Southwest Scholars Partnership at southwest(at)sjc.edu.
  2. Assign a primary liaison for the Partnership (typically a college counselor or head of school).
  3. Sign the formal Partnership agreement.