NEUMANN SCHOLARS PROGRAM SUMMARY SHEET 2022-2023 DESCRIPTION: The Neumann Scholars Program, honoring the founder of our parochial schools, St. John Neumann, the fourth bishop of Philadelphia (1852-1860), is an initiative sponsored by the Connelly Foundation. Developed in 1994 to promote and reward academic excellence among students in parish/regional schools, the program provides scholarships in each district of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to those who excel in an independently administered test. Students designated as Neumann Scholars are offered four-year scholarships to any of the seventeen Archdiocesan high schools. For each of the four years in high school, the annual amount of the Neumann Scholarship will be announced in January by the Office of Catholic Education. Any fees will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian.
ELIGIBILITY/CRITERIA: Letters of invitation to sit for the Neumann Scholarship Test are sent by elementary school principals to eligible students who meet the following criteria:
Attended a parish/regional elementary school for the entire 7th grade academic year
Currently attend a parish/regional school located in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Achieved a National Percentile (NP) Total Score of 90 OR a Cognitive Skills Index (CSI) of 115 or higher in the 7th grade Terra Nova Test
Achieved a final general average of 90 in 7th grade
Have a strong desire to attend an Archdiocesan high school
Received an invitation to take the Neumann Scholarship Test
Complete the application process by the stated deadline
Submit an essay to the elementary principal
The Neumann Scholarship Test is a 2½ hour standardized scholarship test. It will be produced and scored by an approved independent testing agency. There is no fee to register for the Neumann Scholarship Test.
AWARDS: Neumann Scholars will be determined by the ranking of Neumann Scholarship Test results in each county. The scholarship announcement is scheduled for November. Approximately 35 scholarships will be awarded each year. The distribution of the scholarships will be determined by the number of students who sit for the Neumann Scholarship Test exam in each county.
SCHOLARSHIP ACCEPTANCE: Scholarship recipients will be required to sign a Letter of Intent indicating acceptance of the scholarship and intent to attend a specified Archdiocesan high school in September of their freshman year. Scholarship recipients must pay any and all required fees in full on or before the date to be determined to their selected high school.
SCHOLAR REVIEW: At the conclusion of each academic year, each scholarship recipient’s performance will be reviewed. To retain the Neumann Program Scholarship, each recipient must maintain: General Average of 92.0 or above, Current or Cumulative Rank within the top 15.0% of class, Final Conduct Average of 85.0 or above with minimal absences and lateness.
The Office of Catholic Education will personally notify students regarding their annual scholarship renewal. The Connelly Foundation will personally notify students of their decision regarding scholarship probation or withdrawal.