91% of all Archdiocesan high school graduates headed to college

PHILADELPHIA (June 3, 2009) -The 4,716 young men and women who will graduate from the 20 high schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia this June have been offered a grand total of $244,062,716 in scholarships, an all-time record high for scholarship dollars awarded to students across the Archdiocese. More than 95% of the Class of 2009 graduates will pursue a post-secondary education; 91% will be headed for college this fall.

"The Class of 2009 has worked so diligently and demonstrated a true passion for their academic and spiritual development," said Dr. Richard McCarron, Secretary for Catholic Education for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. "Likewise, their families have selflessly sacrificed to make an investment in Catholic education for their children. This tremendous financial support of more than $244 million in scholarships is a direct reflection of the collaborative commitment to education made by our Class of 2009 students and families."

The Class of 2008 received $243,584,897 in college scholarships. Since 2000, Archdiocesan graduates have received more than $1 billion in scholarships.

For information on all of the schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, visit http://catholicschools-phl.org.

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ABOUT THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has 269 parishes serving almost 1.5 million Catholics. Currently there are 182 parish and regional elementary schools, 20 high schools and five schools of special education in the Archdiocese, located throughout Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. For more information about the schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia please visit http://catholicschools-phl.org.

Contact
Kevin Mulligan
Associate Director
215-587-3747