A Pathway for Students in Need

Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle (CRJS) High School students with a 3.5 cumulative grade point average will gain automatic admission to Seattle University—with SU meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need for those students—after the two institutions signed a Memo of Understanding on Monday, April 7.

CRJS is located on the campus of St. Paul Parish in the Rainier Beach area of south Seattle and serves low-income students from Federal Way to Seattle’s Central District.

Current students of Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle.

The agreement highlights Seattle University’s commitment to Jesuit students and the broader Seattle community to recognize and support standout students by giving them a path to attending college closer to home.

“At Seattle University, we believe in the transformative power of an academically rigorous Jesuit education,” says Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver. “This partnership with Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle High School is a testament to our commitment to providing opportunities for students who face significant barriers.

“By meeting 100% of the demonstrated financial need for Cristo Rey students, we are not only opening doors to higher education but also empowering these students to achieve their full potential without the burden of financial constraints. We are proud to support these future leaders as they embark on their academic and professional journeys.”

(l-r) Paul Hogan, president of Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle with principal Dr. Nadia Guy and SU President Eduardo Peñalver.

As the most economically diverse university in Washington and in line with its Jesuit values, Seattle University consistently offers support and access to first-generation students and those with demonstrated financial need.

Most recently, Seattle University expanded its scholarship offerings as part of the reimagined Sullivan Scholars program. This includes covering the full cost of SU attendance for four years for about 120 students from low-income families and diverse backgrounds, including students who receive the SU Bound and Costco scholarships. Seattle University also provides scholarships to students from Catholic secondary schools worldwide.

CRJS opened to 60 ninth graders in the 2024-25 school year and is the 40th Cristo Rey school to open in the U.S. The schools offer innovative and impactful education exclusively for students facing significant economic and educational barriers to the workplace and higher education. One hundred percent of the 6,000 Cristo Rey students in the classes of 2023 and 2024 were accepted to college.

“We know that the only proven way to transcend poverty is high-quality education, including college,” says CRJS President Paul Hogan. “We are thrilled that Eduardo and Seattle University, as our local Jesuit university, have made this significant commitment. Our students already know, as they begin their journey through high school to college to pursue their full potential, that they now have a pathway to college and beyond.”