High School Program

Wings High School Scholarships

There is now an afternoon/evening high school in La Manzanilla and some students choose to study locally.

The majority of La Manzanilla students attend regular high school outside of La Manzanilla in Miguel Hidalgo or Jaluco. For just $13,600 pesos you can make a difference in the life of a graduating student from La Manzanilla's middle school by sponsoring their first year of high school and giving them the wings to fly! This provides a student with a scholarship, covering the majority of their expenses for the first year of high school.

In 2007, only 1/3 of the students graduating from La Manzanilla's middle school continued on to high school. With the support of the Wings program and the addition of the local high school, currently an estimated 2/3 of the students enroll in high school!!!
Some of the factors inhibiting students from attending high school include the following:

  • Limited economic resources, coupled with the need to start working to assist the family with earning money
  • Insufficient academic preparation to meet the rigorous demands of high school
  • Lack of interest and motivation
  • Teenage pregnancies

By becoming a scholarship sponsor, you can give the lifetime gift of education to a student who has the interest to pursue a high school education, but lacks the financial means.  See the new scholarship candidates here!

Potential scholarship recipients must demonstrate high academic standing and good character. These are the students who are seen to be most likely to pursue further education and to give back to the community.

Below is a budget of the costs for one year of study in the public high schools, along with the scholarship administration fee incurred by our foundation:

Approximate costs:

(in Mexican pesos) to attend Melaque, Jaluco, or Miguel Hidalgo high school for the 10-month school year:

Admission Cost 500
Tuition (2 semesters) 600
Books (5 courses/semester) 1000
Transportation for 40 weeks 4000
75% of lunch costs for 40 weeks 3400
Uniforms 500
Wings Special Group Activities 400
Weekly Academic Tutoring 1600
LCF scholarship administration cost 1600

Total (in pesos) 13600

Please note:

This budget does not include the costs associated with receiving funds through PayPal or our U.S. fiscal sponsor, CMS. In order to ensure that our foundation will receive the full $13,600 pesos necessary to cover all of the expenses associated with the student you are sponsoring, we kindly ask that you increase your donation amount to $14,250 pesos if paying through PayPal or $15,000 pesos if paying through La Catalina Foundation U.S.A. to get a U.S. tax deductible receipt.

We are also happy to announce we are able to provide Canadian tax deductible receipts through Amistad Canada.

Our rationale for providing a first-year scholarship is:

  • The first year of high school is usually the hardest for students, with the highest dropout rate occurring right after middle school.
  • First-year scholarships provide motivation and support to start strong.
  • After the student has one year of financial support to assist the transition from middle to high school, they will have the extra age, experience, and skills to perhaps begin working to fund additional years of study.

Selection process:

LCF board members work with the middle school principal and teachers to select the scholarship recipients using the following criteria:

  • Graduating middle school student would like to attend the high school
  • High academic merit
  • Participant in community service work
  • Participant in one of La Catalina Foundation’s educational programs (English classes or other program)
  • Participant must have at least an average grade of 8.5 on the 1 – 10 point Mexican grading system at the start of the program (equivalent to a B+ average).
  • Students with demonstrated financial need will be given the highest priority in our selection process. Those with lesser need will only be awarded a scholarship if there are enough scholarships available.
  • The scholarship recipient will be announced at the middle school graduation ceremony held in La Manzanilla in the beginning of July.

How the scholarship is administered:

The student receives payments in five installments throughout the academic year for their school expenses, lunches, and transportation costs. The remaining funds will go towards their weekly private tutoring sessions and the administrative costs associated with running this program. LCF requires scholarship students to complete 40 hours of community service throughout the year. These requirements are designed to help students develop good citizenship skills.

Meet the student you sponsor:

Sponsors will receive a thank you note and photo from the student they are supporting. Additionally, the student’s bio and photo will be posted on our website. In order to get to know the student and their family, sponsors are invited to make contact through email correspondence. For those sponsors who would like to meet the student they sponsor in person, LCF can help facilitate this meeting upon request. Donors may also request a copy of the student’s first and second semester progress report.

Contact Us to become a sponsor! View current Wings High School Scholarship Candidates HERE.