As a faithful Catholic institution, Wyoming Catholic College knows that few things are more important than preserving our institutional integrity and independence from external, secular pressures. For this reason, the College’s Board of Directors has chosen not to participate in the Federal Student Loan and Grant Programs (known colloquially as Title IV). While this principled position—a position that led the New York Times to dub us “cowboy Catholics”—has created significant financial challenges for the College, recent years have shown the wisdom of the approach, as few things could more rapidly compromise our autonomy and fidelity to the Church and its teachings than the regulatory power which accompanies the acceptance of federal funds.

The College’s stance on Title IV funding has a number of consequences, particularly when applied to the Veterans Education Benefits (such as the GI Bill©) and the various others ways the American government helps “qualifying Veterans and their family members get money to cover all or some of the costs for school or training.” Until this year, the Federal Government had tied the use of many of these funds to Title IV qualification—in other words, any institution that was qualified to receive Title IV funds could accept Veterans Education Benefit funds. After the latest round of legislation, however, the Federal Government has tied the use of GI Bill funds to Title IV acceptance, which means that only institutions currently accepting Title IV funds can accept the GI Bill benefits.

This policy change means that we are no longer able to offer our veteran applicants the financial benefits of their service. As a direct response to this unaccommodating situation, we have created the St. Ignatius of Loyola Scholarship Fund, which will be used to provide the same benefits for our country’s veterans as would be afforded them at other, Title IV-accepting institutions. Please consider joining us in this effort!

This Year's Applicant

Norbert Karczewski has a strong interest in the liberal arts and a desire for good community. A bit older than our average freshmen due to his service in the U.S. Coast Guard, Norbert has tried a handful of secular colleges, but has been overwhelmed by the aggressively anti-Christian atmosphere and toxic community values he has experienced there. He has been seeking both a challenging academic environment and a place where he can connect with Catholic peers, and Wyoming Catholic College fits that bill!

For his Admissions essay, he chose to comment on the very challenging “Garden of Earthly Delights” triptych, painted by Hieronymus Bosch. We were impressed by his insightful analysis and by his willingness to tackle such a complex work of art indicates that Norbert is interested in the types of conversations we have here in the WCC classroom.

Norbert’s recommendations speak to his fittingness for our community. His Coast Guard chaplain said of him, “Norbert is an outstanding member of the Coast Guard, his job has required him to show extraordinary courage, flexibility, and intelligence. His character and integrity are above reproach; he has been a joy and pleasure to work with.” Another reference told us that “Norbert gets along with his peers and has always demonstrated a good relationship with authority figures. He has always seemed open to different perspectives from coworkers or constructive criticism from his supervisors or others placed in charge of him.” Norbert shows both an interest and ability in our classes, and we are confident that he has much to offer his potential peers in the student body. His unusual life experiences–at least when compared to our typical applicants–make will make him a strong contributor to our community life.

If he had applied to the College in past years, he would have been eligible for VA benefits, as a result of his Coast Guard service. Now, however, he (and the College) are trying to find the funding the attend, so that he is not forced to choose between this extraordinary opportunity of Wyoming Catholic College and a place where he would not flourish as well (but which would accept his funds). Those who would like to support him and (and others like him) may donate to the St. Ignatius of Loyola Scholarship Fund, a scholarship set up specifically to help replace the funds available through the GI Bill. Please use the form below, or contact Colin McCarty, Donor Relations Office, at (307) 332-2930, x. 1100 or cmccarty@wyomingcatholic.edu.

Support the St. Ignatius Scholarship Fund

Thank you for your interest in supporting the St. Ignatius of Loyola Scholarship Fund. With your help, we are able to offer this extraordinary education to our country’s veterans without taking on the ever-increasing risks that accompany the acceptance of Federal funds. God bless you!