High school juniors and seniors have until Feb. 17 to apply for the 2026 Newman Guide Scholarship Contest, with the chance to win $5,000 to attend the Newman Guide college of their choice and earn up to $20,000 with scholarship matches from participating colleges.

The Cardinal Newman Society promotes faithful Catholic education and recommends colleges that it determines honor the teachings of the Catholic Church. As Zeale News has previously reported, many Catholic colleges hire professors or host programs that deny the teachings of the Catholic faith — for instance, Notre Dame has drawn backlash for its appointment of pro-abortion professor Susan Ostermann to a high leadership position.

The Newman Society also reports that many students lose their faith after high school, even at Catholic colleges. Their website states that one in eight Catholic students at Catholic colleges leaves the faith by graduation.  

“Moreover, students are more likely to move away from Church teaching than towards it on the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage,” the website adds. “Mass attendance drops for about one third of students who attend a Catholic college.”

The Cardinal Newman Society’s college recommendations include both “gold” and “silver” recognition categories, based on criteria such as whether the professors take an oath of fidelity to Magisterium of the Catholic Church; whether the college chapel makes the sacraments easily accessible; and whether the majority of the professors are Catholic. 

To apply for the scholarship, applicants must sign up for the organization's recruitment program, watch a short video on the advantages of attending a Cardinal Newman college, and write a three- to five-sentence statement explaining why they are interested in the formation and education of a Newman Guide college. 

The organization will then randomly select a winner. Many Newman Guide colleges have agreed to match the scholarship with an additional $5,000 per year. 

Last year’s scholarship winner, Teresa White, said that using the Newman Guide simplified her college search. She just finished her first semester at University of Mary in Bismarck in North Dakota.

“My classes are very interesting, and I am constantly meeting amazing people!” White said in an article published by the Newman Guide. “There have been very fun events throughout the semester, and some of my favorite times have been going to hockey games, listening to the Cappella choir at Sunday night Mass, and going to the brand-new running club.”

This year, the society expanded its recommendations to include K–12 education, as CatholicVote previously reported.