Blue circle with a white graduation cap and the word "EDUCATION" above and below it.
Group of schoolchildren wearing red uniforms excitedly raising their arms on the sidewalk with a school bus in the background.

InnerCity Scholarship Fund

Each year, nearly 4,000 students receive scholarships to attend 73 Catholic schools
across the Greater Boston area

100% of ICSF senior scholars graduate from high school, and 97% go on to attend college

Logo of Inner-City Scholarship Fund with silhouettes of children on a graduation cap, and the text "A Child. A Chance. A Future."

For 150 years, Boston’s urban Catholic schools have provided a high-quality and affordable educational option to local families; primarily immigrant families. They’ve become integral institutions in the city’s neighborhoods. In the last 30+ years, the schools served over 78% of diverse learners speaking 30 languages at home. While the schools have stayed true to their founding principles, the financial model has changed including modest increases in tuition to make up for the significant decrease in religious women. 

The  Inner-City Scholarship Fund (ICSF) increases access to Catholic schools for low-income families. Most of our students attend preK-8 grade schools, which do not require admission exams. This is a critical time to engage students and provide them scholarships to attend our Catholic schools as the most rapid brain development and learning happens between infancy and age 12. These schools have some of the highest high school and college graduation rates, and provide students with self-confidence, character building, and faith: a strong educational foundation. Equal access to these schools is a socioeconomic equalizer as one-in-four students who live in low-income conditions do not graduate from high school.

Since Partnering with The Lynch Foundation

Both Peter and Carolyn Lynch received partial scholarships growing up. They personally experienced the life-changing impact of access to education on students and their families. It’s this impact and effect on the community that has led to one of the longest partnerships at the Lynch Foundation. 

Peter Lynch was the Chairman of ICSFfor 30 year. During that time, he has helped raise over $190 million for partial scholarships. 

Overall, these funds support approximately 4,000 students annually on a need–based requirement. Scholarship recipients have a 100% high school graduation rate. This is a testament to the power of accessible education and support. 

Specifically, The Lynch Foundation has provided two major investments into endowments in 2000 and 2019. These gifts established three endowment funds to support the Archdiocese of Boston Catholic Schools in the following areas: 

  • Scholarships 

  • Technology 

  • Marketing 

The three endowment funds together are valued at over $32 million. The funds ensure that the BMSF will exist for generations of children to come, and support the current visions and needs of the schools and their students. In 2023 BMSF celebrated Peter’s leadership and commitment to the organization as he stepped back to spend more time with his family.