North Philadelphia's St. Joseph's Preparatory School just landed a windfall that most schools only dream about: a $74 million gift from alumnus W. Nicholas "Nick" Howley. School leaders say the eye-popping donation, unveiled Friday at the Prep's Kelly Fieldhouse, is the largest single gift ever given to a Catholic high school in the United States and is set to overhaul both tuition support and the campus itself.
The money will bankroll long-term scholarships for dozens of students while funding a slate of major campus upgrades, including new outdoor spaces and athletic facilities. In other words, it is not just a big check, it is a full-on makeover.
On Friday, school officials laid out the plan and said the gift will create 80 four-year scholarships, 20 for each grade level, and pay for an outdoor courtyard, a new parking facility and a multi-sport complex for football, soccer and lacrosse, according to CBS Philadelphia. The Howleys had already been major benefactors, and school leaders say this latest donation brings their total giving to the Prep to roughly $80 million. "The Howley Foundation saw the impact that it was having, and really continued their investment in increasing their scholarships," Prep President John Marinacci said.
Scholarship Expansion And Campus Plans
The Prep's existing Howley Scholars program already provides full-tuition awards to a group of students, and the school reports that about 70% of its students receive some form of scholarship or financial aid, according to St. Joseph's Prep. In other words, this is a campus where financial aid is already baked into the model, and this new cash is expected to deepen that commitment.
The Howley Foundation has supported the school before, including multi-million-dollar gifts that expanded the scholarship program, as detailed by The Howley Foundation. This latest contribution dramatically scales up that partnership, essentially locking in four-year opportunities for dozens of future students at a time.
Who Is Nick Howley?
W. Nicholas Howley co-founded TransDigm Group and has served as its chairman, and he also chairs Perimeter Solutions, which supplies wildfire-fighting products and chemicals. He earned a degree from Drexel University's LeBow College of Business and sits on Drexel's board of trustees, according to Drexel University. Through his foundation, he has become a significant backer of Catholic schools in both Philadelphia and Cleveland.
What It Means For The Prep And The Neighborhood
Tuition for the 2025-26 school year is listed at $28,300, and the school says roughly 70% of students receive some form of aid, according to St. Joseph's Prep. For families staring down that price tag, the expansion of full-tuition scholarships is likely to be more than just welcome news.
School leaders told reporters they hope the new courtyard, parking structure and multi-sport complex will be completed by 2030, and they say the upgraded fields and outdoor spaces could also be made available to community groups, according to CBS Philadelphia. If it all comes together as planned, the gift will not only reshape a storied North Philly prep school, it could also give the surrounding neighborhood some new green space and athletic turf to share.
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