St. Mary School System is committed to keeping tuition affordable and offering tuition assistance to ensure all families can choose an excellent Catholic education for their children. St. Mary allocates donor funds through our Fr. Lew White Assistance, Family Award Assistance, and grant funding for Catholic and non-Catholic families with financial need.
St. Mary School System’s Tuition Assistance Program is available to admitted Catholic and non-Catholic K-12th grade students.
All tuition assistance is given based on demonstrated need. To provide impartiality and fairness to our families, need is assessed by a third-party provider, FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment. Only families who complete the FACTS evaluation process are eligible for tuition assistance.
All applications are strictly confidential. Only completed applications are reviewed by a Tuition Assistance Committee. The committee is comprised of local community members who are not current families or employees of the school. Family names and identifying information will be removed from the applications so the committee can review them strictly for financial need. The school system Director and Finance Manager oversee the committee and will consider special circumstances provided by families for final determinations.
Applications for tuition assistance are accepted from January 11 to February 29. Applicants are asked to submit their applications with all documentation by February 29. Award determinations are announced by the end of April. Since the bulk of assistance is awarded by May, submitting a late or incomplete application, as well as delinquent accounts, will unfavorably affect the likelihood and/or amount of an award.
The committee will only consider families whose financials have been verified by FACTS. FACTS will require copies of financial documents to verify an application. This includes the previous year’s tax return and current W2. Families should work directly with FACTS to provide information in a timely fashion.
For additional information, please review the St. Mary School System Tuition Assistance Guidelines and our FAQs below.
Apply For SMSS Tuition AssistanceTuition assistance is based on need and funds available. Families must first complete a FACTS tuition assistance application. This information is verified through FACTS. Our Tuition Assistance Committee reviews all applications and recommends the financial awards. The committee is comprised of community members who are not current families or employees of the school. Family names and identifying information will be removed so that the committee can review the applications strictly for financial needs. School administration will consider special circumstances provided by families for final determinations.
It is our goal that need-based financial assistance is provided as objectively as possible. Therefore, St. Mary utilizes a third-party system called FACTS to handle the tuition assistance application and verification process. Once the application is completed and returned, FACTS provides all of the necessary information for St. Mary to distribute need-based tuition assistance.
It does help to talk with the Director if there are extenuating circumstances or needs unable to be shared on the application for tuition assistance consideration. All information provided by the family through FACTS or in talking with the Director is held in the strictest confidence.
Once you have completed the registration application and been accepted, you may then apply for tuition assistance. The bulk of assistance is awarded before the school year begins. It is important to apply for assistance as early as possible to ensure availability.
A family’s financial situation may change from year to year. Therefore, all families seeking tuition assistance must reapply each year.
Students in grades K - 12 are eligible to apply for tuition assistance. Preschool is not eligible for tuition assistance.
Subsidy is one way the local parishes support Catholic education and the families who choose a St. Mary education. This is not based on your income or financial situation. Participating parishes generously provide up to $2,575 per child per school year for families meeting the requirements of their parish. It is each family’s responsibility to contact their parish regarding how to receive subsidy. Subsidy is available for K-12th grade students.
If you have questions about this process, please contact Ashley Wright at ashley.wright@smss.org or 270.442.1681, ext. 286.
Yes! There are other ways to reduce tuition that do not involve need based tuition assistance. SCRIP- To learn more about Scrip and how you can easily use it to reduce tuition, please click HERE.
Referral Program- If you love St. Mary, tell your friends! They will receive a discount if they enroll and so will your family!
St. Mary does not charge tuition for the fourth (or more) child concurrently enrolled at St. Mary and attending kindergarten - 12th grade.