August 13, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD: BACK TO SCHOOLI
What is the cost of a Catholic education? CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL CHRIST THE KING HIGH SCHOOL HOLY TRINITY MIDDLE SCHOOL OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION SCHOOL ST. ANN SCHOOL ST. GABRIEL SCHOOL ST. MARK SCHOOL ST. MATTHEW SCHOOL ST. PATRICK SCHOOL
What about financial aid and tuition discounts?
TUITION FOR MECKLENBURG AREA CATHOLIC SCHOOLS GRADES
PARTICIPATING CATHOLICS
NON-PARTICIPATING CATHOLICS/COMMUNITY
Pre-Kindergarten TK, K and Grades 1-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12
$4,613 / $7,211 $7,545 $8,475 $12,087
$4,941 / $7,723 $12,167 $13,131 $17,288
NOTE: Tuition rates for MAP, PACE and Matthew Morgan programs vary. Excludes 6th/7th Grade Activity Fee, 8th Grade Graduation Fee, 12th Grade Graduation Fee, and a MACS annual capital fee of $1,473 per family. A multiple-child tuition discount is available for participating Catholic families: 10% for the second child, 25% for the third child, 50% for the fourth child and free for the fifth child and beyond. Go to www.discovermacs.org/tuition for details. TUITION FOR PARISH-BASED CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
PARTICIPATING CATHOLICS
NON-PARTICIPATING CATHOLICS/COMMUNITY
$10,105 $8,445 $4,750 $6,504 $6,355 $6,990 $6,997 $7,400 $6,216 $7,128
$13,777 $10,245 $7,875 $9,204 $9,230 $11,014 $8,299 $12,150 $8,276 $10,380
BISHOP MCGUINNESS HIGH SCHOOL ASHEVILLE CATHOLIC SCHOOL IMMACULATA SCHOOL IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY SCHOOL OUR LADY OF GRACE SCHOOL OUR LADY OF MERCY SCHOOL SACRED HEART SCHOOL ST. LEO SCHOOL ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL ST. PIUS X SCHOOL
CAPITAL FEE
GRADUATION FEE
TECHNOLOGY FEE
IMPROVEMENT FEE
BISHOP MCGUINNESS HIGH SCHOOL √ √ √ ASHEVILLE CATHOLIC SCHOOL √ √ √ IMMACULATA SCHOOL √ √ √ IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY SCHOOL OUR LADY OF GRACE SCHOOL √ OUR LADY OF MERCY SCHOOL SACRED HEART SCHOOL √ ST. LEO SCHOOL ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL √ √ ST. PIUS X SCHOOL √
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Other financial aid options include the N.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, Disabilities Grant Program, and Education Savings Accounts. These programs can cover tuition and required fees at a participating non-public school. In addition, the Disabilities Grant and Education Savings Account can cover certain other expenses related to educating a child with a disability.
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LUNCH PROGRAMS
The national average cost of uniforms at Catholic schools in the United States is $249. Each school provides specific information about their uniforms on their websites. Most options can be purchased through Lands’ End, but some may provide used-uniform sales or swaps throughout the school year. Additionally, check your local consignment shop for discounted uniform items such as pants and skirts.
Fees vary by school and by order. Information is provided on the school’s website and at each school office.
MACS TRANSPORTATION FEES REGISTRATION FEE $75
ONE-WAY RIDER TWO-WAY RIDER $1,212 $1,791
Did you know?
Other financial aid
UNIFORMS
MACS offers bus and shuttle transportation with routes in Charlotte, Huntersville and Mooresville. Details are on the MACS website under Programs. Note: Some bus routes are already full, so contact MACS Transportation at 704-370-3263 to be placed on a waitlist. Transportation fees for parish-based schools range from $95 to $165 per month, but check with your specific school to confirm. Some schools do not provide a transportation system, but may provide parents with a car-pool list.
All of the diocese’s schools offer some sort of tuition discount or subsidy for registered participating Catholic families, up to 30 percent in some cases. Generally speaking, tuition amounts range from approximately $6,000 to $12,000 for registered Catholics, with non-participating Catholics and non-Catholics paying higher amounts. Multiple child discounts are available – see the information at left. Tuition assistance is also available to qualified families. A family does not have to be registered as a participating Catholic to receive aid. Aid is needbased and can only assist with the cost of tuition. As soon the application process is complete, families are eligible to receive an award. For details about the MACS tuition assistance program, call 704-370-3265 or go online to www. discovermacs.org/financialaid. The diocese’s nine parish-based schools and Bishop McGuinness High School offer similar needbased tuition assistance to qualified students. Details can be found on each school’s website. All financial aid requests are processed through a third-party processor, FACTS. Most diocesan parish-based schools provide financial aid through the FACTS processor as well. Receiving financial aid requires an ample amount of documentation, which is verified through the FACTS processor using the information provided by the family. Families are required to apply every year if they wish to continue receiving financial aid. However, applying for financial aid does not guarantee a family will receive aid.
$4.2 million in financial aid was provided to students in the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools system in 2019-’20 (the latest data available), with 90 percent of families who applied being awarded financial aid.
What about miscellaneous costs?
TRANSPORTATION
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AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS Most parish-based schools provide after school services ranging from $180 to $260 a month with other daily price options. Check with your specific school for details.
MACS AFTER SCHOOL FEES
FULL-TIME
PART-TIME
One child:
$225 per month
$23 daily
Each additional child:
$155 per month
$13 daily
Note: Registration for the MACS After School program is $60 per family.
OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM The Opportunity Scholarship Program expands school choice in North Carolina through scholarship grants for eligible children in kindergarten through 12th grade. This program provides funding of up to $4,200 per year for eligible children who choose to attend a participating non-public school.
DISABILITIES GRANT PROGRAM The Disabilities Grant Program is a program for eligible students with disabilities in kindergarten through 12th grade to provide an option for parents to pay tuition, fees and some other expenses at a participating school. This program provides funding of up to $8,000 per year for eligible children who choose to attend a participating non-public school.
EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNT An Education Savings Account expands school choice for eligible students with disabilities in Kindergarten through 12th grade. An Education Savings Account is for students attending a registered non-public school and can be applied to tuition and required fees and certain other expenses related to educating a child with a disability. Additionally, it allows parents quarterly access to funds on a debit card. This program currently provides funding of up to $9,000 per year for eligible children who choose to attend a participating non-public school. Each program has specific additional requirements for eligibility. For details, go to the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority’s website at www.ncseaa.edu/k12.
