FFHL funds provide $140K in tuition assistance at seven schools

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte’s “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign is funding $140,000 in tuition assistance this fall that will help dozens of students receive a Catholic education.

The FFHL campaign funds capital projects, endowments and other needs across the growing diocese. Included in the $65 million campaign is a tuition assistance endowment available to the diocese’s 20 schools.

The $140,000 is going to seven diocesan schools that applied for the 2023-’24 school year: Asheville Catholic School, $54,000; Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville, $40,000; Immaculata School in Hendersonville, $3,500; Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point, $11,000; Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro, $2,000; Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, $23,000; and St. Michael School in Gastonia, $6,500. The funds are expected to help participating Catholic families who have the greatest financial need.

“We are grateful for the generosity of the ‘Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love’ funding,” said Erin Brinkley, principal of Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, where 35 students are receiving tuition assistance from these funds. “Investing in our students enables us to facilitate their personal growth, development and education, which can lead to so much opportunity. Additionally, it will enable us to extend our mission of creating saints and positively impact the future of our Church.”

The FFHL tuition assistance endowment, with more than $4.3 million in assets, is administered by a committee consisting of the diocese’s schools superintendent, chief financial officer and members of the diocesan school board. Available income from the endowment is distributed to qualifying diocesan schools that apply each year for student financial aid.

An endowment is a permanent fund, the principal of which is never touched, but the income from which can be used according to the wishes of the donor organization or person. Endowments provide a way to generate income and help sustain the longterm strength and viability of the recipient parish, school or ministry.

To date, a total of $870,230 in FFHL funding has been awarded to the diocese’s schools. In its first year in 2017, FFHL tuition assistance totaling $49,372 was given out to four diocesan schools. In 2022, $130,000 was awarded to eight schools.

“We are grateful to all the FFHL donors who help us continue striving to make Catholic education affordable and accessible to all,” said Dr. Greg Monroe, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools. “Thanks to their support, more families can benefit from a quality Catholic education.”

“The FFHL campaign continues to have a significant and meaningful impact,” added Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development. “The $870,000 in tuition assistance that has been distributed to date helps students receive an education that will literally change their lives.”

To qualify for the tuition assistance money, the school must receive local parish support of at least $500 per participating Catholic student and must have awarded all of its tuition assistance funds it already has for that school year. Schools that do not receive $500 per student in parish support may be considered if there are extenuating financial circumstances that preclude this level of support. Qualifying schools may request funds from the FFHL endowment for participating Catholic students with a financial need.

The tuition assistance endowment is one of seven endowments funded through the FFHL campaign.

— Catholic News Herald

TEACHERS NEEDED ST. ANN CATHOLIC SCHOOL

CHARLOTTE, NC

Teacher Assistants Full and Part-time

Part-time Computer Teacher

APPLICANTS MUST:

• Be positive, energetic, flexible, patient, and a team player

• Be prepared to live out and model Catholic/Christian virtues

• Display solid communication skill and faithful leadership

• Have a successful history of working with children, teachers and parents

Please send applications to: Celene Little, cflittle@stannschool.net

Tuition discount for staff children!

CHARLOTTE — Heading off to college means ticking off a long list of to-do items –from registering for classes to packing and buying last-minute dorm necessities. But don’t forget to add to that list: connecting with Catholic Campus Ministry!

Catholic Campus Ministry is where college students will find caring people who will welcome them immediately and make them feel at home.

It is the place to find friends and support, grounded in the Catholic faith, all year long. Students often comment that they feel lost when they first arrive on campus. Lisa Scarduzio, a 2022 graduate of the University of North Carolina Greensboro, has a message for new and returning students to college: “If you are looking for a place to belong, that will make you feel at home, that will love you no matter where you are on your faith journey, then Catholic Campus Ministry is the place for you.”

Besides being a supportive community, Catholic Campus Ministry provides weekly meals, Bible study groups, prayer opportunities, retreats, fun events, group discussions, and unique opportunities to meet and learn from classmates and older students.

Some campuses offer weekly Masses; others arrange transportation to nearby parishes. In the Diocese of Charlotte, campus ministers serve the campuses at Appalachian State University (with outreach to LeesMcRae College and Lenoir-Rhyne University),