Affordability
FINDING THE BEST OPTION
OHIO EDCHOICE SCHOLARSHIPS
The Ohio EdChoice Scholarship programs offers ALL Ohio students the opportunity to attend a Catholic school by providing a state scholarship.
EdChoice Traditional:
This program provides scholarship opportunities for K-12 students who reside within the district of a low performing public school. The family can apply for Ed Choice assistance which provide funding for most of Elementary School tuition and a substantial portion of high school tuition. Click here for more information.
EdChoice Expansion:
In July 2023 Governor DeWine signed into law a bill that makes the EdChoice Expansion Scholarship available to ALL! This program provides scholarship opportunities for K-12 students based off the families Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in relation to the Federal Poverty Level Guidelines (FPL). Those under 450% FPL qualify for a full EdChoice Expansion Scholarship, with Scholarships being reduced by a tiered method for those families above 450% FPL.
The maximum scholarship amounts for both programs is $6,166 for elementary and $8,408 for high school. Click here to learn more about the EdChoice Expansion Program. See flyer here.
Contact a Catholic School to discuss options that may be available to your family. To find the school near you click here.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION (CEF)
Parish and School Assistance
The Catholic Education Foundation for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (CEF) was established through the generosity of many to the One Faith, One Hope, One Love Capital Campaign. The foundation manages a permanent endowment that provides yearly scholarship opportunities to students in grades Pre-School-12. Click here to learn more about the application process and deadlines. The parishes and schools within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati are extremely generous. Many offer subsidies, scholarships, and other financial need opportunities. Families are often surprised at what financial assistance may be available to their children. We encourage you to reach out to your local Catholic School to discuss options that may be available to your family. To find a school click here.
High School CEF Funds
The CEF tuition assistance program is administered differently between the elementary and high schools. The High Schools are provided an allocation of funds based off of Free and Reduced Lunch Counts. It is at the discretion of each individual school to award tuition assistance funds to those most in need. CEF tuition assistance funds are distributed after all other tuition discounts are applied. We encourage you to reach out to individual high schools to find out what financial aid opportunities are available.
Elementary CEF Funds
Each year there is an application period for elementary students, grades PK-8. The current deadline to apply is February 25, 2024. To apply, the family will need to fully complete a FACTS Grant and Aid application by inputting financial information (such as sources of income, assets, and household expenses) including their prior year tax return and W2s. FACTS then uses an internally built calculation to determine financial need based on the family’s ability to pay. Please note that a student is not eligible to receive a CEF Scholarship if he or she is on an Ohio EdChoice Scholarship or Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship that covers their full tuition balance. CEF funds can only be applied to a remaining tuition balance. The CEF funds are not able to be applied to any outstanding fees or back owed tuition.
Awarding determinations will be made by the end of February and notification letters are sent to the family via USPS mail. Each school is provided a listing of awarded students and will receive payment in the fall of each year, after enrollment is verified.
SPECIAL NEEDS Assistance
Two other forms of state scholarships exist that relate to students with special needs: the Autism Scholarship and the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship.
