Tuition Assistance and Scholarships
First and foremost, for tuition assistance, your first step is to apply with Catholic Education Arizona. Even if you feel you might not meet the criteria to qualify for a need-based scholarship, if you have an application on file, it gives some flexibility in awarding additional funding if the need arises, and for fund availability.
The application is simple and is done online at www.fairapp.com the login is 700 and the password is cea700. The application window is open in January and the first round closes April 15, the second round in August. You will not receive as much money if you miss the first deadline.
You will also want to apply, early, to the organizations listed below. The applications for the next year open in February and March, and early filers almost always receive more money, so don’t delay.
- AAA Scholarships AAAScholarships.org (Applications open March -May)
- Institute for Better Education www.ibescholarships.org Accepts applications year round, but need-based close March 30.
- Arizona School Choice Trust www.asct.org (January 15-April 15)
- Arizona 4 Education www.AZ 4 Education.org
- Arizona Leadership Foundation www.arizonaleader.org ( Open April through until June 15)
- Tops for Kids at www.topsforkids.com Applications open May 1.
- Brophy Foundation www.brophyfoundation.org Applications February 1- April 15
- School Choice Arizona www.SchoolChoiceArizona.org
Please review the information on each website and feel free to contact us if you need assistance in filling out the applications. It is helpful to have last years’ taxes done and have the first 2 pages scanned (or photograph from your phone), ready to attach to an email. Before funds are actually released to Christ the King, the school will need to verify your registration is complete.
If this will be your first year in a Catholic School, whether you are transferring or starting in Kindergarten, you will qualify for a special designation as a Plus Recipient or for Corporate Tax-Credits.
There are also funds set aside for children whose parents are on active deployment, are foster children, or are adopted. These Empowerment Grants have specific criteria: www.azed.gov/esa/applicants but are first come, first served.
Pre-K is only eligible to receive funding in special circumstances- contact the school office for more information.
Recommended Funds
Some organizations allow donors to make recommendations to direct their state tax dollars to particular children. This costs the taxpayer nothing, can come to the school in your child’s name and does not hurt the public school funding. In order for someone to donate in your name, you will first need to set up an account with one or more of the STOs (using the above web links). You can set up the account right away and set aside money for future years.
Your coworkers, friends, and family that are Arizona taxpayers can redirect their taxes and are often willing, but you may have to explain it. The IBE or TOPS website has a good explanation and words to say. A single filer can redirect up to $1,135 of their tax liability, 90% which can go to tuition (the scholarship organization, not the school, keeps the other 10%). Married taxpayers can redirect up to $2,269. Check with your accountant, TurboTax or H&R Block (each agent is trained on how the tax credits work) if you want to know all the fine print. Just know that on the surface level, it works, its legal, and it allows families just like you to send their children to Christ the King for FREE.
By law, you cannot designate your own child, and you are not allowed to swap donations with another family. Christ the King promotes that you, as a current parent, make your tax-credit donation to Christ the King through Catholic Education Arizona.
