A new opportunity has been created for Catholic School students to receive tuition assistance through an “Angel Scholarship.” These scholarships are made possible through a new scholarship tax-credit program that is being managed by the Catholic Community Foundation.
Important information for those applying for an Angel Scholarship
Every family who wishes to be considered for an award to request tuition assistance through the ASF must complete an Angel Scholarship Application Form, which will be provided by school offices.
- The process for applying for an Angel Scholarship differs for undesignated awards vs. designated awards:
- The source for undesignated awards are contributions to ASF that are not designated for a particular school. The process for applying for an undesignated Angel Scholarship is the same as for Diocesan Tuition Assistance (DTA), i.e., completing the FACTS application also makes the applicant eligible for an Angel Scholarship.
- The source for designated awards are contributions to ASF that are designated for a particular school. Every applicant for a designated Angel Scholarship must participate in the school's process to assess financial need, (e.g., the FACTS application for financial aid; another third party assessment; or documentation through an objective process such as free-reduced lunch qualification, state scholarship income verification, or a similar locally created process).
- The number of designated and undesignated Angel Scholarships awarded and individual award amounts will be determined by the amount of available funds and number of applicants. The Office of Catholic Education (OCE) will collaborate with schools to recommend awards that are based on the following criteria:
- Low-income applicants (less than 300% of the poverty level) will be prioritized; once this need is met, non-low-income applicants are able to receive an Angel Scholarship.
- Contributions to the Angel Scholarship Fund that are designated for a particular school will be awarded to students enrolled at that school.
- All contributions will be awarded based on financial need.
- Early in 2023 schools will receive formal notification of their total 2022 designated funds, and the process for recommending Angel Scholarship awards will begin.
Apply for Diocesan Tuition Assistance at: FACTS Grant & Aid (2022 tax documentation required). Apply by March 15, 2023 to be notified in May 2023. Apply by May 1, 2023 to be notified in July 2023.
State Scholarships and Angel Scholarships
Students who receive a State Scholarship (i.e., EdChoice, EdChoice Expansion, or Cleveland Scholarship):
If the family qualifies for low income status, they are not required to pay any tuition that is not covered by the scholarship. Therefore, an Angel Scholarship would not be needed.
If tuition is higher than the state scholarship amount and the family does not qualify for low income status, the family may have to pay the difference. In this instance the applicants will be eligible for an Angel Scholarship.
