Financial Aid

Need Based financial assistance offers eligible families the opportunity to lesson the cost of tuition within our Archdiocesan Schools.View below the different tuition assistance programs, criteria for eligibility, and applications that can be submitted for consideration. Along with those listed below, many of our schools offer additional internal opportunities for tuition assistance.

Tuition Assistance Program

AOP schools offer needs-based assistance.
Aid for the 2023-2024 school year will be processed by FACTS Grant and Aid. The application will open on October 1.

All need-based awards will be contingent on reception of the most recent tax return.

Income guidelines for EITC/OSTC programs are as follows:

Household income: $105,183
One dependent: $123,697
Two dependents: $142,211
Three dependents: $160,725
Add $18,514 for each additional dependent

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Educational Improvement Tax Credit

The EITC grant allows businesses to contribute to education and receive a tax credit for their contributions. These funds are available to schools when businesses register with the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development for tax credits under this program.

In order to receive the EITC grant, students must be:

elementary or high school-aged
a resident of Pennsylvania and enrolled in a Pennsylvania school
a member of a household with an annual household income no more than $105,183 (except that an additional income allowance of $18,514 is permitted for the student and for each other dependent as defined by the IRS living within the same household)

For more information about EITC availability, contact the administration of the AOP school you plan to attend.

Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit

The OSTC provides tax credits to eligible businesses contributing to tuition assistance in the form of scholarships.

In order to receive an OSTC grant, students must:

live within the attendance boundaries of a low-achieving school as defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education
be a member of a household with an annual household income of no more than $105,183 (plus $18,514 for each dependent member of the household)

List of 22-23 Low Achieving Schools: Click here

For more information about OSTC availability, contact the administration of the AOP school you plan to attend.

Charles Ellis Trust for Girls

The Charles Ellis Trust for Girls helps young women in Philadelphia excel in high school and be prepared for post-secondary success.

To be eligible for an Ellis Trust, applicants must:

reside in Philadelphia
live in a household where one or both parents are physically disabled or mentally absent. Married guardians (aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings) must still meet the income guidelines.
be currently enrolled in either 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade (including the summer before 9th grade)
have at least a C average in major school subjects
continue to make academic progress toward timely graduation

Additionally, families of applicants must:

meet the income eligibility requirements for reduced-price lunch under the National School Lunch Program
prove the applicant’s dependency status (applicant’s name must appear on tax returns or DPA documents)
not own property other than their primary house

2023-24 Ellis Application will be available January 1, 2023. The application will close March 15, 2023.

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Archbishop's Grant for Archdiocesan Employees

This Archbishop’s Grant is for full-time Employees of the Archdiocese who work in a parish, school, or AOP setting. Grants apply to high school tuition and grant recipients may only use the grant at one AOPS high school.

Employees must apply for the grant each year.

We will award grants based on the number of applicants and the calculated need of each applicant so award amounts may vary. All award amounts will be the totality of the grant and not an amount awarded per child.

Process

Application opens October 1
Submit the Archbishop’s Grant Application on or before December 31. We will not accept applications after December 31.
Submit a tuition assistance application through FACTS Grant and Aid on or before December 31, (this includes uploading a copy of your most recent tax return). Click here to apply for FACTS.

We will communicate awards to all who complete the above steps on or before March 1.

Once we confirm attendance of each grant recipient at the designated school (September of each year), we will send the award amount to the designated school.

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Secretary Scholarship

The AOP Elementary School Secretary Scholarship is for full-time AOP elementary school teachers who have a child or children who attend an AOP elementary school. Scholarships apply toward elementary school tuition and recipients may only use the scholarship at one AOP elementary school.

The scholarship is awarded based on the number of applicants and the calculated need of each applicant so award amounts may vary. All scholarship amounts will be the totality of the grant and not an amount awarded per child.

Process:

Elementary school teachers must apply for the scholarship each year.
The application period will open October 1 each school year.
Submit the Secretary Scholarship Application (which will be available during the application period) on or before December 31. We will not accept applications after the December 31 deadline.
Submit a tuition assistance application through FACTS Grant and Aid on or before December 31 (this will include uploading a copy of your most recent tax return). Click here to apply for FACTS.
OCE Elementary will communicate to all who complete the above steps around the beginning of March regarding any monies awarded to them.

For any question regarding this process, please contact Catherine Jennings at: cjennings@archphila.org

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