Purpose and Goals

At St. Mary’s, the tuition and fees charged to parents cover only a portion of the real cost of educating a student for a year. The school’s endowment and donations from outside sources meet the difference. The primary responsibility for paying a student’s tuition and fees at St. Mary’s School rest with the family. The tuition grant program exists to supplement family resources when necessary.

The goals of the St. Mary’s Tuition Grant Policy are 1) to provide access to a St. Mary’s education to qualified students who could not otherwise attend, and whose attendance will enrich the school and community and 2) to increase the socioeconomic diversity of the student body.

For more detailed explanations of tuition grants please refer to our Tuition Grant Fast Facts.

How to Apply

Parents of applicants must indicate they are interested in applying for a tuition grant by checking the appropriate box on the application form. They should then apply using FAST (Financial Aid for School Tuition) by March 15. Returning applicants should apply online as well by the due date. Returning students not currently receiving aid who wish to apply should fill out the FAST and follow the application instructions.

All applications are completed on-line through FAST (Financial Aid for School Tuition). You may download the instructions once you've set up your account in FAST.

St. Mary's requires that families apply every year for tuition grants as both the financial resouces of the family and school change every year.

Timeline

March 15 - Parents are expected to have completed and filed the application through the Financial Aid for School Tution (FAST) application.All applicants are required to submit a photocopy of their 1040 with all schedules and W-2 statements for the year just completed. If the tax return is not yet available, we require a copy of the IRS 4868 (extension). This must be submitted directly to FAST. Addressed envelopes are available in the front office. There is a $34.00 processing fee. St. Mary’s reserves the right to hold aid awards until all required forms are received, and may alter financial aid awards if the figures presented on FAST are significantly different from the IRS 1040.

Additional documentation may be required in some cases. Examples include a photocopy of the student tax return if filed, a Business or Farm Financial Statement, or a financial statement for the non-custodial parent.

May 15: Awards will start to be mailed. Tuition grant awards are valid for two weeks, after which they are subject to revocation. Parents are encouraged to call the Business Manager to discuss problems or concerns.

*Please note that you must have fully enrolled your student(s) (signed the enrollment contract and paid the family registration fee) before the school will send out an award letter. If the school cannot meet your families financial need, and you decide not to send your student(s) because of this, then we will refund your family registration fee).

Questions

If you have questions about the process please call Rebecca Naumes at 773-7877 ext. 3108. If you have specific questions about the FAST application please call 1-877-326-FAST or e-mail ISM (Independent School Management) at help@ismfast.com. Call center hours are 24/7/365.