Several different financial-aid programs are available to interested families.

ADOPT-A-STUDENT FUND

Through the generosity of our parishioners and other benefactors an Adopt-A-Student Fund has been established to assist families who desire a Catholic Education but cannot afford to pay the full tuition cost.  Tuition assistance is only available for students in grades Kindergarten and above.  Tuition assistance is not offered for Preschool students.  Tuition assistance is offered on a first come, first serve basis.

Families seeking tuition assistance must complete a Covenant Tuition Services (CTS) application prior to initial school registration, typically held in May of the preceding school year.  CTS is a third-party service that looks strictly at a family’s financial abilities and, based upon those abilities, provides St. Anne School information regarding the family’s expected tuition cost.  If CTS has determined that a family is truly in need of financial assistance and the School has determined that Adopt-A-Student Funds are available, then an adjusted tuition amount will be offered and communicated to the family.  The CTS application may be accessed from the School Office or online here: http://cts-tuition.com/services/tuition-assistance.html.

Charitable contributions to the Adopt-A-Student Fund may be made at any time of the year and are tax deductible.  Checks to this Fund may be made out to St. Anne School Adopt-A-Student Fund, and a letter acknowledging the charitable contribution will be sent from the school to the donor.  To honor the privacy of those receiving tuition assistance their names will not be shared with those contributing to this Fund.

SISTER LORRAINE PRATT EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP FUND

A Scholarship Fund has been established in the name of Sister Lorraine Pratt, S.S.N.D., in gratitude for her many years of service and dedication to Catholic Education at St. Anne School.  This Fund will earn monies that will be used to help families afford an excellent Catholic Education for their children, so that they can excel spiritually, morally, academically and socially in service to others.  All gifts are to be made in the name of St. Anne School and will remain always for the sole benefit of the School and its children.  Forms to apply for this Scholarship are available in the School Office. Award recipients are chosen annually. 

EMPOWER ILLINOIS

The State of Illinois has passed the Invest in Kids Act.  This legislation outlined the state's program to fund public schools, but it also created the tax scholarship program.  The tax scholarship program is designed to give all families, regardless of income, access to choices in education...including Catholic Schools.

The new law has allowed for private, non-profit organizations to accept donations and give out private scholarships to students in grades K-12 based on income.  Our Diocese has chosen to partner with Empower Illinois.

Students may be able to receive scholarships of 50, 75 or 100% of tuition and necessary fees based on income.  That means that the tuition, book fees, technology and even uniforms will be covered partially or completely by the scholarship.  A chart with qualifying incomes is available via the following link: https://empowerillinois.org/apply/do-i-qualify/   If you or someone you know would qualify, please encourage them to apply.

However, for the scholarship to be available to students, we also need your help.  This is not a state funded program.  This program will be funded completely by donations.  Donations can be made on the corporate level or as an individual.  No amount is too small.

As an incentive, the State has agreed to give a 75% tax credit for the amount of the donation up to $1 million dollars. For example:  A person donates $1000 to the program.  In return they receive a $750 tax credit on their State income taxes.  So their $1000 donation really cost them $250.

Individuals can direct their donations to a specific school or subset of school.  If you decided to donate, we ask that you specify (St. Anne School) or the Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Rockford.  This way we can help the families right here in our community give their children the blessing of a Catholic Education.

In order to apply there are some steps that have to be taken ahead of time, so please review this information at the Empower Illinois website, www.empowerillinois.org. 

Please note that the Empower Illinois scholarships are subject to funding availability as well as placement on the priority list through the Empower Illinois system.  

TUITION POLICY

It is a goal of St. Anne Parish to foster and encourage stewardship.  As part of the parish, the School joins in that goal, and the policy on tuition is meant to reflect that goal.

St. Anne School requires all parents to pay the tuition price as set each year by the Finance Council in conjunction with the Education Commission.  Families who require tuition assistance must fill out the form provided by The Covenant Tuition Assistance Services and submit that form with the necessary documents and check to the proper address.  Assistance will be given, or withheld, based on recommendations made by that service and in conjunction with the decisions of the Pastor and Principal.

All PreK-5 families are required to participate in fundraising efforts to assist the Home and School Association in raising their commitment to the school.  Each family must work at a certain number of fundraisers during the school year, one of which must be the Scrip Program.  Other choices are left to the family.  Chairs of major fundraisers need only to work Scrip and the fundraiser they are chairing.  Please keep in mind we are a small school and need all hands-on deck.  We need all PreK-5 families to help as needed.