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Groups help make Catholic education more available
By J.D. Long-García, The Catholic Sun
September 20, 2007
Not all families can afford a Catholic education for their children, but thanks to several charitable organizations, some are now able to send their students to parochial schools anyway.
“We never want to exclude any group of parents or students,” said MaryBeth Mueller, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Phoenix Diocese.
“Yet parents who don’t have the economic means or are average middle class struggle to send their kids to Catholic school,” she said. “The challenge is the affordability and the accessibility.”
The average tuition at Catholic elementary schools is more than $3,600, while the average Catholic high school tuition is around $7,500. Overall, Catholic schools are seeing a steady increase in enrollment.
Many families meet that challenge thanks to the Catholic Tuition Organization of the Diocese of Phoenix, Mueller said.
“There’s a lot of room for us to grow,” said Paul Mulligan, executive director of the Catholic Tuition Organization, noting that 10 percent of Catholics in the diocese contribute.
The tuition organization, thanks to state tax credits, works to provide affordable tuition through grants and scholarships. The dollar-for-dollar tax credit is available for up to $500 per individual or $1,000 for a married couple filing a joint tax return.
A new law implemented last September allows corporations to make contributions to a school tuition organization like the Catholic Tuition Organization and receive tax credit up to the amount of its tax liability.
“If you can make a scholarship available for a poor family, what an opportunity,” Mulligan said. “We are dedicated to ensuring that all those who seek tuition assistance will someday be able to obtain it.”
In 2006, the organization awarded more than $9.2 million in scholarships to 5,727 students, which represented awards to more than 81 percent of the 7,005 students who applied for financial assistance that year.
This year 6,742 students received financial help.
Yet, Mueller said, more needs to be done to meet tuition-assistance demand.
“Some of our schools go and beat the bushes or ask parents for scholarships,” she said. Some students need to combine scholarships to pay tuition.
The Arizona Knights of Columbus, who are strong supporters of the tuition tax credit program, also help send more kids to Catholic schools.
Several parish councils offer scholarships for outstanding students to attend Catholic high school, said John Garcia of the Arizona Knights of Columbus.
Garcia noted Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral Council #12708 and the Fray Francisco Garces Council #3855 that serves Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Louis the King in Glendale as two such examples.
Both councils award one or two $2,000 scholarships to students for their four-year high school education.
“Local councils have also provided direct service to Catholic schools,” Garcia said. “A local council in Mesa provided assistance with the Christ the King school by paying for the replacement of school desks.”
The Catholic Community Foundation makes Catholic education more affordable through a competitive grants program, its Christian Service Awards and donor-advised grants.
Catholic schools apply for tuition assistance for needy students through the grants program. The annual Christian Service Awards program gives $2,000 per year for four years to eighth-grade students who exemplify Christian service and who want to attend Catholic high school.
Individual donors and families support the school of their choice through the foundation’s donor- advised grants. Donors who want to recognize students for their community service make these awards possible.
“Donors and families typically set up an estate plan that includes schools that have been near and dear to their hearts,” said Donna Marino, president and CEO of the Catholic Community Foundation.
“We believe that all students benefit from the excellent academic, spiritual and socially responsible environment which is the hallmark of our schools from pre-K through the 12th grade,” she said. “As we approach the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Catholic Community Foundation, supporting access to this high-quality education remains a priority for us.”
The Office of Black Catholic Ministry gives performance-based scholarships to students entering Catholic high school. During the 2006 school year, the office awarded $5,400 in scholarships.
“We are a small ministry and can’t reduce the affordability of a high school cost” for everyone, said Isaiah “Kit” Marshal, director of the office. “However, we can reduce some of the cost to the best students.”
Students interested in competing for a scholarship must submit their grades and letters from their teachers and coaches.
“A Catholic education is a solid foundation for the child’s future,” Marshal said. “The future of the Catholic Church depends on the attitudes and enthusiasm carried by our youth. Secularism has created a real temptation for the young.”
Mueller also noted the annual Charity and Development Appeal, which sends grant money to schools and parishes. The CDA raised more than $1.4 million to help families who may not be able to afford Catholic education and kept tuition increases to a minimum.
Peter Maland established a scholarship in honor of his late wife. He gives Sadie R. Maland Scholarships to students from Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Glendale who will attend Bourgade Catholic High School.
The $4,000 scholarships help students pay tuition for their four-year education. This year, Maland granted three such scholarships.
“I came from utter poverty in New York,” said Maland, noting that his parents were Italian immigrants. “My children all went to Catholic schools and I’ve seen the difference it makes. A Catholic education is very important.”
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