Local parishes and dioceses often offer scholarships for children to attend Catholic elementary and secondary schools. The scholarships come through donations and may be based on financial need or academic achievement. Your parish or diocese can tell you whether state governments offer scholarships to students to attend private schools. Ohio, for example, administers the Ohio EdChoice Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships for up to 14,000 eligible students, in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The Ohio scholarships range from $4,250 to $5,000 and only apply to tuition, according to the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. The City of Cleveland also offers scholarships that pay part of the cost of private schooling.
The Children's Scholarship Fund is a private organization that provides scholarships based on financial need to children throughout the U.S., in grades kindergarten through eighth. The program has helped more than 111,000 families since it began in 1993, according to the fund's website. Families receive annual scholarships of 25 percent, 50 percent or 75 percent of tuition, depending on income. The program requires families to pay at least $500 toward tuition a year. While the amount of the scholarship varies by city, the average amount is $1,500 annually, according to the fund's website. The fund award the scholarships on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to apply early.
Some Catholic dioceses administer programs in which businesses and benefactors act as sponsors to help families pay for tuition. In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, for example, the contribution from businesses or individual donors is applied to the school of their choice or, if they choose, to whichever school has the most need. Sponsors in the archdiocese can donate on different levels; $5,000 for a secondary education student, $2,500 for a special education student or $2,000 for a elementary education student.
Several Catholic organizations give scholarships to help pay for college. The Catholic organization, Knights of Columbus, for example, awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships in the 2008-2009 school year to 687 students seeking four-year college degrees, according to the organization's website. The organization lists 10 scholarships that are available for college students. Ask your diocese if it provides scholarships toward college education. A list of 110 Catholic education scholarships is available atthe Catholic Online website.