Private Education is for Everyone
When you choose a Catholic classical education for your child, you are choosing to invest in their future. At Saint Raphael Catholic School we believe that elite education should be accessible to everyone. We adjust our tuition on a variable scale based on your family needs. We believe every student is capable of academic excellence, and we offer our variable tuition rates as an endorsement of this conviction. Our school is strengthened by the broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds which our families represent.
Variable Tuition Rate
We encourage all families, regardless of income level, returning status, or parish affiliation, to go through our online financial aid application process. While you may choose to cover the regular tuition rate, most families qualify for some sort of financial aid.
Our variable tuition rate is possible thanks for the generosity of donors, alumni, and the diligence of parent volunteers and our own students who fundraise to support our Mr. J. Scholarship Fund. This scholarship is the main fund by which Saint Raphael Catholic School is able to directly alleviate tuition costs. Your Mr. J. Scholarship application will be automatically applied when you complete the TADs financial aid application. Uploading your family‘s financial information to TADs is online, third-party, and completely confidential.
How do I apply?
All families are encouraged to apply for our financial aid, regardless of income level or returning status. Our variable tuition rate is applied at the request of each enrolling family as they submit their financial aid form through TADs, our online enrollment software.
Through the TADS application process a family’s information is securely collected and reviewed to estimate their household’s ability to contribute to their tuition. Saint Raphael Catholic school will match each family’s resources. For example, if a student’s tuition begins at $5,200, but it is estimated that a family can only pay for $3,500, then Saint Raphael will apply a $1,700 Mr. J Scholarship fund such that the family only pays for a $3,500 tuition rate. Our goal is to make elite classical Catholic education affordable to all.
When should I apply?
Some additional aid, like the $1,000 Aim Higher Scholarship, opens on November 1st. We encourage all families to apply for these opportunities as early as November and December when the application portals open!
The Saint Raphael Catholic school financial aid deadline is Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023. Families who apply for financial aid by that date, even if they have not completed a school application or enrollment, have a higher chance of receiving external scholarships (such as the $1,000 Aim Higher scholarship) as well as internal aid from the Mr. J. Scholarship Fund. Applications for financial assistance received after February 22nd will have distributed financial assistance only as funds allow. Notices of tuition assistance will be communicated to Financial Aid Deadline applicants in April 2023.
Aim Higher Scholarship Foundation
The Aim Higher Scholarship is a $1,000, student-based scholarship awarded to K-8 students from families with demonstrated financial need. The application window is open from November 1st, 2022 to February 22nd, 2023. Once a student is awarded the scholarship, they will continue to receive an additional $1,000 scholarship each year up to and through 8th grade as long as the yearly financial aid application continues to show need. The scholarship will also follow the student from year to year if he or she transfers to another Catholic school in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Eligible students must demonstrate financial need as determined by the TADS financial aid application. Just check the box for the Aim Higher Scholarship in your TADS application.
For the AIM HIGHER Foundation Tuition Assistance Scholarship Application Information, please click HERE for the English version; or HERE for the Spanish version.
MN Fundraising Initiative
Another way to lower your tuition is to volunteer your time with Minnesota Fundraising Initiative. This non-profit organization will donate on your child’s behalf for each volunteer opportunity which you take advantage of. By making a login account on their website you may view upcoming volunteer opportunities and register for as many or as few as you would like. Donations will be delivered directly to Saint Raphael Catholic school in the months following your volunteering.
Do I need to apply for Financial Aid every year?
Yes! Each year families are asked to complete a new financial aid form to have their variable tuition rate re-applied.