Tuition & Affordability

Rochester Catholic Schools partners with FAIR (Financial Aid Independent Review) to determine your family's eligibility for financial aid. FAIR is a nationally recognized leader in confidential objective financial aid assessments for private and parochial schools. 

Yearly Application Required:
All RCS families are eligible to apply for yearly tuition assistance regardless of grade level or faith tradition. A new application must be submitted each year to be considered for tuition assistance. The priority application deadline for the 2022-2023 school year is Feb. 4. Financial assistance funds are limited and are awarded according to application deadline. Families are welcome to apply after February 4 and aid will be distributed as funds remain available.

Email FAIR with Questions at customerservice@fairtuition.com

financial aid (fair)

Returning Families: The application deadline for returning families was February 4. Please contact the admissions office directly if you have missed the deadline.

New Families: If you are a new family, applying for admission after February 4, you will be sent a link to apply for this grant upon your admissions acceptance. 

About this Grant: Your child(ren)’s tuition may be reduced by a parish tuition grant. This grant is available for students in kindergarten through grade 12 who are active, registered members of one of the six parishes listed below. Families must apply each school year for this grant. One application per family. 

Upon application and approval by your pastor, the parish grant in the amount of $1,450 per student will be applied to your tuition statement.

• Church of the Resurrection
• Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
• Church of St. Pius X
• Holy Spirit Catholic Church
• Pax Christi Catholic Church
• St. Francis of Assisi Church

Awards Communicated in July 2022: The Catholic Foundation of Southern MN will inform recipients of the grant committee’s decision on awards. If eligible, the Foundation will contact RCS and your grant award will be credited to your tuition account.

To apply for Seeds of Faith funds:

1. Stop by your child's school office to pick up an application.
2. Complete application and provide all required documentation. A checklist of accompanying paperwork is listed on the last page of the application.
3. Deliver your application to your parish pastor, faith leader, or building principal to complete Sections B, C and G.
4. Families are required to mail their application by May 10, 2022 to: 

Scrip is a national fundraising program that offers a simple way for you to earn rewards for your family and RCS. When you shop at any of the 750+ Scrip partner brands (like Target, Amazon, Starbucks, and more), you get everything you love at no extra cost — and rack up great rewards at the same time!

scrip

What is an Early Learning Scholarship?

An Early Learning Scholarship can help families in need pay for high-quality child care and early education programs. Early Learning Scholarships must be used at an accredited preschool program. 

Families seeking an early learning scholarship must first contact Families First of Minnesota to determine their eligibility for financial assistance. 

Freshman Year: $1,000 off of tuition per student
Sophomore Year: $500 off of tuition per student

This grant will be noted on your tuition contract and no application is needed.

Rochester Catholic Schools is a great place to work and offers an employee discount for tuition. Click here to view our job opportunities.
 

RCS may not be able to provide the full amount of requested financial assistance for every student. We have budgeted for a maximum amount of financial assistance. We must work within the available resources of our budget to make Catholic education accessible and affordable to as many students and families as possible. In the event life circumstances have changed or information needs to be updated on the FAIR application, a family may need to request an appeal. To request an appeal, please call the RCS Department of Admissions. Please allow up to three weeks for an appeal request to be reviewed by RCS. 

RCS prepares tuition agreements in April and sends via the RCS Portal by mid-May. 

Tuition payments and financial documents are kept in your Parent Portal. RCS offers four payment plans, accepts payments in-person or through autopay options, and accepts cash, check, or credit card plans.

Families paying with a credit card are assessed a 3% + $0.45 convenience fee per transaction by Stripe. Payment plans are created when signing your continuous enrollment tuition agreement. 

If your family would like to request a financial split for tuition payments between two or more households, please contact the Department of Admissions before signing your tuition agreement.

In the event your family is unable to commit to the tuition agreement, please contact your Building Principal and the Department of Admission to discuss your unique family situation. Late fees may be assessed in the event you do not contact us before the due date of your tuition payment.

All past and current tuition balances are to be paid in full by June 30. Families delinquent in tuition may be placed on a financial hold for enrollment until a payment plan has been approved by the RCS Financial Assistance Review Committee.