Tuition & Affordability

Rochester Catholic Schools uses FAIR (Financial Aid Independent Review) to allocate funds and determine the amount of aid to be awarded to qualifying students through an objective, impartial, and equitable process. FAIR is a nationally recognized leader in confidential objective financial aid assessments for private and parochial schools. All RCS students/families are eligible to apply to financial aid regardless of grade level or faith tradition.

When Should I Apply?

Current Families:
For current families to be considered for financial aid the deadline application was March 14, 2021. 

New Families: 
Financial aid applications are processed throughout the entire school year for new families. A family must submit current federal tax returns with their application. There is a $30 application fee when applying with FAIR.

How Do I Apply?
Families can apply online at www.fairapp.com. The following information is needed to apply online:
• School Code: 150
• Password: rcs150
• A valid email address
• Credit card (Visa or Mastercard)
• Copy of 2020 Income Tax return for the 2021-2022 School Year

financial aid (fair)

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 parishes listed below.

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
• St. Bernard's Catholic Church
• St Bridget's Catholic Church

Click here to learn more about the Parish Tuition Grant and parish involvement. 

To apply for Seeds of Faith funds:

• Request an application form by contacting the Admissions Office at admissions@rcsmn.org or calling (507) 424-1817.
• Provide all required documentation. A checklist of accompanying paperwork is listed on the last page of the application. NOTE: Sections B, C and G will be completed /provided by RCS and your parish pastor or building administrator.
• Submit completed application, by May 14, 2021, for the 2021-2022 school year to your church pastor or building administrator.

In late June, the Catholic Foundation of Southern MN will inform recipients of the grant committee’s decision.

seeds of faith 

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

Rochester Catholic Schools is Parent Aware rated and therefore our families may qualify for financial assistance. Please visit parentaware.org to learn more about the programs this organization offers.

Parent Aware

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

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

Click here to read the Rochester Catholic Schools Tuition Agreement and Financial Aid Policies

Tuition contracts will become available in mid-May through your SchoolAdmin parent portal. Families will be notified when contracts are available.

Families must review and sign contracts by June 15, 2021, to secure your spot for the 2021-2022 school year.

The first tuition payment is due by July 31.

Please contact the Department of Admissions at (507) 424-1817 with any questions about your tuition contracts.

Rochester Catholic Schools (RCS) offers a personalized online tuition payment program through SchoolAdmin. Families create a secure account through SchoolAdmin to schedule one-time or recurring payments. 

Payments are automatically debited from your bank or credit card account. Online payments made by credit card are assessed a 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction fee. To avoid fees, please select payment via an electronic check, direct mail, or delivery to your child's school office or the RCS Central Office.

This program makes paying tuition convenient, flexible, and provides families with multiple payment options.

Payment Plans
Annual (August)
Semester (August, January)
Quarterly (August, October, January, March)
Monthly (July-June)

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. 

Enrollment contracts will become available in mid-May via your School Admin Parent Portal. Your contract will include terms and conditions, along with details of tuition, fees, discounts, deferments, and scholarships. After reviewing your contract, families electronically sign the contract by June 15 and your first tuition payment is due by July 31.

Tuition payments and financial documents are kept in your School Admin Parent Portal. RCS offers four payment plans, accepts payments in-person or through autopay options, and accepts cash, check, or credit card plans. School Admin partners with Stripe for online payment processing. 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 electronic tuition contract.

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

In the event your family is unable to commit to the tuition contract, please contact the Department of Admission to discuss your unique family situation. All past and current tuition balances are to be paid in full by June 30. Families delinquent in tuition will be placed on a financial hold for enrollment until a payment plan has been approved by the RCS Financial Assistance Review Committee. Please reach out to your school principal to discuss delinquencies in your tuition account as soon as possible.