Question: I have a child at a Catholic School, how do I qualify for the in-parish reduced tuition rate?

Contact Person

Julie Cipriano
Assistant to the Pastor

(602) 954-9089 x5204

In order to qualify for reduced tuition at a local Catholic School, you must meet the requirements below.

Registration
The custodial parent/guardian of the child must be officially registered as a parishioner of St. Thomas the Apostle, as recorded in our parish database. If you are recently registered at St. Thomas the Apostle (within past 6 months), a statement from the former parish of “active and contributing parishioner” status at the parish will be accepted to qualify for tuition discount until regular parishioner status can be established at St. Thomas the Apostle.

Regular Attendance
Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Parents of Catholic students should be particularly aware of this teaching of the Church, as they have solemnly promised God to raise their children accordingly to the law of Christ and His Church. Evidence of attendance at Sunday Mass is difficult to ascertain. The easiest way to demonstrate one’s attendance at Sunday Mass is by participating in the parish envelope system. To qualify for the discounted tuition rate the receipt of at least two envelopes per month is required. Those families signed up on monthly auto withdraw for their tithing will need to place a contribution envelope in the collection at least twice a month. Envelopes dropped off or mailed to the parish office are accounted for but do not fulfill the requirements of attending Sunday Mass, nor for receiving the reduced tuition rate.

Financial Support
The reason a discount is offered to an “active and contributing parishioner” is because they are already financially supporting the parish by way of the Sunday collection. The level of financial support will vary from family to family depending on the family’s income. The biblical tradition of a tithe is 10% of one’s income. Failure to support the parish financially would make a tuition discount unjust.

We will continue to evaluate each family on a semester basis. On this basis a family may either gain or lose qualification for “active and contributing” reduced tuition. This information will be given to the Schools accordingly.