SCHOOL TUITION POLICY

We at Ss. Simon & Jude School believe that tuition payments are an investment in your child’s education and religious formation.  Therefore the pastor, administration and School Board have adopted the following tuition policies concerning the amount of tuition, the manner of payment,

and, in general, the development of policy in this area of concern.  It is the responsibility of the School Board, in concert with the pastor and principal, that adequate financial resources are available for the school and that enrollment is as available and affordable as possible to all

families.

Tuition Payment

Ss. Simon & Jude Parish offers a multiple child discount to families who are registered members of the parish, attend Mass regularly and demonstrate consistent stewardship by giving of their time, talent and treasure to the parish.

Families who are not parishioners of Ss. Simon & Jude Church, with children enrolled in our school, shall pay the out-of-parish per chil rate determined annually by the School Board with no multiple child discount.

All families shall be expected to make tuition payments according to one of the following payment plans.  Each family’s preferred manner of payment must be submitted each year at the time of student registration.

Options for payment shall include:

Full Payment:  Under this plan, the entire amount of tuition is paid on or before July 1st.  A tuition reduction would be applied to the tuition cost. Tuition reductions shall be determined annually by the School Board.  This payment is made directly to Ss. Simon & Jude School.

Monthly Payments:  Under this plan, the entire amount of tuition is paid monthly through the FACTS Tuition Management Plan.  There are a variety of options in order to insure that families will be able to budget according to their needs. This program is an automatic payment plan made through your checking or statement savings account. Those choosing this plan will authorize their bank to make automatic monthly payments. FACTS monthly payments also can be set up with a MasterCard, Discover Card or American Express.  There is a convenience fee that will be assesse once a year for the charge card option.

     Option A:   Nine-month payment plan beginning in August

     Option B:   Ten-month payment plan beginning in August

     Option C:   Eleven-month payment plan beginning in July

All options have the choice of automatic deductions on either the 5th or the 20th of each month.  All payments must be completed by May 20th.

Late Registrations

Families registering after July 1st but before school begins, shall be expected to fulfill their tuition obligation according to the tuition policy stated above.

Tuition for students registering on or after the first day of school shall be prorated according to a formula established by the School Board.

Late Payments

It shall be the responsibility of each school family to keep the principal or school secretary informed of their need to make any changes in their preferred tuition payment plan or adjustments in the amount of tuition expected to be paid.  Without such information, the following policy will

apply when tuition payments are received late:

Full Payment:  If payment is not received on or before July 1st, the discounted rate of tuition will not apply.  When full payment has not been made by July 1st, the family will be contacted within ten days by the school office concerning the missed payment date and alternative tuition payment options will be offered.  If funds are not received according to a new agreement, all tuition payments shall be made through the FACTS Tuition Management Plan.

Monthly Payments:  School families who chose one of the Options through FACTS and miss a monthly payment due to insufficient funds will be automatically charged a $25.00 missed payment fee.  (There may also be a similar fee incurred from their own banking institution.)  The missed payment will be processed again by FACTS the next month.

In addition, school families who have missed two monthly payments and have not made suitable arrangements within fourteen (14) calendar days of the second missed payment will be informed that their child/children may not be allowed to attend school until payment arrangements are made

or their account may be turned over to collections.

Tuition Assistance

Every school family is encouraged to apply for scholarship funds through the Catholic Tuition Organization (CTO).  Applications are available at time of registration and scholarships are based on financial need and/or fund availability.  This fund is administered through the Diocese of

Phoenix.  Applications based on need are reviewed first, then applications based on fund availability will be considered after the awards for need have been designated.  If the financial need requests deplete the scholarship fund, then there will be no fund availability awards

distributed.

Families may request a multiple-child discount through the SSJ Parish Scholarship Fund.  Families are eligible only if they are registered members at Ss. Simon & Jude, attend Mass regularly, and support the parish through consistent stewardship.  This fund is subsidized by Ss. Simon & Jude Parish.

Also, a limited amount of tuition assistance is available through the SSJ Help-A-Student Fund for school families experiencing short-term financial difficulties.  Normally, requests for such assistance should be made at the time of registration.  However, since such circumstances often are

unpredictable, families should not hesitate to inform the principal or school secretary of their need whenever it may arise during the school year.  We encourage parents or guardians to contact the school as soon as possible when they are experiencing economic difficulties.

Delinquent Tuition From Previous Year

All previously unpaid tuition must be paid by August 1st if a student is to be re-admitted on the first day of class for a new school year.  Payments are to be made directly to the school.  If full payment is not possible, suitable arrangements must be made with the principal or school secretary.

Tuition Refunds

Families withdrawing students prior to the first day of school shall be refunded the amount of tuition that has been paid for the current school year less $100.  After the first day of school, tuition refunds shall be prorated according to a formula established by the School Board