Tuition Assistance Info

Paying For Tuition
There are a number of programs available to assist with the payment of tuition at St. Francis Xavier Elementary.

Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)

Eligible students (K1-6th) can use their ESA to cover the cost of tuition at Xavier. 

The Students First Act makes state funding available to support the success of every K-12 student in Iowa.  The bill establishes a framework and funding for education savings accounts, which may be used by eligible families to cover tuition, fees, and other qualified education expenses at accredited nonpublic schools in Iowa.

Applications for the 2025-2026 school year will open on April 16, 2025.   Applications are valid for one year; a family must apply annually to remain eligible for the program. 

Who is Eligible?

• All K1-12th grade students in Iowa regardless of income or previous enrollment status are eligible in the 2025-2026 school year
  
  Additional information is available on the Iowa Department of Education website here.

NOTE: Preschool students are NOT eligible for an ESA.

New Applicants

First time applicants will be directed to sign up through Odyssey with an email and password.  After confirming your email, you will sign in to the Odyssey portal to begin your application.

Student Tuition Organization (STO)

St. Francis Elementary is a participant in the Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future STO program. The STO program provides qualifying families with tuition assistance. There are income eligibility guidelines and an application that must be submitted in order to receive assistance. The application has a fee of $40.00 per family (not per student) and also requires the uploading of a copy of the current tax year federal return. Filing for STO assistance is also required to qualify or to apply for any local assistance programs. The round 1 deadline for STO application is May 5, 2025 and the round 2 deadline is August 8, 2025. 

More information on the STO program can be found at www.ourfaithsto.org or by contacting Jenny White, Business Manager.

Local Assistance 

Thanks to the generosity of local donors, St. Francis Xavier Elementary also has a need-based tuition assistance available to families. In order to qualify for local assistance programs, a family must first file for the STO assistance. If STO assistance is not adequate, or a family does not qualify for STO but is still in need, an application for local assistance is then completed. Applications are then reviewed and families will be notified of any award granted.

Iowa 529 College Savings Plans

Due to changes in tax laws, 529 College Savings plans can also be utilized to pay for K-12 tuition. The advantage of paying tuition via a 529 plan is that contributions to eligible 529 plans are deductible from Iowa income taxes. For the 2024 tax year, an individual taxpayer can deduct up to $4,028 in contributions per Beneficiary account from their state income taxes. A married couple with 2 children could contribute more than $16,000 into 529 plans and deduct that amount from their Iowa income taxes. Additional information on using 529 plans for K-12 tuition can be found at:
https://www.iowaace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/529-Plan-Information-Updated-1.6.20.pdf

Scrip Program

Through the Scrip program, participants purchase gift certificates for local and national business at face value. The program however purchases these at a discount which varies by vendor. The program keeps 50% of the difference to help fund Xavier Elementary, and the other 50% is returned to the purchaser as a tuition credit. For example, if you buy a $100 gift card to Fareway, Fareway provides a 3% discount on the purchase to Xavier. $1.50 is kept by the Scrip program to fund Xavier and you receive $1.50 in tuition credit. Scrip is available for purchase at local financial institutions in Dyersville, and you can also set up an online account to purchase Scrip online or even on your smartphone. For more information on the Scrip program, please visit Our Scrip Information



St Francis Xavier is committed to providing a Catholic education to any child who desires one.  If you have further concerns or questions please contact us to discuss arrangements.