Cultivating the full potential of each individual through the pursuit of academic, spiritual, and personal excellence.
Tuition Assistance Info
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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)
If interested in attending Xavier for the 2024-25 school year and you qualify for an ESA, you MUST apply by the June 30 deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.
Apply here.
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.
Parents who choose to enroll their eligible children in an accredited prviate school will receive an amount equal to the per pupil funding allocated to public school districts for the same budget school year ($7,826 for the 2024-2025 school year). Funds will be deposited into an education savings account (ESA) to be used for tuition, fees, and other qualified expenses.
The application period for the 2024-2025 school year will be from April 16, 2024 to June 30, 2024. Families are encouraged to wait until their state income tax is filed before applying. If you apply without a completed return, finding out if you qualify will take longer.
Additional information is available on the Iowa Department of Education website here.
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 $31.00 filing fee 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. More information on the STO program can be found at www.ourfaithsto.org
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.pdfScrip 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.