Scholarship and Financial Aid

A St. Giles Education within Reach

We know that choosing Catholic education is a financial commitment, and we work with families to help make a St. Giles School education possible for all who seek it. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and community, we offer several scholarship opportunities for families.

Concerned about paying tuition at St. Giles School? Please reach out to Principal Meg Bigane with questions or concerns at mbigane@stgilesschool.org. Specific scholarship questions can be directed to our Executive Director, Michele Bibbey, at mbibbey@stgilesschool.org.

St. Giles Scholarships

The St. Giles School Scholarship Program makes available scholarships to families who value a Catholic education but have difficulty paying the full cost of tuition and fees. This assistance is available for families who qualify and the level of assistance granted varies based on need. Implementation of the policy is meant to be as fair and equitable as possible. This policy provides that no complete tuition waivers will be granted. The program is overseen by the Pastor and Principal.

To be considered for St. Giles Scholarships, qualifying families need to apply also for the Empower Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship (This scholarship is distributed on the first-come-first-served basis).

Eligibility

St. Giles School families (K-8) who are in good financial standing (i.e., current on tuition and fees for current and past school years or granted a pastor-approved hardship waiver) are eligible for consideration for scholarship. Fulfillment of the requirements of Contributing Parishioner status is required as well. For all Contributing Parishioners, this includes registration with St. Giles Parish, active participation in Parish life and monetary contributions in the amount of $15/week for a family with 1 child and $20/week for a family with 2 or more children for the full calendar year.

New families will be considered for scholarships once they have fully registered for St. Giles School and have met the Contributing Parishioner standards or have a waiver from the Pastor. Scholarship preference may be given to returning school families over families brand new to the school. Any recipient of a hardship waiver from the Pastor and/or Principal must submit an application for scholarship as well.

Preschool students are not eligible for Financial Aid or Scholarships.

Scholarship Committee

Assessments and awards of scholarships will be made by the Scholarship Committee, which will assess need based on application materials and determine awards based on need and available scholarship resources under the school budget.

The Committee will consist of the Pastor, the Principal (or school-employed designee of the Principal), and three St. Giles parishioners selected by the pastor in consultation with the Board of Specified Jurisdiction. At least one Committee member, and no more than two of the parishioners, will be a member of the School’s Finance Committee. Committee members will serve calendar year terms. There will be no limitation on the number of terms served.

The Committee will establish procedures to maintain the confidentiality of all applicants and information submitted in connection with any application.

How to Apply

All applications for scholarships to St. Giles are accepted through FACTS, our online payment management system and scholarship assessment service.

You are required to complete the following steps in order to apply. Applications will NOT be reviewed without ALL of these documents.

  1. There is a $30 application fee due at the time of applying.
  2. Complete the online FACTS scholarship application.
  3. Upload all accompanying documents requested (W-2 forms, tax returns or other proof of income required by FACTS). FACT’s private assessment of this financial information will be used by the scholarship committee to help determine need.
  4. Complete the St. Giles School Scholarship Questionnaire, also located in the FACTS application.

Applications are open January 1 – April 15 before the school year for which aid is accepted. After this date, the Grant & Aid section of FACTS is closed. It can be opened to accommodate special circumstances if there are still funds available. Requests to apply for special circumstance must be made in writing to Michele Bibbey at mbibbey@stgilesschool.org.

Scholarship decisions and awards will be made no later than May 15 before the academic year for which aid is awarded. There can be no guarantee of financial aid to any applicant.

Scholarships are awarded to families who qualify based on financial need which is based upon FACTS grant and aid assessment criteria and review by the school financial aid committee.

For further questions regarding Scholarships, please contact our Executive Director, Michele Bibbey at mbibbey@stgilesschool.org