The vast majority of our families make considerable sacrifices for their children to attend Catholic schools. Looking for financial assistance? Talk with your pastor and/or school principal. They can tell you about various state, Diocesan, and parish-based resources and scholarships available for qualifying families.

Diocesan Assistance

Diocesan Catholic School Tuition Aid Grant (CSTAG)

FAQ: Can FL State Scholarships be combined with a Diocesan CSTAG award? Not at the Elementary/Middle school level (exceptions are Morning Star Schools). Diocesan CSTAG assistance may be stacked at the High School level.

What‘s Next?

Any family requesting need-based financial aid from the Diocese of St. Petersburg (DOSP) for the 2024-2025 school year will be required to submit an application for the state scholarship program. Diocesan aid is limited. Families with students in grades K-8 receiving Step-Up, AAA, FES/FTC, or FES-UA do not qualify for CSTAG funds (unless they are Morning Star students), as the state scholarship is now available to all students. For families with students in grades 9-12, the state scholarship may be stacked with other Grants and Scholarships accepted.


Parents are required to fill out a FACTS Grant and Aid application for the each new school year. Applications for the 2024-2025 school year open on November 1, 2023. All applications must be submitted along with ALL documents uploaded to FACTS no later than April 30, 2024 for the 2024-2025 school year. An application is considered complete when FACTS Grant and Aid has received the application and all supporting documentation required for evaluation. Families must have FACTS Calculated Need to be eligible for tuition assistance. Please contact the school where your child is registered for the FACTS application link.

NEW this 2024-2025 school year: There will be an early decision round. Early decision notifications will be made by March 15, 2024. To qualify for this early decision, FACTS applications must be submitted by February 1, 2024.

FACTS applications submitted after the final deadline of April 30, 2024 will be considered LATE. After submitting a LATE FACTS application, an appeal must be sent directly to the Office of Catholic Schools and Centers (OCSC) at ocsc@dosp.org.

How to appeal a denial of a Diocesan CSTAG award:
Many families who do not meet the Diocesan eligibility requirements for tuition assistance will receive a denial letter from the Superintendent via an email from FACTS. There are many reasons why a family may have been denied. This includes but is not limited to, income,  application submitted or completed past deadlines, required documentation to complete application was not provided, input error by applicant, or calculation error by facts. The Diocese does allow families to appeal a denial based on any of these reasons. Parents are required to send a written letter to the Diocese of St. Petersburg or send an email to the Office of Catholic Schools and Centers at (ocsc@dosp.org) explaining why your appeal should be considered and why you believe your family is eligible to receive Diocesan Assistance. You may include any information that you believe will support your request or aid the Appeal Committee in their decision to approve your appeal. Each appeal received will be carefully reviewed and considered by the Appeal Committee before an approval or denial is made. Please note that not all appeals are approved. If you have any further questions or concerns regarding tuition assistance or the appeal process, please feel free to contact our office via email (ocsc@dosp.org) or phone at 727.347.5539.

Address to send appeal:
Diocese of St. Petersburg Attn: Office of Catholic Schools and Centers (OCSC) P.O. Box 40200 St. Petersburg, FL 33743-0200 Email to send Appeal: ocsc@dosp.org

Please Note: Diocesan aid is limited. Applications received after the initial consideration deadline of April 30th, 2024 for the 24-25 school year will be subject to a reduced rate. Generally, the documents needed for uploading are your current W-2 and your 2022 Tax return. If you are self-employed other documents may be required from FACTS. FACTS Grant and Aid application

School-Based Tuition Assistance

In addition to the Diocesan Catholic School Tuition Grant (CSTAG), many schools have parish/local funds available to help qualifying families. Please contact your child’s Catholic school for more information.

State Scholarships/Education Savings Account (ESA):

Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship and Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO)

The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) and Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO) programs give families of K-12 students a choice of financial assistance toward private school tuition and fees, or helps with transportation costs for students to attend a public school different than the one the student is assigned to. 

Governor DeSantis signed HB1 in July, 2023, a landmark Educational Choice Bill, that makes every K-12 student, regardless of household income, eligible for a scholarship.  The new law dramatically expands the program to include all students. We strongly encourage ALL families to apply.  

Step Up For Students (SUFS) has released a frequently asked questions page that may help answer some of your initial questions.  You can find the link here.  

The scholarships are administered through STEP UP FOR STUDENTS and the AAA Scholarship Foundation, as well as the FLDOE. Contact your school or the scholarship providers for more information and to apply.

Family Empowerment Scholarship-Unique Abilities (FES-UA)

Originally created in 1999 and called McKay and/or Gardiner Scholarships, the McKay Scholarship Program joined the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program under the Unique Abilities category (FES-UA) effective July 1, 2022. FES-UA provides scholarships for eligible students with disabilities to attend an eligible public or private school of their choice. Students with disabilities include K-12 students who are documented as having an intellectual disability; a speech or language impairment; a hearing impairment, including deafness; a visual impairment, including blindness; a dual sensory impairment; an emotional or behavioral disability; a specific learning disability, including, but not limited to, dyslexia, dyscalculia, or developmental aphasia; a traumatic brain injury; a developmental delay; or autism spectrum disorder. Parents who would like to know how to apply or would like more information regarding the FES-UA can visit their website.

This scholarship is administered through STEP UP FOR STUDENTS and the AAA Scholarship Foundation, as well as the FLDOE. Contact your school or the scholarship providers for more information and to apply.

McKay transition to FES: FAQs

Important Information for Parents – State Scholarship Process:

• Must be Florida Resident with child for grades K-12
• Enrolled at a participating private school
• Login and Apply
• Link student and school
• Funds are invoiced by school and paid on behalf of parent
• Parents must renew each year
• Adhere to school and scholarship guidelines