Our Lady of Sorrows Parish

Tuition Assistance Program

Through the generosity of several parishioners, Our Lady of Sorrows is pleased to announce the availability of a limited number of tuition assistance grants for Our Lady of Sorrows Parish students in financial need for the 2011-2012 school year.  It’s hoped that this program can be sustained in the future for the Catholic education of our children from families in financial need.

The following Q&A further describes the program.

Q:  How much is each tuition assistance grant?

A:  For the past three years, 64 students have received tuition assistance grants totaling $31,000.  Most of these students qualified for the Archdiocese of Detroit Tuition Assistance Program and received an additional $600 per student, or nearly 1/3 of their total tuition costs. 

Q: Is this a different tuition grant program than the one offered through the Archdiocese of Detroit?

A: Yes. While the Archdiocese of Detroit has a similar grant program for elementary/middle school students ($600 per elementary/middle school age student), OLS is creating an additional tuition assistance program.  It’s anticipated that the OLS grants will be used to help families that might not qualify for assistance under the Archdiocese’s program.  In some special instances, a family might qualify for both types of grants in the same year.

Q:  Who can apply for an OLS tuition grant?

A: Our Lady of Sorrows Parish members in good standing for at least 3 years may consider applying for an OLS tuition grant. “In good standing” means that the family is active in the parish, attends Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows and has a demonstrated record of making Sunday offerings of at least $20 per week.

Q:  How do I apply?

A:  Families must submit a confidential Private School Aid Service (PSAS) form and OLS Tuition Assistance Grant Form. Both are available from the Parish Office and on-line at http://www.olsorrows.com.  The PSAS form request household and dependent information, number of students, taxable income, business income, copy of IRS tax forms, non-taxable income, and assets and investments.  The Archdiocese of Detroit uses the same PSAS form for its tuition assistance program. One PSAS form can be used for both the Archdiocese’s program and the OLS program.

Q:  How is financial need determined?

A:  PSAS independently evaluates each application and assesses the relative need of each applicant using data provided. A confidential report and grant recommendations are made by PSAS to the Parish.  The Parish then matches grant recommendations with available funds.

Q: When must applications be submitted? 

A:  Grant application must be completed and submitted to the Parish Office by April 30, 2011 to be considered for a 2011-2012 school year grant.

Q:  How many grants will be available for 2011 -2012?

A: Again, due to the generosity of sponsoring parishioners, we anticipate between 15 to 30 grants for families in need for the coming school year.

Q: Can a student qualify for more than one OLS tuition assistance grant per year?

A: No. Due to limited funds, we do not anticipate increasing the grant amount available to a student each year.   

Q: Are grants available for children attending the Early Childhood Center (Pre-School and Kindergarten)?

A: No. The program is limited to students in Grades 1 through 8.

Q: Do I need to reapply for a tuition assistance grant each year?

A:  Yes. An application with updated financial and needs information must be submitted each year. The grant program itself is also contingent on year-to-year funding.

Q: How are the grants funds distributed?

A: Grant funds will not be distributed; funds will be credited directly to the accounts of qualifying applicants by the Parish Office.

Q: Will grant monies be distributed outside OLS, for example to other Catholic schools?

A: No. Funds will be used entirely for in-parish needs. Should excess funds exist, funds will be carried over to support the program the next year. 

Q:  Why is Our Lady of Sorrows Parish creating a Tuition Assistance Program now when the Parish is still trying to retire capital improvement debts and maintain facilities?

A:  The OLS Tuition Assistance Program is funded from financial gifts received from parishioners answering the call to specifically help children from families with demonstrated financial need. No funds from Parish and School operations or debt reduction funds are used for this program.

Q: I’m interested in donating funds to the OLS Tuition Assistance Program. How do I make a contribution?

A:  Donations to the OLS Tuition Assistance Program are always welcomed and crucial for the continued operation of the program. Please contact the Parish Office during normal business hours if you wish to make a donation or set up a bequest.  You can also download a form from the OLS web site. 

Should you have any further questions regarding the OLS Tuition Assistance Program, please contact the Parish Office.  It is hoped that the Program will help many of our children continue to grow through their Catholic education.