Financial Aid and Scholarships

For many families, one of the primary concerns of enrolling their children in Catholic school is the cost.   Though cost may have been a barrier to Catholic education in the past, today we are blessed with a variety of options that provide financial assistance, making Catholic school an available choice for ALL families.

Just as families seek financial aid to help with a college education, so too, can families seek assistance in paying for Catholic education.  Several funding sources exist to provide financial aid.  In addition to individual parish scholarships and contributions, two other funding sources exist: Embracing Our Future Campaign and the Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization.

Financial Aid Programs

Embracing Our Future
In 1973, seven grantors wanting to promote and secure the future of Assumption High School created The Assumption Foundation.  The Foundation was established as a local lay organization, independent of the Diocese of Davenport, and began raising funds and making contributions to supportAssumption High School.  In 2002, a strategic planning process that involved more than 100 community volunteers was implemented to develop key strategies to move The Assumption Foundation forward to supporting all Scott County K-12 Catholic Schools, not just Assumption High School.  One of the key strategies in this plan is providing financial aid for families to ensure a Catholic school education can be possible for any family wishing to attend.

In 2004, the Embracing Our Future (EOF) campaign began to raise funds for financial assistance, as well as for other key goals of the Scott County K-12 Catholic Schools organization. Formulas for calculating financial assistance for families were developed that take family size, total family income, and tuition requirements into account. The EOF campaign was even more successful than originally hoped, and continues to play an integral part in embracing the future of Scott County Catholic Schools.

To learn more about how Embracing Our Future can help your family, or to make a contribution, call (563) 326-5313 ext. 228, or go to To learn more about how Embracing Our Future can help your family, or to make a contribution, call (563) 326-5313 ext. 228, or go to www.embracingourfuture.org.

The Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization:
In 2006, the Iowa Legislature passed the Educational Opportunities Act – legislation to provide a 65% State of Iowa tax credit incentive for individuals to contribute funds for Catholic school tuition assistance, thereby making non-public schools available to lower-income families otherwise unable to pay Catholic school costs. Simply put, this is a winning combination for Iowa families; it provides an excellent tax incentive for individuals to make a charitable donation – for example, a $100 donation would result in a $65 Iowa tax credit – and provide the opportunity for ALL families go to the school of their choice.

This piece of legislation created nine School Tuition Organizations (STO) in Iowa. These nine STOs are responsible for collecting donations and distributing funds in the form of tuition scholarships to children who meet the eligibility requirements. The formula for financial aid via the STOs was determined in the legislation; funds are to be used for lower-income families, or those that fall below 300% of the poverty guidelines. The Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization (MVSTO) serves our Scott County Catholic Schools, including St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School.

To learn more about how the Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization can help your family, or to make a contribution, call (563) 326-5313 ext. 228, or go to www.mvsto.org.

EOF vs. MVSTO – What is the difference??

• EOF has grown out of a local organization that has been in existence since 1973 to support our local Catholic schools.   The MVSTO was created in 2006 in response to a piece of Iowa legislation and is one of nine STOs in Iowa.
• EOF contributions have no special tax credits attached, other than being a regular charitable donation.  The MVSTO has a specific 65% Iowa tax credit incentive for contributions.
• EOF funds are distributed according to a formula developed to meet the needs of Scott County K-12 families and is based not only on family income, but family size and tuition needs as well.  The MVSTO must use eligibility requirements established by the legislature and is based solely on family income versus the current poverty guidelines.

The Family Tuition Plan

ALL families are encouraged to apply!  Starting in the 2005-2006 school year, The Family Tuition Plan was developed to link families attending one or more of Scott County’s K-12 Catholic schools to the Embracing Our Future and/or the Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization financial aid programs.  The Family Tuition Plan evaluates a family’s financial status and applies aid from either Embracing Our Future or Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization, whichever is most appropriate for one’s situation.  Applications for The Family Tuition Plan are held in the strictest of confidence, with only the program coordinator and parish bookkeeper having knowledge of what families receive assistance from either of these programs. 

To learn more about how The Family Tuition Plan can help you, call our program coordinator, Liz King, at Assumption High School, (563) 326-5313 ext. 228.