The Sources of Financial Assistance Program is designed to offer assistance to all current and prospective students who want to attend St. Teresa High School, but cannot afford to do so without some financial help. The Program includes both direct grants and various scholarship programs. It is the intent of the program to share the cost of education with the student and his/her family. Financial assistance is not given for athletic purposes.

Financial Aid Applications & Tuition Payments

Financial Aid applications for the 2018-19 school year are available. The filing deadline for financial aid is April 13, 2018. If you have any questions please contact Ann Bate in the Main Office 217-875-2431. Many of our parents enjoy paying their student’s tuition electronically. The FACTS program offers several payment options. 
                                                                  Click the FACTS button to start a financial aid application or set up monthly tuition payments.

Invest in Kids Act - Illinois Scholarship Tax Credit

On August 31, 2017, Public Act 100-0465 created the Invest In Kids Act (35 ILCS 40/1) which allows income tax credits for taxpayers who make authorized contributions to a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). The SGOs, in turn, provide scholarships for eligible Illinois students to attend non-public (private/parochial) schools in Illinois.

What does this mean?
This means low-income families in Illinois have the opportunity for more choices in education by applying for scholarships that are funded by donors of whom receive a substantial tax credit for their donation. The scholarships are available to K-12 students and are based on financial need. With this new legislation, families are able to choose to enroll in a non-public (private/parochial) school with scholarship money available for tuition and necessary fees.

Important Facts for Families/Students:
Eligible students are members of a household whose federal adjusted gross income the year before he or she initially receives a scholarship under this program, as determined by IDOR, does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level. Once the child receives a scholarship, the household does not exceed 400% of the federal poverty level.

To participate in the program, the parent/guardian, and student:

• must select a qualified school, apply, and be accepted by the school;
• comply with the qualified school’s published policies; and
• authorize the SGO to access information needed for income eligibility determinations.

The new application will be available through the  Empower Illinois website. It will be a two-step process.

1. Reserve: On Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m. families will complete a brief online form containing name and contact information, child name and preferred school. This will time stamp your application for the first-come, first-served scholarships.

2. Apply: After reserving your place in line, families will be emailed a unique link (March 5 - 12) and use their reservation code to complete the application. Applications will be sent on a rolling basis, over the course of two weeks. After receiving the application email, families will have 3 days to complete the application and submit all required documents:

• Copy of 2016 federal tax return, 1099, W-2, year-end pay stubs, or SNAP Benefit statement.
• Verification of Illinois residence (utility bill, driver’s license, etc.).
• Documentation of student age (birth certificate, federal/state ID or passport). Only needed for Kindergarten / Grade 1.
• Student’s prior semester report card.
• If available, letter of acceptance or enrollment at an eligible school.