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FOR all PK registrations- the REGISTRATION fee & tuition pre-payment amount are paid at time of registration.

*PLEASE NOTE: Registration fees and tuition are non-refundable

 

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Applications for financial aid through the Diocese of Metuchen Tuition Assistance Program for the 2024-2025 school year are available at https://online.factsmgt.com/aid.  Online applications must be completed by  March 31, 2024

Click to view additional Diocesan information

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Parent/Student Handbook with new Tuition Policy - click to Print

I. Statement of Policy and Purpose

  The success of St. Francis Cathedral School hinges upon the commitment of families to make Catholic education a financial priority, be involved in their child’s education, and make their tuition and fees payments on a timely basis. The school relies upon tuition and fee payments to provide an excellent spiritual and educational program operating on a balanced budget.
The school has full-year contractual and financial obligations that must be met, such as teacher salaries, heating and electric bills, building maintenance and improvements, and other expenses. Families that seek their children’s initial and continuing enrollment are required to satisfy
the annual tuition by specified due dates. In addition to tuition, families are responsible for timely payment of registration fees and incidental fees, such as club and activity fees, lunch fees, fundraising or fees for before or after school care.

Yearly tuition rates and registration fees are determined by February.

Effective with the 2024/2025 School Year: all Tuition Payments must be made automatically online, via an SFCS FACTS Tuition Management account. Parents/Guardians are required to have or open an SFCS FACTS Tuition Management account by the date indicated at registration;
and are responsible for any FACTS fees. Parents/guardians are given three options for tuition payment:
 

• Option 1 – Single Payment Plan (this option includes a $50 discount per FAMILY)
• Option 2 – Two Payment Plan
• Option 3 – Monthly Payment Plan (monthly payments begin in July and all payments must be

        completed by April 30th each year)

Effective with the 2025/2026 School Year: Tuition Rates will be determined as follows:
 

• Catholic family registered & contributing* at a parish in the Diocese of Metuchen.
• Catholic family registered at a parish in the Diocese of Metuchen but not contributing*.
• Catholic family not registered at a Diocese of Metuchen parish, or a Non-Catholic family

*Contributing is a family who tithed $500 or more in the previous year to their Diocese of Metuchen parish, as evidenced by a Receipt of Contribution signed and dated by their parish Pastor. This receipt must be submitted at registration each year.

St. Francis Cathedral School encourages all responsible parties to maintain open communication with the Business Manager to ensure a complete understanding of each family’s financial obligations. The goal of the school is to provide a Catholic school education to every student that desires one, but only by mutual cooperation can we make certain that this goal is met.  Parental non-payment or delinquency in meeting students’ financial obligations creates an additional burden for the school.

II. Procedure to Address Delinquent Payments

When payments are not made in accordance with the selected tuition option, the following steps will take place:

15 days past due:

When an account becomes 15 days past due under the selected tuition payment option, the financially responsible party will be contacted by the Business Manager by telephone and letter notification requesting that tuition be brought current or that they contact the school to offer an
alternative tuition payment for the school’s approval.

It is the responsibility of the family and/or financially responsible party to promptly contact the Business Manager to bring the account up to date or to create an alternative tuition payment plan for school approval.

30 days past due:

When an account becomes 30 days past due under the selected tuition payment option, the Business Manager will issue the financially responsible party a written notice by certified letter and by telephone message. The notice will reiterate the terms of the selected financial commitment and
request immediate attention to the matter.

III. Remedies/Exclusions

When an account becomes 30 days past due, in addition to the notification of delinquency sent by the Business Manager, the following remedies/exclusions immediately shall become available to the school:

Student(s) will not be permitted to pre-register for the following academic year or to return after the current semester until the balance is paid in full or an alternative plan has been approved.

Non-payment of any part of a prior year’s tuition will result in non-admission for the following school year.

All tuition and fees must be current in accordance with the selected payment plan on the first day of class or the student(s) will not be enrolled.

Student(s) will be dismissed at the end of a semester for non-payment of financial obligations.

During the school year, students will not be allowed to make payments for/or participate in any field trips and/or other school sponsored extracurricular activities.

Eighth graders cannot take part in special events and graduation exercises, nor receive any
scholarship awards that are presented at the graduation ceremony.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Policy/Agreement that may be applicable. All amounts due and owing for an eighth grade student must be made satisfied no later than May 20th in order for the student to participate in graduation exercises and/or field trips.

To effectuate the provisions of this section, St. Francis Cathedral School reserves the right to cancel the registration of any student whose parents/guardians fail to satisfactorily meet tuition payments. The school will inform any family failing to pay their tuition according to their agreement with the school, and who have been unwilling to make alternative arrangements suitable to the school, that their children are not allowed admittance or re-admittance to the school. All tuition and fees paid prior to such cancellation of registration are non-refundable.

IV. Good Faith Attempt at Satisfying Financial Obligations:

The school understands that unexpected situations can and do arise and the school strives to work with families. In the event of unforeseen financial circumstances, families are responsible for contacting the Business Manager as soon as possible to review the financial hardship and seek a
mutually agreeable alternative tuition payment plan. Parents/guardians must request a face-to-face conference with the Business Manager.
No alternative arrangements will be discussed or approved over the phone.

However, this opportunity comes with the obligation to make a good faith attempt to satisfy educational financial obligations. A “good faith attempt” at meeting tuition payments includes, at a minimum, that the family formally has applied for school tuition assistance from the Diocese of
Metuchen, pursuant to established diocesan procedures. This procedure includes disclosure of tax forms, W-2 statements, and any other financial information the Diocese may deem relevant in assessing whether the applicant is eligible to receive diocesan financial assistance. In the absence of
specific proof that such an application has been made to the diocese by a delinquent party, no special circumstances or other consideration will be allowed by the school for payment of tuition and the Remedies/Exclusion terms in Paragraph III above shall apply.

IV. Other Available Remedies

While a sincere and charitable effort will be made to collect overdue tuition, the school reserves the right to use any legal means necessary to
remedy tuition delinquencies, including using a thirdparty collection agency and/or legal proceedings. All fees or costs incurred in collecting amounts
owed may be included in the balance due.

V. Requirement of Signed Agreement on File

A signed copy (with original signatures) of this Student Tuition and Fees Payment Policy/Agreement is required to be in the school’s file for every student attending St. Francis Cathedral School. It is the parent’s or other responsible person’s obligation to provide the school with a signed copy of this policy/agreement for the school’s file. However, the failure of a parent or other responsible person to return a copy of this policy/agreement does not prevent full enforcement of this policy/agreement in accordance with its provisions. Receipt of this policy/agreement, with or without signatures, constitutes full notice of its provisions and terms.

VI. Effective Date:

This policy/agreement is effective January 1, 2018 and immediately applies to any delinquent tuition, fee or other school payment that exists on January 1, 2018, as well as to all future delinquencies.