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Catholic News Herald

Serving Christ and Connecting Catholics in Western North Carolina

FFHLCHARLOTTE — Seven Catholic schools are receiving a total $130,000 to use for tuition assistance this fall, thanks to the Diocese of Charlotte’s “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign.

The $65 million FFHL campaign is funding capital projects, endowments and other needs across the growing diocese. Included in the campaign is a tuition assistance endowment available to 20 schools in the diocese. The endowment has more than $3.9 million in assets.

The $130,000 will go to seven diocesan schools that applied for the 2022-’23 school year. The funds are expected to help dozens of participating Catholic families who have the greatest financial need.

Tuition assistance funds were awarded to: Asheville Catholic School, $47,700; Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville, $31,000; Immaculata School in Hendersonville, $7,100; Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point, $10,500; Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro, $8,200; Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, $19,500; and St. Michael School in Gastonia, $6,000.

“We are so grateful to FFHL for the opportunity it provides our families,” said Erin Brinkley, principal of Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, where 20 students are receiving tuition assistance from these funds. “FFHL helps fulfill the mission that Catholic education can be possible for anyone.”

The FFHL tuition assistance endowment is administered by a committee consisting of the diocese’s schools superintendent, chief financial officer and members of the diocesan school board. Available income from the endowment is distributed to qualifying diocesan schools that apply each year for student financial aid.

An endowment is a permanent fund, the principal of which is never touched, but the income from which can be used according to the wishes of the donor organization or person. Endowments provide a way to generate income and help sustain the long-term strength and viability of the recipient parish, school or ministry.

To date, a total of $730,230 has been awarded to the diocese’s schools. In its first year in 2017, FFHL tuition assistance totaling $49,372 was given out to four diocesan schools. In 2021, $173,400 was awarded to eight schools.

“The tuition assistance endowment is one of seven endowments funded through the FFHL campaign. The FFHL campaign continues to have a significant impact on the work being done in parishes and in ministries across the diocese that provide services to parishioners. It is significant that over $730,000 has been given out in tuition assistance that helps students receive an education that will literally change their lives,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development.

To qualify for the tuition assistance money, the school must receive local parish support of at least $500 per participating Catholic student and must have awarded all of its tuition assistance funds it already has for that school year. Schools that do not receive $500 per student in parish support may be considered if there are extenuating financial circumstances that preclude this level of support. Qualifying schools may request funds from the FFHL endowment for participating Catholic students with a financial need (determined to be 75 percent or more of the family’s full tuition and fees, as determined by a third-party company).

The tuition assistance endowment is one of seven endowments funded through the FFHL campaign.

— SueAnn Howell

CHARLOTTE — Enrollment for the 2022-’23 academic year is under way at many Catholic schools across the Diocese of Charlotte.

Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville opened enrollment Oct. 1. St. Leo School in Winston-Salem also opened enrollment Oct. 1 for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.

All nine Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools, located in the greater Charlotte area, began accepting applications Nov. 2. The other nine schools around the diocese will begin accepting enrollment applications in the coming months.

Schools officials are reporting that open houses held this fall have been well attended.

Due to a growth in enrollment, St. Pius X School in Greensboro added sections in middle school. Bishop McGuinness High School, Charlotte Catholic High School and Christ the King High School added sections and faculty. Immaculate Heart of Mary School added an additional section in upper elementary, and St. Gabriel School built an additional kindergarten classroom.

All of the diocese’s Catholic schools are accredited through Cognia, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that accredits primary and secondary schools throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Several schools offer special learning programs to better meet the needs of diverse learners. In many instances, parents can provide their special needs child with a

Catholic education from pre-kindergarten through high school.

MECKLENBURG AREA CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

The nine schools in MACS are: St. Ann School (PK, TK-5), St. Gabriel School (K-5), St. Matthew School (TK-5), St. Patrick School (K-5), Our Lady of the Assumption School (PK-8), St. Mark School (K-8), Holy Trinity Middle School (6-8), Charlotte Catholic High School and Christ the King High School.

Visit each school’s website or contact the school directly to schedule a visit.

For more information, including MACS application forms and financial aid opportunities, go online to www.discovermacs.org.

Prospective families may also contact MACS Admissions Director Sissie Kilby at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 704-370-3273.

MACS tuition rates for the 2022-’23 year are expected to be announced early next year.
Last year’s tuition costs for participating Catholic families were: $4,613 for half-day pre-kindergarten or $7,211 for full-day pre-kindergarten; $7,545 for elementary school (transitional kindergarten through fifth grade); $8,475 for middle school, and $12,087 for high school. (Tuition for community members or non-participating Catholics is higher.)

Additional graduation, technology and activity fees are not included in these costs.

Tuition discounts are provided to participating Catholic parishioners and for multiple children enrollment. This is diocesan wide.

Financial assistance is also available to qualifying families based on need. This is diocesan wide.

All of the diocesan schools participate in the N.C. Opportunity Scholarship and the N.C. Disability Scholarship Programs.

MACS Special NEEDS PROGRAMS

MACS also offers special needs programs at various locations, including: PACE (Providing an Appropriate Academic Catholic Education), MAP (Modified Academic Program), MMP (Matthew Morgan Program) and the Options Program, which creates an elementary through 12th-grade path for students in the MAP and Matthew Morgan programs to continue to flourish in our Catholic schools and beyond. It provides a curriculum specifically developed to bring these two programs together and creates a “certificate” path that will allow these students to explore options on college/university campuses beyond high school. This program is offered at Charlotte Catholic High School.

Each of these programs offers a specific educational experience for students with special needs.

To learn more about these special programs and tuition rates, go to www.discovermacs.org/speciallearning.

Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro also offers the PACE and QUEST special needs programs.

DIOCESAN SCHOOLS

Outside the Charlotte area, there are nine parish-based elementary/middle schools and one diocesan high school, each with their own admissions processes and varying tuition rates and financial aid programs:

  • Asheville Catholic School: PK-8th grade; 12 Culvern St., Asheville; 828-252-7896; www.ashevillecatholic.org
  • Bishop McGuinness High School: 9-12th grade; 1725 N.C. Hwy. 66 South, Kernersville; 336-564-1010; www.bmhs.us
  • Immaculata School: PK-8th grade; 711 Buncombe St., Hendersonville; 828-693–3277; www.immac.org
  • Immaculate Heart of Mary School: PK-8th grade; 4145 Johnson St., High Point; 336-887-2613; www.ihm-school.com
  • Our Lady of Grace School: PK-8th grade; 201 South Chapman St., Greensboro; 336-275-1522; www.olgsch.org
  • Our Lady of Mercy School: PK-8th grade; 1730 Link Road, Winston-Salem; 336-722-7204; www.ourladyofmercyschool.org
  • Sacred Heart School: PK-8th grade; 385 Lumen Christi Lane, Salisbury; 704-633-2841; www.salisburycatholicschool.org
  • St. Leo School: PK-8th grade; 333 Springdale Ave., Winston-Salem; 336-748-8252; www.stleocatholic.com
  • St. Michael School: PK-8th grade; 704 St. Michael’s Lane, Gastonia; 704-865-4382; www.stmichaelcs.com
  • St. Pius X School: K-8th grade; 2200 North Elm St., Greensboro; 336-273-9865; www.spxschool.com

Visit each school’s website or contact the school directly for registration information or to schedule a visit.

— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter

More online

At www.charlottediocese.org/schools-office: Learn more about the Diocese of Charlotte’s 19 Catholic schools, their mission and their leadership.

  1. Catholic schools change approach to fund development
  2. Endowment funds benefit our schools and make Catholic education more accessible