Tuition Assistance
APPLYING FOR MCHS TUITION ASSISTANCE
A. Materials Needed
- White, multi page PSAS Student Aid Form. (Click here to view the PSAS Form in Spanish)
- Green, one page (two-sided) MCHS Tuition Assistance Supplemental Sheet.
- Tax documentation including your most recent Federal return and available W-2’s. etc. for 2007. Please see Section M of the PSAS form and instructions for the specific documents required.
- A check or money order payable to PSAS in the amount of $20.00.
- Personal financial documents that you may need in order to complete the various forms such as a recent mortgage statement, bank statements, etc.
- Yellow, one page Archdiocese of San Francisco High School Scholarship Clergy Recommendation Form.
- Yellow, one page Archdiocese of San Francisco Catholic High School Scholarship Request Form.
If a household has more than one student, only one of each form is needed. In cases such as divorce and separation where there are two households, two separate forms are needed.
Additional copies of all forms are available on our website – marincatholic.org. All forms can be downloaded and printed from the website. Additional copies can also be picked up in the Business Office or can be obtained by contacting Michelle Mayfield-Baske at 415-464-3818 or mmbaske@marincatholic.org. The PSAS form is also available in Spanish upon request.
(The PSAS form on the website may be used as an interactive form for completion purposes. This is an option only and is not required. A printed form must still be submitted.)
B. Completion of the Application Forms
As you complete the forms, you may find that some questions may not specifically fit your family’s unique situation. Answer the questions the best you can and add explanatory comments as you feel may be necessary to explain your situation. We expect that all of our families will provide complete and accurate information on all aspects of their financial situations. Misrepresentation can result in cancellation of awards granted. Both parents are required to sign off on the accuracy and completeness of the information submitted. Please fill out Section A of the PSAS form in its entirety. Give the total number if children in the home and then list them as asked on the form. We realize that it is necessary to use estimated figures or other information in many cases. Do your best to be truthful and complete. We will contact you for clarification as needed after the application is submitted, but missing, inconsistent, or inaccurate information is likely to delay the review of your application.
Frequently parents do not have all of the required tax documents by February 1.
In these cases, parents should complete the forms using their best estimates. Include copies of what you do have and dates when we can expect the rest. Provide all forms as soon as possible.
It is critical that the application be submitted by February 1, 2008 in as complete a form as possible.
Confidentiality is maintained for all information received. Applications are reviewed by the Tuition Assistance Review committee as well as staff in the Business Office. The Tuition Assistance Review Committee may include selected members of the Board of Regents.
In order for information to be considered during the review of your application, that information must be submitted in writing. This is an absolute requirement in order to ensure fairness to all of our families. While we are happy to discuss questions you may have, please do not call or visit the Business Office to discuss special circumstances unless you have already described them in your submitted application.
If you have problems completing the applications, you may find the following resources helpful:
- Frequently Asked Questions Sheet
- Parent Workshops January 12, 2008 Flyer
- You may contact Michelle Mayfield-Baske by phone at 415-464-3818 or by email at mmbaske@marincatholic.org
C. Submitting Applications
You should make copies of all application forms for your records. Any tax or other documents submitted should be copies as they will not be returned.
Items 1, 2, 3, and 4
Send the following to the school Business Office no later than February 1, 2008:
- White, multi page PSAS Student Aid Form
- Green, one page (two-sided) MCHS Tuition Assistance Supplemental Sheet
- Tax documentation including your most recent Federal return and available W-2’s. etc. for 2007. Please see Section M of the PSAS form and instructions for the specific documents required.
- A check or money order payable to PSAS in the amount of $20.00.
The envelope must be postmarked and mailed by February 1, 2008. If you prefer you may hand deliver the envelope to the school no later than noon on February 1, 2008.
(You may wish to include item 7 which is due by February 8th in this package as well.)
Item 6
Mail or deliver the completed yellow, one page Archdiocese of San Francisco High School Scholarship Clergy Recommendation Form to your Church in the manner described on the form. Allow your pastor enough time to complete the form and send it to the school no later than February 8, 2008. All St. Vincent’s Chapel (Terra Linda) forms will be processed by St. Isabella’s. Please do not send forms to MCHS for Father Daly. If you do not attend church, please mark “Not Applicable” on this form and send it to the Marin Catholic Business Office.
If you are also obtaining a Clergy Recommendation for Admission, you must have both forms completed. These two forms are separate and different. Follow each form’s instructions for submission and deadline.
Item 7
Mail or deliver the completed yellow, one page Archdiocese of San Francisco Catholic High School Scholarship Request Form to the school Business Office no later than February 8, 2008. (If you did not include this form with the package submitted earlier.) This form is required regardless of whether you wish to be considered for an Archdiocese scholarship and regardless of whether you marked “Not Applicable” for Item 6.
D. Awards Notification
Marin Catholic will mail priority notification of tuition assistance awards by February 29th for returning students and by March 7th for Freshmen and other new students. A letter will be sent to all applicants.
The Archdiocese of San Francisco will notify applicants directly in late April 2008 unless otherwise specifically stated in the Marin Catholic High School award notification letter sent in March, these awards are in addition to TA by MC.
The timing and method of notification vary for other scholarships and can vary for each one from year to year depending on circumstances.
E. Tuition Assistance and Scholarships Covered
The application process described above covers:
Tuition Assistance granted by MCHS and funded by the schools operating fund. These awards for 2007/20008 totaled $720,000 and were given to 141 students. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $10,000 per student. All awards are need based.
Archdiocese of San Francisco Scholarships are awarded to students who reside in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. For 2007/2008, 21 MCHS students received awards totaling $31,000 which ranged from $500 to $2100. These awards are based on family financial need and the recommendations of students’ pastors.
There are many Other Scholarships that are administered by MCHS and based at least in part on need. Recipients for these scholarships are chosen from those applicants who complete the above described process. Separate applications are not required. These scholarships are funded by very generous donors who want to help…..
Many of these scholarships are renewable each year and many are given to entering Freshmen. Applicants are selected based on the application process described above and a review. No separate application is needed to be considered for these scholarships.
These scholarships include:
- Dick Barteau Endowment
- Edward and Ellen Strain Endowment
- Esther M. Owens Endowment
- Joseph Parker
- Lydia Mondala Endowment
- McCullough Family Scholarship
- Marin Catholic Endowment
- Marna Maynard Memorial Endowment
- Noel Slakey Memorial Endowment
- Ongaro Scholarship
- Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Ronald Silveira Endowment
- Sarocka
- St. John Neumann
- William L. Desmond Endowment
- Several Anonymous Donations
Other MCHS Scholarships
There are several scholarships for which the qualifications and/or application process include more than the process described above. The process and parameters differ for each scholarship. Some include financial need and some include merit. Some are for a certain class year. Some include a separate application and/or essay. These scholarships are awarded throughout the year. Dates and processes vary. In cases where applications or other information is needed, the details and timing are announced to all students during the school year.
These scholarships include:
- Diva Lippi
- Italian Language
- John Jensen Memorial
- Ryan G. Murnig Memorial
- MCHS Student Magazine Drive
- Giannini Essay
- Several Anonymous Donations
- Others
External Scholarships
We receive scholarship tuition payments from many external sources who have awarded scholarships to our students. These awards are not administered by the school. The school has no information on these scholarships other than the award amounts and recipients’ names after the awards have been funded. The various agencies contact prospective applicants directly based on the specifics of the scholarship qualifications.
Examples of these external scholarships include:
- Michael Basso Memorial Foundation
- Wildcat Alumni
- Knights of Columbus
- Guardsmen
- Others