Families who are interested in tuition assistance are encouraged to contact the main office for information about Step Up for Students (a privately-funded, state-administered scholarship program) and other tuition assistance possibilities available through our school.
As part of our efforts to ensure that a Catholic education is affordable and available to everyone, San Jose Catholic School participates in Florida’s three publicly-funded, private choice programs: Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) open to children 4 years old, McKay Scholarships for students with learning disabilities, and Step Up for Students, scholarships for low-income families.
For all forms of financial assistance, the requesting family must complete a FACTS Financial Aid Application and send it, with requested attachments, to the address on the form.
Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK)
Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) is a free education program that prepares early learners for success in kindergarten and beyond. The program helps build a strong foundation for school using educational materials that are geared to various stages in a child’s development. Children must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1st of the current school year to be eligible.
Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) Registration Information can be found online at http://www.elcofduval.org/vpk_parentinfo.asp
McKay Scholarships
Florida’s school choice programs ensure that no child will be left behind by allowing parents to choose the best educational setting for their child. The McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program annually provides thousands of Florida students with special needs the opportunity to attend a participating private school.
Students with learning disabilities who are financially eligible should apply online at http://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/k-12-scholarship-programs/mckay/
Step Up for Students
Florida Tax Credit Scholarships, administered by Step Up for Students may provide free tuition to low income students in grades K-12 who qualify. These scholarships allow families and students to consider a participating private school or an out-of-district public school that may better suit their individual needs. The Step Up For Students scholarship is enabled through a state legislative act first adopted in 2001 known as the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. Under the program, companies have committed more than $1.4 billion to date, providing more than 399,000 scholarships. In the past 13 years, the annual enrollment has grown from 10,549 to 69,671 students for the 2014-15 school year.
Please review scholarship guidelines at https://www.stepupforstudents.org/