Financial Aid
Financial Aid Information 2025-2026
There are many sources of financial aid available to families at St. Francis Schoool. Please note that some of these have strict deadlines.
All families are encouraged to complete both applications. You can receive aid from both the Diocese of Erie and St. Francis School. Nearly all families who apply for aid do receive financial assistance and/or scholarships.
Families are also encouraged to participate in our RaiseRight program to earn tuition credits. This can be started immediately, even before your child begins school at SFS. Please scroll to the bottom of this page for details.
Click here for directions for applying for financial aid
Diocese of Erie Financial Aid
The following sources of financial aid are available through the Diocese of Erie. These grants are awarded on the basis of financial need.
- Star Foundation – Application can be found on https://www.doetap.org and can be completed online. Please be sure to upload all necessary financial documentation. There is a small fee for this application. The deadline is May 2, 2025. Applicants must meet income and residency guidelines.
- Bishop’s Tuition Assistance – This source of financial aid is included on the same application as the Star Foundation above and follows the same guidelines for fees and application due dates.
- Read more about the diocesan tuition assistance programs here: https://www.eriercd.org/schools/tuition.html
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Click on this link to complete the application online: https://www.doetap.org
St. Francis School Financial Aid
All applications for aid given by the school are done online using FACTS Grant and Aid Management: https://online.factsmgt.com/grant-aid/inst/3N6YH/landing-page
The following sources of financial aid are awarded by St. Francis School directly.
- St. Francis School is blessed to offer scholarships and tuition assistance through several funds, including the Sonnenberg Foundation and the St. Francis Endowment Fund.
- Adopt-a-Student scholarships are generated by donations from private individuals who designate their gifts to be used for tuition assistance. The amount of money available varies from year to year.
- There is a fee for this application, however, the fee will be refunded to our families in the form of a credit on their tuition statement. Applications should be completed by April 15th to receive the maximum amount of aid.
In order to be eligible for the full amount of the St. Francis School scholarships, families are required to perform 20 service hours per year toward our fundraising events or other approved areas. These hours must be completed in the school year prior to receiving aid. (This requirement is waived for the first year for families whose children were not enrolled the previous year.)
Click here to apply for St. Francis School financial aid: https://online.factsmgt.com/grant-aid/inst/3N6YH/landing-page
Raise Right
Raise Right (formerly called Scrip) is an ongoing way to earn tuition credit year-round, simply by paying for everyday items with gift cards instead of cash. There are no income guidelines for this – absolutely every family is eligible to use it. You can even have family and friends use it to earn credit on your child’s tuition.
Please note that you can set up Raise Right at any time – even before your child is old enough to attend SFS. The funds you generate will accumulate in your child’s account until he or she is ready to attend. Some families in the past have set up Scrip accounts for their babies and earned enough to pay for their entire first year’s tuition!
How Raise Right Works
You purchase gift cards at face value and your coordinator orders those cards from RaiseRight and local businesses at a reduced price. The difference is an instant rebate that you can designate to your tuition bill or to a family of your choosing to reduce their tuition bill for the following school year. You can even choose to give your rebate directly to the school. It’s really that simple! RaiseRight offers more than 700 of the country’s biggest retailers and over 30 local businesses, including grocery, department stores, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, home improvement, and more.
Raise Right Retailers
Get Started with Raise Right
Please contact Sheila Clancy, RaiseRight Coordinator at St Francis School at sclancy@stfrancisclearfield.org or 814-765-2618 ext 214 to start putting your shopping dollars to work.
RaiseRight gift cards are also sold after all Masses at St. Francis Church on the first weekend of every month and every weekend in November and December.