Two separate scholarship programs – The Bishop’s Tuition Assistance Program and the STAR Foundation – help families in the Diocese of Erie afford Catholic school tuition. You need only apply once to be eligible for both scholarship programs.
Tuition Assistance Application Form
The Bishop's Tuition Assistance Program for Elementary and Secondary Schools
The Diocese of Erie annually provides tuition assistance for students to attend Catholic elementary or secondary schools. Awards are made based solely according to financial need.
STAR Foundation Tuition Assistance
The STAR Foundation provides tuition assistance based on need to students enrolled in a Catholic School in grades K-12. To be eligible for STAR, you must meet the following income guidelines established by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:
| # Dependents | Maximum Income |
| 1 |
$123,697 |
| 2 |
$142,211 |
| 3 |
$160,275 |
| 4 |
$179,239 |
| 5 |
$197,753 |
| 6 |
$216,267 |
STAR Foundation grants are funded by business contributions through the Pennsylvania Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Program and distributed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. If your business is interested in learning more about EITC, please contact Erie Catholic for more information.
Additional Tuition Assistance and Scholarship Opportunities
| Scholarship | Deadline | Applicable Ages | Application Fee | Criteria | Format | Description | Amount | Notification | Contact Information | ||||||||||||||||
| STAR/BTAP |
March 1, 2023 or April 15, 2023 Please check the application for the appropriate deadline. |
Preschool - 8th grade | $20.00 |
Must meet the following income guidelines:
|
Paper - Mailed to the Diocese of Erie by deadline | A needs-based scholarship program that provides tuition assistance to students who enroll in Catholic Elementary School. You must be a PA resident. | Varied | June 2023 |
Diocese of Erie Tuition Assistance Program PO Box 8070 Erie, PA 16505-0070 814-824-1111 |
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| John Tramontano Foundation | May 2023 to the School Business Manager. Applications available March 1st | K-8th grade | $0 | Random Lottery Drawing process - one application per student, but only one verification form per family | Paper - Submitted to School Office or Business Manager | The foundation was established to provide scholarships to grade school students so that they can attend a school of their choice. You must be a resident of Erie County and be enrolled in the school. | Max. of $500 | June 2023 with payment sent to the school September 2023 |
School Business Manager JPT Foundation 19 Wilcox Street Girard, PA 16417 |
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| GECAC Tuition Assistance | First come, first serve from Feb through April 2023 | K-8th grade | $0 |
Must meet the following income guidelines of up to $96, 676 *Add $17, 017 for each additional child |
Paper/Online application submitted to GECAC | A needs-based scholarship program for residents of Erie County, PA. | Approx. $500 | June 2023 |
GECAC Attn: Linda DeFelice 18 West 9th Street Erie, PA 16501 814-459-4581 Ldefelice@gecac.org |
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| Junior Achievement of Western PA Achievement Scholarship |
Opens February 1st Must be postmarked by April 1, 2023 |
K – 8th grade | $0 |
Must meet following OSTC guidelines |
Paper – Mailed to: JA of Western PA: Scholarships Penn State Erie, The Behrend College 4213 Station Rd, Logan Carriage House Erie, PA 16563 |
A needs-based scholarship program that provides tuition assistance to students residing in a low-achieving school boundary. | Up to entire tuition cost | May 2023 |
Robin Mascharka JA of Western PA:Scholarships Penn State Erie, The Behrend College 4215 Station Rd., Logan Carriage House Erie, PA 16563 814-983-0340 rmascharka@jawesternpa.org |
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Barber National Institute Preschool Scholarship |
First come first serve basis beginning July 2023 | Pre3 and PreK | $0 |
Financial Need – one application per family |
Paper – Submitted to the Barber National Institute via fax, email, or mail | A needs-based scholarship program for preschool students enrolled in a PA preschool. | Maximum of $1,000 | August 2023 |
Christie Laneve The Barber National Institute 100 Barber Place Erie, PA 16507 814-878-4052 ChristieLaneve@barberni.org |
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| Elementary School Scholarship | Applications available March 2023 | K – 3rd grade | $0 |
Must meet income guidelines |
Paper application submitted to: The Ellen Curry Foundation c/o HACE 606 Holland Street Erie, PA 16501-1285 |
A financial assistance program for residents of housing owned or subsidized by the Housing Authority of the City of Erie. |
Not to exceed $2,000 per child Renewed annually through 8th grade as long as the family remains a resident of public housing or Section 8 and remains in good standing with their school. |
July 2023 |
The Ellen Curry Foundation c/o HACE 606 Holland Street Erie, PA 16501-1285 814-452-2425 |
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Tuition Assistance overview and FAQs
Application Deadlines
| March 1, 2023 |
Families with children applying or attending an Erie Catholic high school ONLY Families with Children applying or attending high school AND children applying or attending an Erie elementary school, including Pre-K |
| April 15, 2023 |
Families with children applying or attending ALL regional high schools and elementary schools Families with Children ONLY applying or attending Erie elementary schools, including Pre-K children |
School-Based Tuition Assistance
Several Erie Catholic schools have tuition assistance programs specifically for their school’s families. Please check with individual schools for more information.
