Tuition Assistance & Scholarships

Click the image below to watch a recording of the Sept. 11, 2025 Tuition Assistance Presentation:

At Santa Margarita Catholic High School, it is our desire that every student have the opportunity to receive a well-rounded Catholic education. With the rising cost of education, we are committed to helping families provide a Santa Margarita education for their
student(s).

Santa Margarita Catholic High School offers awards in the form of tuition assistance and scholarships – these are awards that do not have to be repaid. Tuition assistance awards are based on financial need. Additionally, privately-funded scholarships are awarded to students based on need, academic excellence, leadership, service, talent and other criteria. Tuition assistance combined with privately funded scholarships can provide up to 50 percent of the cost of tuition at SMCHS. Please see below for specific application criteria and information. Student loans are offered through Your Tuition Solution.

Please click here to view Tuition Assistance FAQS

UP TO 50%
of tuition at SMCHS can be provided by tuition assistance combined with privately funded and/or merit scholarships
1 IN 4
students receive tuition assistance
$7,500
average amount awarded

Applying for Tuition Assistance

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for tuition assistance applicants must meet the following criteria:

Complete FACTS Application Process:
- Complete the FACTS application
- Submit previous year's tax information, W2, most recent paystub and rent/mortgage statement.
- Payment - $45 processing fee due at time of application; payable to FACTS
Be a currently enrolled SMCHS student or school acceptance.
- School acceptance is required for incoming freshmen and transfer students before the tuition assistance award notification.
Demonstrate a need as determined by FACTS and the SMCHS Tuition Assistance Committee.
Be on non-probationary status and maintain a 2.0 GPA

APPLY NOW

For technical support, Facts Customer Service can be reached at (866) 441-4637.

Important Information

IMPORTANT:

The FACTS application can take up to two weeks to process after receipt of your application.
Incomplete applications will be delayed in processing and will not be reviewed.
Submit all of the required information to FACTS, including your recent W2s and tax returns.
Please do not return information directly to SMCHS.
Upon receipt of your application, FACTS will contact you directly confirming receipt. Should any information be missing or incomplete, you will be advised by FACTS.
If you have already completed a FACTS application for tuition assistance you do not need to complete a second FACTS application to apply for Eagle Foundation scholarships.
Questions about tuition assistance: please contact Kim Read in the Business Office.

Tuition Assistance Application Important Dates

Applications for tuition assistance for the 2026-2027 school year open September 2, 2025
Need-based tuition assistance is available to qualified families who complete an application through FACTS Management.
A completed application includes your most recent W2s and/or 1099s as well as completed recent tax returns, in addition to your most recent pay stub.
Returning Families must reapply for tuition assistance each year.
As a reminder, tuition assistance funds are limited and based on the timeliness of your application. Awards distributed on first come, first -served basis to those who qualify.
Dates to remember:

September 2, 2025: Tuition assistance applications open for all incoming and returning students
November 14, 2025: Priority tuition assistance deadline

When will I be notified of the tuition assistance committee decision?

All award notifications will be sent out on the 1st of the month (except on holidays and weekends) beginning on December 1st only if you have submitted your complete application by the 15th of the prior month. All supporting documentation must be submitted. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Example:

Submitted application November 15– notified December 1
Submitted application November 16 – notified January 5 (due to all-school holiday)

Tuition assistance questions, contact Kim Read in the Business Office.

Apply Here

For technical support, Facts Customer Service can be reached at (866) 441-4637.

Appeal

As of April 2025, we have exhausted our tuition assistance budget for the 2025-2026 school year. We are not able to grant any new tuition assistance awards. If you feel as though you have a special circumstance, please ensure your Facts Management tuition assistance application is complete with all supporting documents submitted. Additionally, please fill out the appeal form. If new funds become available, we will consider your appeal.

Tuition Assitance Timeline

Date	Event
Sept. 2, 2025	Applications Open
Nov. 15, 2025	First Application Deadline
Dec. 1, 2025	Tuition Assistance Decision E-Mail Notifications
1st of every month	Rolling tuition assistance decision notifications sent out on the 1st of the month (except on holidays and weekends) only if completed applications are submitted by the 15th of the prior month.

Available SMCHS Scholarships

SMCHS is proud to offer the following scholarships:

Academic Decathlon Scholarship

Scholarship Name: The Academic Decathlon Scholarship
Type of Scholarship: Merit-Based Assistance
Applicants: Class of 2030
Distribution Amount: $4,000 distributed equally among each student's four years at SMCHS ($1,000 per year)
Distribution Method: Award will be applied to your tuition payment schedule
Deadline: February 1, 2026

HISTORY
The Academic Decathlon Scholarship is awarded to incoming freshman students who were part of the decathlon team at their elementary school during the 2025-2026 school year. A total award of $4,000 will be distributed to the qualifying student equally among their 4 years at SMCHS - $1,000 each year they attend SMCHS. This scholarship requires they maintain a 3.5 GPA to continue to receive the award for subsequent years.

CRITERIA / REQUIREMENTS

The following criteria has been established for the Academic Decathlon Scholarship:
Incoming freshman student for the 2026-2027 school year
Recipient must make every effort to be a model student at SMCHS
Maintain a GPA of 3.5 all years enrolled at SMCHS
Completion of the Academic Decathlon Scholarship Application Form
A letter verifying your participation on the Academic Decathlon team as well as your current GPA from your school's principal is required.

Academic Decathlon Scholarship Application

High School Placement Test Scholarship

These scholarships are awarded to incoming students who receive the highest scores in their High School Placement Test taken at SMCHS. There is no scholarship application needed.

HSPT 98th-100th Percentile
A student who scores between the 98th and 100th National percentile on the HSPT, will receive a scholarship with a total award of $4,000. The award will be distributed equally among the students 4 years - $1,000 each year they attend SMCHS. This scholarship requires they maintain a 3.5 GPA to continue to receive the award for subsequent years.

HSPT 95th-97th Percentile
A student who scores between the 95th and 97th National percentile on the HSPT, will receive a scholarship with a total award of $2,000. The award will be distributed to them equally among their 4 years - $500 each year they attend SMCHS. This scholarship requires they maintain a 3.5 GPA to continue to receive the award for subsequent years.

There is no scholarship application needed.

Awardees will be notified by mail.

Available Santa Margarita Eagle Foundation Scholarships

The Santa Margarita Eagle Foundation is proud to offer SMCHS tuition and college scholarships through the generosity of our donors. Applications will be accepted December 6 through January 7 unless otherwise indicated on the application.

View Scholarship Opportunities

Educational Funding

As of 2018, you can withdraw from your 529 plan for “qualified higher education expense”. This includes up to $10,000 in annual expenses for tuition in connection with enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school.

Learn more

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Tuition Assistance & Scholarships

Click the image below to watch a recording of the Sept. 11, 2025 Tuition Assistance Presentation:

At Santa Margarita Catholic High School, it is our desire that every student have the opportunity to receive a well-rounded Catholic education. With the rising cost of education, we are committed to helping families provide a Santa Margarita education for their
student(s).

Applying for Tuition Assistance

Eligibility

Important Information

Tuition Assistance Application Important Dates

Applications for tuition assistance for the 2026-2027 school year open September 2, 2025

Dates to remember:

When will I be notified of the tuition assistance committee decision?

Appeal

Tuition Assitance Timeline

Available SMCHS Scholarships

Class of 2029 Academic Scholarships

Academic Decathlon Scholarship

High School Placement Test Scholarship

Available Santa Margarita Eagle Foundation Scholarships

Educational Funding

Tuition Assistance & Scholarships

At Santa Margarita Catholic High School, it is our desire that every student have the opportunity to receive a well-rounded Catholic education. With the rising cost of education, we are committed to helping families provide a Santa Margarita education for their student(s).

Educational Funding

At Santa Margarita Catholic High School, it is our desire that every student have the opportunity to receive a well-rounded Catholic education. With the rising cost of education, we are committed to helping families provide a Santa Margarita education for their
student(s).