Timeline for Admissions                     

February 2, 2012 10:00 – 11:00 AM	Open House at St. Thomas Aquinas School Informational meeting begins in the cafeteria.
February 2012	Parents contacted to schedule kindergarten screening appointments. Parents of incoming 1st – 7th grade students contacted to schedule placement exams.*
March 2012 Scheduled appointments from 10 AM –  2:30 PM for Kindergarten Screening	Kindergarten screening for prospective students is administered by STAS teachers in the school cafeteria. Screening determines readiness for kindergarten and takes approximately one hour. Students are evaluated on visual and listening comprehension skills, knowledge of numbers, letters, shapes and colors, the ability to print first and last names (no nicknames), and motors skills. Registrar will interview parents of kindergarten students while students are being tested.
By April 2, 2012	Kindergarten screening results are mailed to students’ homes.
April 14, 2012	Registration Day for incoming Kindergarten students.
By April 16, 2012	Parents of prospective students enrolling for grades 1-5 will be contacted to schedule required placement test.*
June 30, 2012	The school mails information packets containing classroom assignment list, school calendar, school supply list, Edline activation code, and medical report forms.
July 1, 2012	Due date for parish subsidy for families that do not qualify for subsidy payment from a Catholic parish.
Beginning January 2, 2013	Registrar accepts applications to pre-register students for school year 2014-2015. (Kindergarten students must be 5 years old prior to September 1st).
*The principal requires a placement test for students seeking enrollment in grades 1 – 8. Prior to acceptance, students seeking to enroll in mid-school must attend a one-day session at St. Thomas Aquinas School as part of the admissions process. The mid-school placement test will be given at that time.

 

Back to Top

Tuition Information                                Printable Version

Registration Fee                $200.00 per child (non-refundable)

Tuition*                            $4,200 per year for 1st child
                                        $3,360 per year for 2nd child (Total = $7,560)
                                        $3,153 per year for 3rd child (Total = $10,713)
                                        $2,940 per year for 4th child (Total = $13,653)

Parish Subsidy Fee**        $500.00 per year per child
                                         This fee is over and above tuition listed above

*Facts Monthly Tuition Payment Plan for:

1 Child = $382/month                 3 Children = $974/month
2 Children = $688/month            4 Children = $1,242/month

 

**Since tuition does not cover the full costs borne by the school to educate the student, each Catholic parish in this Archdiocese will pay a $500 subsidy per student for registered and contributing parishioners. The subsidy does not reduce the cost of tuition listed above. If for any reason your parish does not pay the subsidy, you must do so. The due date for payment is July 1st. After the school year has begun it is due at time of enrollment . (See Handbook of Policies and Regulations for Catholic Schools). Families who are not members of a Catholic parish are required to pay their subsidy by July 1st or at time of enrollment once the school year has begun.

Fees and tuition are subject to change without notice.

Back to Top

Financial Aid

Financial aid scholarships are available for qualified applicants. You can apply for financial aid at www.FactsTuitionAid.com. The Tuition Aid program includes the STAS scholarship and other scholarships available through the Archdiocese including the Catholic Foundation. 

Educate New Mexico is an independent, non-profit organization established by volunteers to promote and finance excellent educational opportunities for students from families with modest incomes. www.educatenm.org.

The Catholic Schools Office offers financial aid through the Adopt-a-Student program. This program provides monetary help for families who need tuition assistance. Families can apply online at at the Catholic Schools Office website.

 

Back to Top

FACTS Tuition Payment Plan

St. Thomas Aquinas School is pleased to offer tuition payment plan options through FACTS Management Company. Through FACTS you will be able to arrange for full, semester, or monthly payments.

FACTS will allow you to make payment(s) by:

Automatic Bank Payments from your Checking or Savings account 

Automatic Charges to your Credit Card*

There are no setup fees or interest charges. 
*There is a 2.5% convenience fee for credit card payments.

Click to register

 

Back to Top

Tuition Policy                                     Printable Version

 

INTRODUCTION

We believe that tuition payments are an investment in your child’s education and religious formation. Therefore, St. Thomas Aquinas Business Manager and Finance Council accept responsibility for recommending to the Pastor policies concerning the amount of tuition, the manner of payment, and in general, the development of policy in this area of concern. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the Council to ensure that adequate financial resources are available for the school, and that enrollment is as available and affordable as much as possible to all families.

TUITION PAYMENT

I. All families shall be expected to make tuition payments according to one of the following payment plans. Each family’s preferred manner of payment must be submitted each year at the time of student registration. Unless indicated, payment will be submitted using the FACTS Tuition Management Plan. Options for payment shall include:

A. Full Payment. Under this plan the entire amount of tuition is paid through the FACTS plan on July 1.

B. Semester Payment. Under this plan the entire amount of tuition is paid through the FACTS Plan in two installments due in July and December. Through this plan, the family authorizes the bank to transfer the tuition payment from a checking or savings account. 

C. Monthly Payments. Under this plan the entire amount of tuition is paid monthly beginning in July through the FACTS Payment Plan. Two options are available, an eleven (11) month period from July-May, or a twelve (12) month period from July-June. Through this plan, the family authorizes the bank to transfer the tuition payment from a checking or savings account. 


II. Late Registrations

A. Families registering after July 1 or on the first day of school shall be expected to fulfill their tuition obligations according to the tuition policy stated previously.

B. Tuition for students registering after the first day of school shall be prorated over the number of school days they will be in attendance plus an additional month of tuition. This additional amount covers the Books/Instructional Fee/Supply Fee/Tuition Refund Plan that is included in the annual tuition cost.

C. A late re-registration fee of $50.00 will apply to families registering after the registration deadline as established each school year. The re-registration fee does not guarantee placement. 

III. Late Payments

It shall be the responsibility of each school family to keep the Business Manager or school office informed of their need to make any changes in their preferred tuition payment plan or adjustments in the amount of tuition expected to be paid. Without such information, the following policy will apply when tuition payments are received late.

A. Re-Registration. Suitable payment arrangements must be made on delinquent accounts before re-registration will be accepted.

B. Full Payment. When full payment has not been made by July 1, due to insufficient funds, the family will be automatically charged a $30 missed payment fee by FACTS and may incur a similar penalty from their own banking institution. After being informed of a missed tuition payment by FACTS, the missed payment will be reattempted on the next available payment date. The family will contacted by the Business Manager within five (5) working days concerning the missed payment. At this time, if payment is not made, the family will be required to set up semester or monthly payments through the FACTS plan.

C. Semester Payments. When a semester payment has not been made by the due date, due to insufficient funds, the family will be automatically charged a $30 missed payment fee by FACTS and may incur a similar penalty from their own banking institution. After being informed of a missed tuition payment by FACTS, the missed payment will be re-attempted on the next available payment date. The Business Manager will contact the family within five (5) working days concerning the missed payment. At this time, if payment is not made, the family will be required to pay monthly through the FACTS Plan. 

D. Monthly Payments. School families who choose the monthly payment plan and miss a monthly payment due to insufficient funds will be automatically charged a $30.00 missed payment fee by FACTS and may incur a similar penalty from their own banking institution. After being informed of a missed tuition payment by FACTS, the missed payment will be re-attempted on the next available payment date. If an emergency has occurred, suitable arrangements must be made with the Business Manager or school office.

In addition, school families who are 45 days in arrears will be informed that their child/children will not be allowed to attend school according to the “Non-Admission” specifications of this policy.

TUITION ASSISTANCE

Tuition assistance is available through FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment. Families may apply on-line at www.FactsTuitionAid.com. Financial aid is also available from Educate New Mexico at www.educatenm.org or by calling (505) 797-4002. In addition, the Catholic Schools Office offers tuition assistance through the Adopt-a-Student program. Apply online by visiting Catholic Schools Office website.

For the sake of your family’s security and peace of mind, and for the general financial stability of our school, we encourage parents or guardians to contact the school as soon as possible when they are experiencing economic difficulties.

NON-ADMISSION OF STUDENTS DUE TO TUITION DELINQUENCY

School families failing to pay tuition according to the agreement that they have made with the school or who have been unwilling to make suitable alternative arrangements with the school will be informed that their child/children will not be allowed to attend our school.

All families must be current in their payment of tuition:
By August 5th:
If not, students will not be admitted on the first day of school.

By December 20th:
If not, students will not be re-admitted on the first day of class in January.

By May 5th:
If not, final exams will not be given students and report cards will show an incomplete in each subject. In addition, eighth grade students will not be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies or receive their diploma.

DELINQUENT TUITION FROM PREVIOUS YEAR (S)

All previously unpaid tuition must be paid by June 15 if a student is to be re-admitted on the first day of class for a new school year. Payments are made directly to the school. After June 15, the student’s enrollment position will be made available to any student on the waiting list. If payment is not possible, suitable arrangements must be made with the Business Manager.

REGISTRATION FEES

A separate, non-refundable registration fee is paid to the school at the time of registration each year. The current fee is $200 per student.

A late re-registration fee of $50.00 will apply to families re-registering after the deadline. The late fee will be added to the FACTS contract if not paid at time of registration. The responsible party will be notified by mail. 

The re-registration fee does not guarantee placement. 

BOOKS AND SUPPLIES

The cost of books is included in the total tuition fee and is paid according to one of the options offered for tuition payments, either annually, semi-annually, or according to the FACTS automatic monthly deduction plan. A supply fee for notebooks, pens, pencils, paper and other consumable supplies provided by the school is also included in the total tuition fee. However, the school administration may request that parents purchase additional supplies specific to their student’s grade level. A supply list is sent to families before the start of school. 

ARCHDIOCESAN SUBSIDY POLICY – Parish Subsidy for Elementary Schools (PreK through 8)

Since tuition does not cover the full costs borne by the school to educate the student, each parish (whether the parish has a school or not) will pay a $500 subsidy per student for registered parishioners with the following stipulations: (a) the parent/guardian of this student must be registered, for at least one calendar year prior to the subsidy year, in the parish from which they are requesting the subsidy and meet the minimum attendance requirement; and (b) to demonstrate that the family satisfies the contribution requirement, the family must use the Sunday envelopes, given at Mass, at least twice a month as evidence of regular attendance at Sunday Mass and financial support of the parish. Any family that does not meet these criteria must pay the subsidy to the appropriate Catholic elementary school. Families relocating from outside of the school area (i.e., city, state, or town) are to be considered in an equitable manner in regard to the aforementioned criteria.

The subsidy is to be paid to the school by the family’s parish (if they qualify) or by the family (if they do not qualify) as a means of offsetting the operating burden of Catholic elementary schools. The subsidy is not to be used to reduce individual tuition.

The parish subsidy fee is non-refundable and is due by July 1st. Families will be billed through the FACTS Tuition Management Plan. 

Back to Top

Uniforms

 

Good uniform programs are practical and appeal to kids, both in style and comfort. DENNIS Uniform is the official supplier of uniforms for St. Thomas Aquinas School. DENNIS stresses quality — well-made clothes that look fresh and sharp wash after wash, styles that flatter and are tough enough to endure the rigorous school day, and comfortable enough that kids feel great wearing them.

Since 1920, DENNIS has created thousands of uniform programs for students of all ages in private, parochial, independent, charter and public schools alike.