GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The single largest investment in Catholic high school education in the history of the Grand Rapids Catholic Diocese will more than halve the price of tuition at Catholic Central High School.
The Catholic Promise, made possible by the philanthropy of an alumni couple, will reduce tuition at the high school from around $13,000 to $6,000.
Those eligible for the program, which will begin in the upcoming school year, must be registered and in good standing at a parish in the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids and also have a household income of less than $300,000.
“The Catholic Promise is not only a blessing to individual families, but also an investment in the spiritual and social fabric of West Michigan,” Greg Deja, president of Catholic Central, said in a press release.
“We rejoice in what the Holy Spirit is stirring in our community,” he said. “Give thanks to God for the extraordinary generosity behind this initiative, and invite all to join us in celebrating this announcement.”
The Catholic Promise will continue for a minimum of ten years with “the intent to sustain the program” based on its success, per the school.
For Tara Jones, a mother who works at Trinity Health and has two kids in the Catholic school system, the tuition assistance is “a blessing, a gift" for her and her husband.
“I woke up this morning still thinking about it,” Jones said. “I drove my kids to school — and today they have Mass — and I told them during the car ride, ‘You need to say your extra prayers at Mass today.’”
Jones, who graduated from Catholic Central, says she appreciates how the high school community, for her, has continued beyond the final bell.
“It’s just so special,” she said.
Currently, a total of 567 students are enrolled at the school, a number that has been in “steady decline” over a number of decades.
“There are a great number of factors working against Catholic high schools nationally and this is truly a game changer,” Deja said about The Catholic Promise.
As principal, Deja has had numerous conversations with families about the financial strain of Catholic education.
“Families have felt the pinch,” he said. “Some have stayed with it at the cost of a lot of other priorities, and some have fallen away because the math wasn't working for their household.”
Deja, noting other forms of tuition assistance at the school, says it nearly never dis-enrolls a family because of their inability to afford the cost of education.
Still, he says the Catholic Promise “takes the mystery” out of affordability.
“I think only good things can come of this,” he said. “I hope the Catholic promise inspires people, whether that inspires them to enroll their children or to double down in their parish, or to double down in their philanthropy.”
The founders of The Catholic Promise, Dan and Sherry Bowen, said their philanthropy “begins with gratitude."
“Our parents before us, ourselves, and now our children are Catholic school graduates. The friendships we treasure, the values we live by, and the paths of our lives were profoundly shaped by Catholic education,” they said in a release.
“Rather than wait for government vouchers or legislative relief, we believe our Church community can act today. The Catholic Promise is not a judgment on public schools, but a pledge to preserve a vital option for families who want an education that interweaves faith with knowledge.”
Applications for The Catholic Promise open November 1. Families can find more about the program here.
