Financial Aid

Bishop Chatard is committed to assisting any student who desires a strong Catholic education. We recognize the financial commitment a family makes when choosing Bishop Chatard, and strive to reduce the impact affordability has in the school choice equation.
During the 2022-2023 school year, over 55 percent of Bishop Chatard students received some form of financial aid.
All financial aid at BCHS is based on need as determined by an independent service or criteria set by the state / granting organization, with a review by the Bishop Chatard Financial Aid Committee. Types of aid available at BCHS are:

  1. Financial aid provided directly by Bishop Chatard through our financial aid funds
  2. Tax Credit Scholarships (TCS) via Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGO)
  3. Indiana School Choice Scholarships (commonly known as ‘vouchers’)
  4. BCHS Need-Based Tuition Assistance Grants
infographics of scholarship pathways click to open

one

Financial Aid from Bishop Chatard

Families seeking financial aid directly from Bishop Chatard are required to submit a BCHS financial aid application through FACTS to begin the process. This award is made annually so the application must be submitted each school year.
Begin Application through FACTS

  • If you have a FACTS account through another school, you must use the specific BCHS FACTS account link to apply for BCHS financial aid. HOWEVER, you can use the same username and password you have with your other school’s accounts to login to the BCHS account.
  • Remember your FACTS login credentials. FACTS accounts are also used throughout a student’s career for tuition payment and subsequent year’s financial aid applications.

Class of 2027 Incoming Freshman – Dec. 15, 2022 deadline: All families (new and returning families) with an incoming freshman must complete the Financial Aid Application through FACTS no later than December 15, 2022, to guarantee inclusion in the pool considered for Bishop Chatard financial aid for the 2023-24 school year.

Returning Families with no Incoming Freshman or Transfer Student Families with no Incoming Freshman – March 15, 2023: All returning families that do not have an incoming freshman and all transfer student families without an incoming freshman must complete the Financial Aid Application through FACTS to guarantee inclusion in the pool considered for Bishop Chatard financial aid for the 2023-24 school year.

Incoming Freshmen: You will be notified of your awards as part of your acceptance packet, in early February, if you have met the application deadlines.

Returning Students: You will be notified of your awards in mid-May, if you have met the application deadlines.

Transfer Students: You will be notified of your awards as part of your acceptance packet.

If there are extenuating circumstances that you feel are not taken into consideration by the FACTS application or the federal tax records, applicants are encouraged to submit a letter or email explaining the circumstances. Submit these to Christa Wynk, Executive Director of Finance, at cwynk@bishopchatard.org.


one

Tax Credit Scholarships

Tax Credit Scholarships (TCS) are funded by Bishop Chatard benefactors through a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) and awarded based on Indiana state guidelines. The amount received can vary each year, depending on funds available. To be eligible, a student must:

  1. Live in Indiana
  2. Be currently attending or applying to a K-12 non-public school
  3. Meet family income guidelines
If you are within the income guidelines, in the first year of applying for a TCS/SGO award, you will automatically receive a minimum of $500 off each student’s tuition.

Income Guidelines

In general, income guidelines are based on the Adjusted Gross Income (line 11) of your Federal 1040 tax return. 2022/23 school year guidelines are:

Household Size Income Eligibility
2 $101,620
3 $127,816
4 $154,012
5 $180,208
6 $206,404
Household Size Income Eligibility
7 $232,600
8 $258,796
9 $284,992
10 $311,188
Tax Credit Scholarship : a pathway to the Indiana School Choice Scholarship
By receiving a TCS/SGO award in any previous year, from kindergarten onto high school, a student could use the ‘SGO pathway’ to be eligible for around $6,000 in aid each year thereafter via the Indiana Choice Scholarship program (often referred to as vouchers – see #3 below), if you remain within the above income guidelines.

How to Apply

  • Applications for Tax Credit Scholarships begin and are processed by the BCHS business office in May- August. Watch for emails about these.
  • A separate application is needed for each student.
  • Any family who receives direct BCHS Financial Aid (above) must apply for this.

Read more about the Tax Credit Scholarships


one

Indiana School Choice Scholarships

The Indiana School Choice Scholarship Program (often referred to as ‘vouchers’) is public money awarded to eligible Hoosier students to use toward private school tuition. Bishop Chatard is certified to participate in this program. For a student to be eligible, a student must:

  1. Live in Indiana
  2. Meet family income guidelines (These are the same as the Tax Credit Scholarship — see the chart above).
  3. Satisfy at least ONE of the Choice Scholarship Pathways
    • Previous Tax Credit Scholarship (SGO) Track – The student received a TCS in any previous school year.
    • Two Semesters in a Public School Track – The student attended an Indiana K-12 public school (including a charter) for at least the last two semesters
    • Sibling Track – A sibling of the student received either a Indiana School Choice Scholarship or a TCS in any previous school year.
    • Special Education Track – The student has special needs (identified as an IEP/ISP)
    • “F” Public School Track – The student would be required to attend a specific public school based on his/her residency that that has been assigned an “F” grade. (However, he or she is not required to attend that public school before becoming eligible nor return to that school should the grade be raised).
    • Foster Care Track – The student is in foster care.

School Choice Scholarship Award Amounts

Below are the 2022-23 Indiana State Choice Scholarship amounts that each qualified student will receive within our most populated townships. These amounts can fluctuate slightly from year to year.

Township Choice Scholarship Amount
Indianapolis Public Schools $6,707
Washington Township $6,141
Lawrence Township $6,228
Pike Township $6,209

How to Apply

  • Applications for Indiana School Choice Scholarships are always made through Bishop Chatard and begin in the summer before the school year that aid is needed.
  • You must be an accepted student of BCHS to begin the application process.
  • If you currently receive direct BCHS financial aid (#1 above), you are required to apply for an Indiana School Choice Scholarship.

Read more about Indiana School Choice Scholarships


one

Citizenship Grants

Money earned during the summer from this program (formerly called work study) is then applied to the student’s tuition bill.
Signup opens in early spring. Assignments are announced in May.


Bishop Chatard High School reserves the right to request any further documentation, including copies of divorce decrees and agreements with non-custodial parents, tax records, etc.

  • BCHS financial aid is applied only to tuition. Other fees, including the capital assessment fee, must be paid in full.
  • Students are expected to maintain good attendance and disciplinary records and should achieve academic success commensurate with their ability and potential. Parents of students who are placed on academic or disciplinary probation will be informed that they may lose their financial aid award unless the student’s performance improves.
  • If there are extenuating circumstances that are not taken into consideration by the FACTS Financial Aid Application or the federal tax records, applicants are encouraged to submit a letter or email explaining the circumstances. All letters should be submitted to the BCHS tuition office.
  • Parents have the obligation to inform the school of any changes in their financial situation that could affect the award level.
Once the school year has begun, a family may experience the loss of a job or a catastrophic illness that makes it impossible to sustain payments as they were established.

In order to prevent the withdrawal of a student(s) from the school for that year, parents can contact the business office for more information about emergency assistance.

If you have not filed for financial aid for the current school year, you will be required to do this before obtaining emergency aid.

This funding resource is intended to provide assistance for the current school year only, and should the circumstances extend beyond that year, parents must apply for financial aid through the regular process

Financial Aid Information Night: Nov. 16, 2022

This important meeting is highly recommended for all BCHS families seeking additional information about financial aid. Information about tuition assistance and the application process will be presented, along with an opportunity to ask questions.  Time and location: at the Kyle Guyton Theatre from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.



Deadlines and Dates

Families with an Incoming Freshman

  • December 15, 2022: Financial Aid Application Deadline All families (new and current) with an incoming freshman must apply by Dec. 15, 2022, to be guaranteed that they are included in the pool considered for direct BCHS financial aid awards for the 2023-2024 school year.
  • February 2023 Families in the above group will be notified of their financial aid awards for the 2023/2024 year if they have met the application deadlines. Late or incomplete applications or materials may result in a reduced financial award, if an award is granted.
  • February 28, 2023: Registration deposits are due on this date. For incoming freshmen, this deposit also confirms your acceptance of the financial aid packet at BCHS.
  • Late Spring 2023: Applications for Citizenship Grants (for students who receive financial aid) will be available. Grants are announced in May.
  • Summer 2023: Applications are taken for the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program (vouchers) and Tax Credit Scholarships (TCS through SGOs). These applications must be filed if you receive BCHS financial aid. Optional financial aid appointments with the Business Office are available upon request


Returning school families without an incoming freshman or transfer student families without an incoming freshman

  • February 2023, exact date TBD: Registration deposits are due on this date.
  • March 15, 2023: Financial Aid Application Deadline
    To be guaranteed that you are included in the pool considered for BCHS financial aid awards for the 2023-2024 school year, your application must be submitted by this March date.
  • Mid-May: Families in this group will be notified of their financial aid awards for the 2023/2024 year if they have met the application deadlines. Late or incomplete applications or materials may result in a reduced financial award, if an award is granted.
  • Late Spring 2023: Applications for Citizenship Grants (for students who receive financial aid) will be available.
  • Summer 2023: Applications are taken for the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program (vouchers) and Tax Credit Scholarships (TCS through SGOs). These applications must be filed if you receive BCHS financial aid. Optional financial aid appointments with the Business Office are available upon request

Questions? Contact Christa Wynk, Executive Director of Finance, at 317-251-1451, Ext. 2251 or cwynk@bishopchatard.org. We are here to answer any questions you may have.

20 Years Ago Today (March 29, 2003) The Indianapolis Bishop Chatard Trojans were crowned #IHSAA Class 3A Boys Basketball State Champions! 🏆🥇🏀🔥🔵⚪️ @BCHSAthletics 📖 ihsaapublic.blob.core.windows… 📊 ihsaapublic.blob.core.windows… 🎥 youtube.com/watch?v=czACRd… pic.twitter.com/27Xysc2f97

About 6 hours ago