Scholarship FAQs
General Questions
The application enrollment period for students Pre-K through 12th grade for the 2020-21 school year is now open. The application process can be found here.
Questions about the application process should be directed to FACTS at 866-441-4637. Questions on the timing of awards, tuition and other financial aid that you may qualify for, should be directed to your child’s school.
Applications for Archdiocesan Grade Schools, Parish Schools and Archdiocesan High Schools for the 2020-2021 school year closed on September 30, 2020.
Applications for the 2021-22 school year are now open.
Private schools should contact their school directly to apply.
Schools will be notifying applicants regarding the status of your application. Please contact your child’s school if you have not received a notification.
All families receiving an award (Elementary, High School and Private) will be notified directly by your school.
Once you have filled out your application, FACTS (a third party) will determine if your family qualifies for need based scholarships. The list of qualified students is then sent to each school. The school then decides who will receive a BLOCS scholarship.
You will need to submit documents related to you most recent year’s tax return (W2. K1, etc…).
Families with one dependent must have an annual income of less than $92,160 + $16,222 for a total of $108,382 to qualify. For each additional dependent, you can make an additional $16,222 per child.
Students MUST be registered before a decision on financial aid can be made. It is best to only apply to the school you want to attend and not select multiple schools.
The Commonwealth of PA requires that a third party qualify families’ eligibility for need-based scholarships. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia utilizes FACTS to manage & screen the qualification process.
Once you apply, you can check the status of your application by logging into your FACTS account. BLOCS will not know the status of applications as they are received by a third party. Decisions on aid will be made by your school. Any questions about awards, amounts, and decisions on aid should be directed to your child’s school.
No, one application can be completed for your entire family.
Questions about the application process should be directed to FACTS. They can be reached at 866-441-4637.
Because each school has a limited amount of funds available for scholarships, some schools are not able to offer aid to every qualified student. Unfortunately, the need far exceeds the funds available. Each school makes every effort to stretch the funding as far as they can. If you did not receive an award, it is most likely due to the fact that your school ran out of funding.
Schools use individual timelines on crediting a student’s account. For specific questions, please contact your student’s school.
BLOCS Scholarships are specific to each school and therefore can not be transferred if you decide to move your child.
The application MUST be completed in order for the schools to see your information. Parents should check their online application to make sue that it is marked “submitted”. FACTS will not contact you about unfinished applications.
Tax Credits FAQs
The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs provide businesses that pay PA taxes with a tax credit for their donations to nonprofit Scholarship or Education Improvement Organizations such as BLOCS.
A scholarship donation for K through 12 students can earn a 75% tax credit for a one-year commitment or a 90% credit for a two-year commitment. A one-time donation for Pre-K students can result in a 100% tax credit for the first $10,000; and a 90% tax credit for the remainder up to $200,000.
Businesses may donate a maximum of $750,000 per year through the EITC & OSTC programs.
Yes. A business that receives a state tax credit through the EITC/OSTC program may still take a charitable deduction for their gift on both their federal and state tax returns as allowed by law. This is in addition to the EITC & OSTC tax credits they will receive against their state tax liability. Please consult your tax advisor on specifics to your business.
These programs allow the business to direct where a portion of their tax dollars are spent. These are dollars that your business would already be paying to the state of Pennsylvania. It also allows the business to support the schools and local community in the footprint of their business.
Your donation plays a vital role in allowing all students the opportunity to attend an Archdiocesan school regardless of race, religion, or ability to pay. The School then designates which qualified students are provided assistance.
Approximately 6.5 cents on the dollar, or $650 for a $10,000 donation.
Any new business can apply for tax credits starting July 1 for the current year.
Donations received prior to June 30 will be allocated for the fall semester of that school year. Monies received after July 1 will be distributed for fall of the following school year.
You cannot designate your donation to a specific student. You do however, have the option to designate the money to a specific school. Businesses may designate up to 100% of their donation, and LLC members may designate up to 75% of their donation. The schools, not BLOCS, each have the ability to designate funding to qualified students.
