Last verified: October 2026
How do Raleigh Catholic school families get help with tuition?
Most Raleigh Catholic families start with the Opportunity Scholarship, because every Catholic K-12 school in our federal data for Wake, Durham, Orange and Johnston was on the 2026-27 Direct Payment list. The school's own need-based aid and parish support come next, and those rules vary school by school.
Ask the school office which aid application it uses, when it is due and whether active parishioners pay a different rate.
What is the Diocese of Raleigh's AAMEN tuition assistance?
It is a diocesan program for Catholic school students of African American or Native American ancestry, from preschool through grade 12. For 2026-27, applications ran February 1 to March 15, 2026, with decisions emailed by May 24 and awards sent straight to the school.
It is funded by a parish second collection and a grant from the Black and Indian Mission Office. A family must complete the school's enrollment application before the tuition assistance request is considered.
Which Catholic schools serve the Triangle?
Our directory lists Cathedral School, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Raphael, The Franciscan School, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Thomas More in Chapel Hill, Immaculata in Durham, Cardinal Gibbons High, the lay-run St. Thomas More Academy and Cristo Rey Research Triangle. The diocese is led by Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama.
Catholic School Aid (Diocese of Raleigh): what it is, and what it is not
| Diocesan and school aid is | It is not |
|---|---|
| Need-based or mission-based help set by each school or program | A fixed amount every family receives |
| Stackable on top of a state award | A replacement for applying to NCSEAA |