Affordability

Saint Odilo School Scholarship
Saint Odilo School believes that all children should have an opportunity to a quality education at Saint Odilo and that money should not be the reason a family does not register.  Financial Aid is available.  Please complete an application using FACTS Grant and Aid assessment use FACTS school ID 

Empower Illinois & Big Shoulders Tax Credit Scholarships
Please click on the link below for a video message from Cardinal  Cupich
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM1w5NGXhnM&feature=youtu.be
 
Tax Credit Scholarships
Through the Invest in Kids Act, the state of Illinois has created a new way to fund scholarships for children from low-income households who want to attend private schools. The tax credit scholarships (TCS) offered through this program could cover up to 100 percent of tuition and fees for eligible students in grades K-8. Saint Odilo School is an eligible private school. Empower Illinois and Big Shoulders are both Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGO). Families apply directly to SGOs to obtain a TCS. 

Empower Illinois
 
Applications will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, through Empower Illinois. Empower Illinois is reopening its Tax Credit Scholarship applications on January 15, 2023. This will be a two-step process. The first step will be to complete a brief online form with your name and contact information, your child’s name and preferred school on Tuesday, January 15 at 6:30 p.m. You will then click submit at 7:00 p.m. This will time stamp your application and reserve your place in line. The Middle School will open at 6:15 pm on this day and have computers and staff available to assist with registration. After reserving your place in line, families will be emailed a unique link to complete the formal application. Beginning Friday, January 17, families will receive an email to access Part Two in their empowerXchange portal. Part two is when you will upload household and income documents, and complete the full application. After receiving the application email, families will have about a week to complete the application and submit all required documents. Families will be able to complete the application at their own pace, and Empower Illinois will have support available through their website and phone helpline.
  
Visit www.empowerillinois.org to apply. Download the following documents to learn more about the two-step process:
Big Shoulders
 
The Big Shoulders TCS application will open for families on Tuesday, January 14, 2023 at 8:00 am. The Middle School will open at 7:30 am on this day and will have computers and staff available to assist with registration. Priority for the Big Shoulders TCS is given to eligible students who are:
  • receiving a scholarship from any TCS
  • siblings of students who are currently receiving any TCS
  • members of a household whose previous year's total annual income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level
  • residing within a focus district
 
Please note: these categories receive the same weight of priority. Such priority applications will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible families, according to funding availability. You must apply prior to April 1, 2023 to receive any priority. After April 1, 2023, scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to all eligible families as funding is available.
 
 You will need to have on hand:
  • Proof of household income 
    • 1040s for all members of the household OR
    • verified statement from the Big Shoulders website signed by the parent/guardian that tax returns were not file
  • Proof of address 
    • State Issued ID or Driver's License,
    • Lease, OR
    • Utility Bill
 
Please refer to the Big Shoulders application and go to www.bigshouldersfundsgo.org/apply/ to apply.