Tuition & Scholarships
Both Priceless and Affordable
The SMCC experience is both empowering and transformative. A Catholic college preparatory experience prepares students for success in college and beyond. Our program’s focus on developing the whole person — both in faith and in mind, in body and in spirit — creates graduates who are prepared to succeed in their college studies and become engaged, productive, and ethical members of the community. What is the value of such a formative experience? It’s Priceless!
Our vision at SMCC is to make a Catholic secondary education both academically accessible and financially affordable for all who seek it. At SMCC, we strive to serve students across the full spectrum of academic abilities and from families with diverse economic backgrounds.
Affording an SMCC Education
Thanks to the generosity of our over 10,000 alumni, parents, and friends, SMCC is able to partner with our families to make tuition affordable and create a payment schedule that fits their needs.
SMCC employs a "cost-based tuition, discounted financial aid" budgeting model. This model has tuition tied to the per-pupil cost of education (i.e., the School's total operating budget divided by its current total enrollment).
SMCC recognizes that most families in our region are unable to pay the full cost of Catholic education. Therefore, we have paired this cost to educate with a discounted financial aid model that meets each family where they are and provides sufficient need-based financial aid to lower this cost to an amount the family can afford.
While the cost to educate is $13,850 this year, the average tuition revenue per student after financial aid and discounts is $8,000. This means that the average family pays only about 60% of the cost to educate and receives about 40%, or over $5,500, in need-based financial aid. Families with incomes below the federal poverty rate receive sufficient support to afford SMCC education. In contrast, families with incomes that exceed six figures can qualify, depending on their individual circumstances.
Scholarships and Awards
SMCC offers scholarship opportunities based on financial need, as well as academic excellence, service to others, leadership, musical talent, Catholic school employment by parents or family, and family legacy. We can extend such help thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our alumni and friends. SMCC has over $9 million in endowed assets, including more than 80 named and endowed scholarship funds that support current students and their families.
Need-Based Financial Aid
Over 70% of SMCC students receive some form of tuition assistance. These discounts and aid packages range from $500 per year to 80% (or over $11,000) of the total education cost. 30% of our families pay the full cost, while the remaining 70% share in financial aid and discounts totaling over $1.7 million each year.
Need-based financial aid is awarded to families who qualify for assistance based on their FACTS Management application. The FACTS application is available online for the following fiscal year at the beginning of November, with a deadline of mid-December for returning or early inquiring families. A financial aid committee administers the awarding of these grants. Incoming freshman or transfer families who apply by the mid-December deadline are notified of any need-based aid awards by early March, before enrollment. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of a family's financial situation. We consider each family's individual circumstances, including factors such as sources of income, recent employment or wage changes, expenses related to extraordinary medical care, financial concerns associated with caring for an elderly parent or relative, and college expenses.
We also want to support a family's commitment to providing Christian education for all of their students and recognize that many private elementary and middle schools are not in a financial position to provide aid. We use a rule of thumb that no family pays more than 10% of their annual adjusted gross income in private primary or secondary educational expenses.
The bottom line is that SMCC stands ready to work with any parent who wishes to provide their sons and daughters with an outstanding Catholic secondary education — the best preparation for college and life beyond at any school in the region. Money does not have to be a barrier to making this choice. The best way to learn more is to schedule a personal appointment with our Administration, who can meet with you privately, learn about your needs, and share how we can help.
Archdiocese of Detroit Stewards for Tomorrow Grant
Need-based scholarship assistance is also available from the Archdiocese of Detroit to registered and practicing Catholic parishioners in the Archdiocese of Detroit. The Stewards for Tomorrow Grant is determined on a sliding scale per student in the household. Parents qualify based on a need-based assessment using the same FACTS application they complete for SMCC need-based aid, with a few additional requirements. Catholic parishioners MUST select "Detroit Diocese - St. Mary Catholic Central HS" as a second school for their high school student(s). Applicants must also secure their pastor's signature on the designated form, located on the AOD Stewards for Tomorrow Grant Page, and upload their most recent tax information in the spring prior to the school year. If awarded this grant, this amount will be in addition to the amount awarded by SMCC. This grant does not require repayment and is applied directly to the SMCC tuition balance.
SMCC Academic Scholarships
SMCC awards academic scholarships based on an incoming freshman’s scores on the High School Placement Test administered during November and December of the student’s 8th grade year. A need-based application does not have to be submitted to be eligible for this award. Students who score above the 80th percentile in the composite national average are eligible for academic scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $ 10,000 each year. These academic scholarships are renewable each year as long as the student remains enrolled at SMCC and meets specific academic and character standards.
Luella Amolsch Memorial Scholarship
The Amolsch Scholarship is offered to any student from St. Michael Parish of Monroe who will continue their Catholic education at SMCC. The amount varies between $200 and up to 75% of tuition costs, depending on need and availability.
Rev. Terrence Kerner Catholic School Employee Scholarship
The Kerner Scholarships are awarded to students whose parents are currently employed at SMCC. The scholarship amount ranges from 20% to 80% of tuition, based on the number of years of service to SMCC. A $500 Kerner Scholarship is also available to students whose parent is employed by any Monroe Vicariate grade school.
Weipert Scholarship
This scholarship was created by the Weipert Family, who share a love for music. It offers a $1,000 scholarship to an incoming freshman who will participate in one of our music programs for a whole school year. It also offers three $500 scholarships to current SMCC students who share a devotion to music.
Alumni Association Scholarship Award
The Alumni Association in Support of SMCC provides several $500 scholarships each year, which are awarded to incoming freshmen who are children of alumni from SMCC, St. Mary Academy, or Monroe Central Catholic High School. Winners are chosen by lottery, and submitting a need-based aid application form is not required.
Flexible Tuition Balance Options
- Full Tuition Balance: Families can pay their full balance, after any qualified financial or merit-based aid and any alumni or sibling discounts are applied, by July 1 and receive $400 off their balance as an incentive to pay their bill in full before the start of the fiscal year.
- Flexible Monthly/Quarterly Payment Plan: Automatic bank drafts from bank accounts can be established by signing a Tuition Covenant Agreement and submitting an accepted payment plan structure to the school's Business Office. Tuition Covenant Agreements must be on file by July 1 or immediately following registration. If this requirement is not met after July 1, the student's enrollment will not be considered complete.
- Special Circumstances: SMCC also works with families whose ability to pay does not fit with one of the plan options. An example of this is a modified monthly payment plan with some money down, a lower monthly payment, and one or more balloon payments, which allows a family’s payment plan to match their household’s cash flow.
Tuition is payable by check, money order, or cash. Payment by MasterCard, Visa, or American Express is also accepted. A convenience fee of 2.5% will be added to any credit card transaction. For questions regarding tuition payment, please contact:
Finance Office
financeoffice@smccmonroe.com • (734) 241-7622 x 412
Office Hours are Monday-Friday • 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Summer Hours are Monday-Thursday • 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
