Care for Everyone in our Common Home Toonies for Tuition Challenge 2017-18 November 2017
Can your class, school, or group conduct a fundraiser in the 2017-18 School year to help other students across Canada attend Catholic Schools?
The Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association Endowment Fund became a reality in 2006. The main purpose of this charitable fund is to assist students in paying their tuition to attend Catholic schools in those provinces in Canada with limited or no public funding.
In June 2018, the Canadian Catholic Schools Trustees Association annual conference will be hosted in Kelowna British Columbia. We invite all BC Catholic Schools to consider and plan a fundraiser to help families who cannot afford Catholic Education. The proceeds will be gathered by May 15, 2018 @ your Diocesan Catholic School’s Superintendent’s office, for a presentation at the conference in the first week of June 2018.
“Since its inception, the Endowment Fund Committee has received over 600 requests amounting to over $1,250,000. The Endowment Fund Committee was able to distribute $366,000 in tuition assistance.”
Each year requests for tuition assistance exceed the amount of money that is available. For the 2017- 2018 school year, the fund will distribute $57,000, an increase of $12,000 (26%) from the previous year. At the same time, requests for assistance were $262,762, an increase of $129,652 (97%) from the previous year. These Catholic families have sacrificed much in an effort to ensure their children have every opportunity to hear the gospel and grow up in the Catholic faith. It is our heartfelt desire that we will be able to insure that no Catholic family who wants to send their child to a Catholic school will be turned away.
Statistics (2017-2018)
From the funds available as of May 2017, the committee distributed the money as follows:
Although established and approved by the CCSTA Board of Directors, the Endowment Fund Committee operates at arms-length as required by legislation. The Endowment Fund Committee, made up of five members, make all decisions in the distribution of funds to students on an annual basis.
Since its inception, the Endowment Fund Committee has received over 600 requests amounting to over $1,250,000. The Endowment Fund Committee was able to distribute $366,000 in tuition assistance.
Endowment Fund applications are due on March 31st every year. Students are notified by June 30th.
The application is available on the CCSTA website: http://www.ccsta.ca/en/initiatives-en/toonies
The application letter is sent by the Principal on behalf of the student. For those students receiving tuition funds, the money is sent directly to the school in September after receiving confirmation that the student has returned to the school. If the particular student doesn’t return in September, the school can reallocate the funds to other families. All funding is for one year.
Please consider raising money for others so they can attend our Catholic Schools in Canada. With your contribution, you can provide a brief description of what you and your group did to raise the money. Thank you for caring for everyone in our common home.
Yours in Catholic Education,
Catholic Superintendents of British Columbia
Art Therrien, CISND (Nelson Diocese)
Bev Puluk, CISVD (Victoria Diocese)
Chris Dugdale, CISPG (Prince George Diocese)
Dan Moric, CISVA (Vancouver Archdiocese)
Kelly Tries, CISKD (Kamloops Diocese)