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Location & Contact Details

Office Hours

Monday – Friday
7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Address:

West Catholic High School
1801 Bristol Ave NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Events Calendar

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Tuition and Assistance

An investment in faith-based education means an investment in your child’s future. West Catholic is committed to providing the highest quality Catholic education to families who desire this for their children. Tuition contracts for the school year are sent out in February after Parish Support and Grants & Scholarships have been awarded. Families of three or more students are encouraged to contact your school Principal or the Business Office to discuss a tuition rate that is manageable for your family.

2024-2025 Tuition:

Parish Rate: $11,515 (after the $885 parish support)
Non-Parish Rate: $12,400

Technology Fee: $250
Each student at West Catholic is provided with an iPad as an educational resource and tool to enhance learning. The technology fee helps to offset the device, network, security and personnel costs associated with this program. This fee also includes full-coverage iPad insurance for each device.

 

Tuition Assistance

It is our goal to make a West Catholic education a reality for every student. We offer several options to assist with financing each student’s education.

Watch this video to hear about one family’s experience and check out the some examples of tuition assistance opportunities available to your family.

 

Blackbaud

Families must apply through Blackbaud Financial Aid Management (School ID: 13306) if they wish to be considered for tuition assistance or scholarships.

Blackbaud is an aid application service that helps parents streamline and submit their financial aid applications. The program collects relevant data and documents, identifies available grants and scholarships, expedites the review of materials and awards aid directly to accounts.

To get started with Blackbaud, visit our Applying for Aid page.

Parish Support

There is no substitute for a quality Catholic school education. As a result, parishes in the Diocese of Grand Rapids support the ministry of Catholic schools through a high level of financial investment in the Catholic schools that serve the children of registered and active parishioner families, even if their parish does not have its own school.

This significant financial support is contributed by the family’s parish directly to the Catholic parish/school so that parishioner families can receive the “in-parish tuition rate.” This parish support is a substantial benefit to families by making them eligible to receive the parishioner rate of tuition rather than the higher non-parishioner rate.

You do not need to demonstrate financial need to receive parish support. See the Parish Support Form below for details.

Parish Support 2024-2025 – English
Parish Support 2024-2025 – Spanish

*Please contact your Parish Office to find out if your family qualifies for parish support toward your high school tuition. Each parish may have different guidelines for qualification.

Partner School/Parish Employee Discount

We appreciate all the great work you do with the students under your care. Thank you! In a demonstration of our commitment to support Catholic schools are offering the following discounts for the upcoming school year:

  • Full-time staff at your school/parish are eligible to receive a 25% discount on tuition for their children who attend our school.
  • Part-time staff (20 hours or more) at your school/parish are eligible to receive a 12.5% discount on tuition for their children who attend our school.

Staff must work one year at your school/parish to qualify for this discount. If other discounts are earned, West Catholic High School will use the higher of the discounts. Further grants or scholarships are available should the financial aid application indicate they are needed. Application for financial aid is not required to receive this discount.

Please complete this Partner School/Parish Employee Discount Certificate form and submit it to your principal/priest and have him/her fill out the bottom section. Once complete, principals/priests should email this form to [email protected].

Tuition Grants

The Bishop’s Fund for Catholic Education is an endowed fund within the Catholic Foundation of West Michigan which provides tuition assistance for students attending a diocesan Catholic school. Parents are asked to fill out a Blackbaud form which is used to determine who qualifies for tuition assistance through the Bishop’s Fund. Applications are available through the Business Office or the West Catholic Main Office.

One in four families receive tuition grants through the Bishop’s Fund. Information about applying for Blackbaud can be found in the tab above this section along with necessary forms. Only one form per family is required regardless of how many children you have within the K-12 Catholic schools.

When applying for tuition assistance, family need, academic standing and discipline records are all considered. Need is determined by an evaluation of an applicant’s tax returns, information provided on the application form and the Letter of Special Circumstances. Students must also possess a passing cumulative GPA along with a satisfactory discipline record.

*All active/registered parishioners who apply through Blackbaud will be automatically considered for the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund. (Please be sure to indicate your Parish Code and School Code on the Blackbaud form.)

Named Scholarship

After completing a Blackbaud application (School ID: 13306), families may choose to apply for a variety of merit and need-based scholarships.

Scholarships are due in mid-December with award notifications going out in the beginning of February.

For more information about scholarship criteria and the application process, please visit grwestcatholic.org/scholarships.

GRCF

The Alan R. Ryan Scholarship was established in 2013 to provide tuition assistance during 9th-12th grade to attend a Catholic high school within Kent County. The goal of the scholarship program is to encourage academic accomplishment and community leadership. The scholarship is administered by the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.

Upon acceptance to and entrance into Aquinas College for undergraduate studies, the scholarship will continue for a total of four years of undergraduate studies. Awards will generally be $2,000.

Selection Process and Additional Information

Applicants must:

  • Be completing 8th grade at a school located within Kent County, Michigan
  • Be entering 9th grade at West Catholic or Catholic Central High School
  • Be a Kent County resident
  • Demonstrate financial need by completing a financial form
  • Have an expressed intent to attend Aquinas College for post-secondary education
  • Demonstrate a B average or above academic record
  • Complete an essay that includes the applicant’s definition of leadership as part of the application form
  • Submit two recommendation letters (500 words or less), one being from a teacher

Applications, essays and recommendation letters are due March 1 by email to [email protected]. Any inquiries may be directed to Ruth Bishop, Education Program Officer, at 616-284-4903 or [email protected].

Educational Funds

We are blessed to be supported by a number of funds that help offset the cost of tuition. While these funds do not specifically support tuition assistance, they work to reduce expenses for each student who attends West Catholic.

  • West Catholic Legacy Fund – This fund is used to support educational programming at West Catholic.
  • Father Dennis Morrow Education Fund – Half of the annual distributions of this fund go to tuition assistance and half go toward improving academic and athletic programs.
  • Brechting Academic & Athletic Fund – This fund is used to improve the school’s programs and facilities. Each year, 85% of the fund’s distributions are applied to academics and 15% is applied to athletics.
  • Lena Allgeier Fund – Money from this fund is used to support the technology needs of students at West Catholic High School and Catholic Central High School.
  • Richard Boguslaski Science Fund – Income from this endowed fund is used to purchase scientific, engineering and research equipment at West Catholic High School and Catholic Central High School.
Scrip

The Catholic Schools of Grand Rapids participate in the Scrip program. Scrip allows families to shop with gift cards in everyday situations to make purchases at grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants and more with a percentage of each gift card purchased contributing directly to your school tuition. 

Credits from partner schools may be applied to secondary school tuition. Families must notify their Scrip coordinators of their Catholic Schools tuition account number and request that credits be applied to their high school tuition.

Your high school tuition account may be opened before your child attends high school if you wish to get a jump start on building credits toward your high school tuition. Please contact the business office to set up an account at (616) 233-5981.