Tuition Assistance & Scholarships
Following are the scholarship options available at DMCS:
School Tuition Organization (STO)
The STO is a charitable organization represented by seven accredited nonpublic schools. The STO receives voluntary contributions from Iowa taxpayers and allocates those funds in tuition grants to Iowa school children who attend one of the participating schools. Households with income that does not exceed an amount equal to three times the federal poverty guideline for a family of their size would be eligible for the STO grant. Income guidelines, due dates and applications are included in the registration packet and are also available from Julia Veenstra and Lynn Nichols in the Business Office. There is no application fee.
Christian Scholar Grant
The Christian Scholar Grant program awards tuition scholarships from the monies given to the scholarship fund by people who believe in Christian education. DMCS uses an outside agency, Family Financial Needs Analysis (FFNA), to handle the paperwork. Applications are available in all offices. Online application or paper application along with all of the necessary documents and fees must be sent to FFNA no later than May 1. There is an application fee ranging from $20 - $40 which depends upon the processing method you choose. See FFNA flyer in registration packet for more information.
If applying for assistance, you are encouraged to complete applications for both the STO Scholarship as well as the Christian Scholar Grant.
Emergency Tuition Fund
The Emergency Tuition Fund is funded by the DMCS Parent-Teacher Fellowship (PTF). A percentage of all money raised by the PTF fund raisers is placed in this fund and is available to school families should an emergency arise and tuition assistance be needed. Families may apply for assistance one time per school year. Assistance amounts are determined based on funds available. Applications are available in the Business Office.
Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP)
All families can earn credit that is applied directly to their own tuition accounts. Gift certificates to local and national retailers and restaurants are purchased from the school and a credit to your tuition account is earned at the time of purchase. More information as well as enrollment and order forms are available from the Business Office.
Transportation Credit
If you live more than 2 miles from school with elementary students, or more than 3 miles with secondary students (9-12), the public schools currently reimburse your transportation expenses. Requests for reimbursement must be completed by the family and mailed to your public school district twice a year; forms must be post marked no later than December 1st and May 1st. Reimbursement forms are available in the elementary and secondary offices.
Iowa Tuition & Textbook Credit
You can claim a credit of up to $250 for tuition and textbook payments on your State of Iowa income tax return. Use your tuition statement as proof of payment. Ask your accountant or call the Business Office for more information.
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