Financial Aid
Financial Aid Contact
Our mission statement says that we seek to be “one community” with parents; part of being one community indicates that we are there for one another. As such, we do not want finances to interfere with a child receiving a Catholic education. Our goal is that the tuition is “affordable” (which is not an absolute guarantee for all situations).
Sources of Financial Aid
Families seeking financial aid must apply for scholarship sources available outside the school. In addition to these outside sources, the parish may, according to its means, provide financial support to help cover a portion of tuition, provided the family is willing to make the necessary sacrifices to meet its portion. Through this mutual sacrifice, we strive to achieve our goal of making a Catholic education affordable.
There are currently three outside sources of scholarships:
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Seeds of Hope
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ACE
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The Schmitz Family Foundation
A family qualifies if they are within 300% to 350% (depending on the organization) of the federal poverty guidelines. For example, according to the poverty guidelines for 2025, a family of four qualifies for these scholarships if they make $99,000 or less (at the 300% level) or $115,500 or less (at the 350% level).
This annual amount of income is your adjusted gross income (AGI) for the year, which is normally less than one’s total amount of (gross) income for the year. On Tax Form 1040, this AGI amount is line 11.
We encourage every family to look at their 2024 taxes to see if they qualify for one of these outside scholarships. For those who qualify, these organizations can grant you a scholarship (which will continue almost automatically at local Catholic schools through 8th grade, requiring a shorter application and barring major changes in your life situation).
All Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Denver (including Nativity of Our Lord) automatically contribute toward the Seeds of Hope organization as a percentage of regular donations, which funds the scholarships. Historically, Nativity of Our Lord has paid in more to Seeds of Hope than we have received back in students’ scholarships. We are confident that there are families in our school community who qualify for these grants but are not aware that they qualify. When you apply and receive these outside funds, those funds are paid directly to the school to lower your tuition bill—helping both you and the school.
What is new for 2026–2027:
The financial aid process has been updated to simplify how families apply for assistance through the parish and certain scholarships.
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One required application for financial aid
All families requesting financial assistance must complete the Seeds of Hope application.
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Seeds of Hope now includes Parish Financial Aid
The Seeds of Hope application is used for both:
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Seeds of Hope scholarships
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Parish financial aid
A separate TADS/SSS application is no longer used.
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ACE Scholarships remain a separate application
Families must complete the ACE application independently to be considered for ACE funding.
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Schmitz Family Foundation is considered through ACE
There is no separate Schmitz application. Families who complete the ACE application may also be considered for Schmitz scholarships.
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Awards are coordinated and reviewed together
Seeds of Hope, ACE, Schmitz, and parish aid are reviewed together to help determine an affordable tuition amount. An anonymous financial aid committee reviews each family’s application and may recommend additional parish assistance beyond any outside scholarships received. Financial aid and scholarship opportunities are also available to non-Catholic families.
2026-2027 Financial Aid Qualifications
Household Size | Annual Income (AGI)
300% of poverty level | Annual Income (AGI) 350% of poverty level |
|---|---|---|
2 | $64,920 | $75,740 |
3 | $81,960 | $95,620 |
4 | $99,000 | $115,500 |
5 | $116,040 | $135,380 |
6 | $133,080 | $155,260 |
7 | $150,120 | $175,140 |
8 | $167,160 | $195,020 |
9 | $184,200 | $214,900 |
10 | $201,240 | $234,780 |
For each additional family member add: | $17,040 | $19,880 |
As a note, all new or potential families seeking financial aid must first complete a school application and be accepted to receive a reward letter from the financial aid committee.
Under normal circumstances, the deadline for filling out the Seeds of Hope application is April 15th. In unusual situations, such as moving from out of state after this deadline, exceptions may be made for considering a financial aid application; in this case, the deadline is September 15th. For other unusual situations, please ask if you missed the deadline. We may be able to accommodate you with a different deadline.
