Admission & Tuition Policy and Guidelines

Admission Policy

First and foremost, St. Columban School is established to serve primarily the membership of St. Columban Parish. The parish believes that our school is truly an important ministry in the life of the parish community. Our school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, or national origin. Moreover, our school will accommodate students with disabilities, if, with reasonable accommodations, the student can meet the academic and behavioral guidelines of the school. Our belief is that every child who belongs to a family registered at St. Columban Parish should have the opportunity for a Catholic education to the best of our ability. That is why it is important to have a clear policy of acceptance.

The following priority list will be used to determine admission to St. Columban School:

Kindergarten

St. Columban School welcomes children who are five years old on or before September 30th of the current school year, if deemed to be ready through the screening process.

Children who were not accepted in the previous academic year for readiness reasons, who are now found ready, and whose parents have remained active parishioners.
Children of active parishioners who have siblings presently enrolled in our school and whose tuition is current.
Children from families of active parishioners whose elder siblings attended St. Columban School.
Children of active parishioners who do not have siblings presently attending our school.
Children of inactive parishioners who already have siblings presently enrolled in our school and whose tuition is current.
Children of inactive parishioners who do not have siblings presently enrolled in our school.
Children of non-parishioners will be considered.

Preliminary acceptance letters, based on the above criteria, will be issued on or before March 1. After that date, each registration will be considered independently.

Grade One

Top priority will be given to currently enrolled students whose families remain active parishioners of St. Columban.
Those children who were not accepted in the previous academic year for readiness reasons, who are now found ready, and whose parents have remained active parishioners.
Children of active parishioners who have siblings presently enrolled in our school and whose tuition is current.
Children from families of active parishioners whose elder siblings attended St. Columban School.
Children of active parishioners who do not have siblings presently attending our school, but who registered for kindergarten, completed the screening process, and were placed on the kindergarten waiting list.
Children of active parishioners who do not have siblings presently attending our school. This will include families moving into the Loveland area, who were active in their previous parish.
Children of inactive parishioners who already have siblings presently enrolled in our school and whose tuition is current.
Children of inactive parishioners who do not have siblings presently enrolled in our school.
Children of non-parishioners who registered for kindergarten, completed the screening process and were placed on the waiting list.
Children of non-parishioners.

Grades Two through Eight

Top priority is given to currently enrolled students whose families remain active parishioners of St. Columban.
Children of active parishioners who have siblings presently enrolled in our school and whose tuition is current.
Children from families of active parishioners whose elder siblings attended St. Columban School.
Children of active parishioners who do not have siblings presently attending our school. This will include families moving into the Loveland area, who were active in their previous parish.
Children of inactive parishioners who already have siblings presently enrolled in our school and whose tuition is current.
Children of inactive parishioners who do not have siblings presently enrolled in our school.
Children of non-parishioners will be considered.

Acceptance letters, based on the above criteria, will be issued on or before April 1. After that date, each registration will be considered independently.

Occasionally, there is a waiting list for one or more of the nine grades here at St. Columban. When a waiting list is enacted, it remains in effect during the current school year until the start of the official registration period for the next year, as determined by the school principal. However, at the close of the official registration period, those on the waiting list who were offered a place, but refused to take it for whatever reason, will have to re-register for the new academic year and be put on the waiting list with the others. Those who were on the original waiting list but were not offered a place in our school will be reconsidered following the criteria listed above. In the event that the number of applicants in a category exceeds the number of possible seats in any given grade, the school and parish administration will review the totality of the applications to determine admission. Discretionary review is reserved to the school principal and pastor in making admission decisions. Please direct any questions regarding tuition to the Parish Office at 683-0105.

To apply for admission, contact the school office at (513) 683-7903 or via e-mail to bhensley@saintcolumbanschool.org. School tours are available at your request.

Tuition Policy:

At the heart of our school community is the desire to serve and support parents in raising their children in the Catholic Christian faith. Therefore, the parish presently commits a portion of its revenue to subsidizing the full cost of tuition for its active members.

The full cost to provide a St. Columban School education for the academic year 2011-2012 is $4,950 per student. If you are an active parishioner, you are eligible for the parish subsidized tuition rate. As a courtesy to our families, we offer a multiple child discount. This discount is applied to the second, third, fourth, and fifth children. The oldest child in the family is considered the "first child." The tuition is scheduled as follows:

One child: $3,350.00
Two children: $6,365.00 (10% off of 2nd child)
Three children: $9,212.50 (15% off of 3rd child)
Four children: $11,892.50 (20% off of 4th child)
Five children: $14,572.50 (20% off of 5th child)

Kindergarten tuition is $2,500.00 for active parishioners and $2,700.00 for non-registered families and inactive parishioners.

To qualify as an active parishioner, a person must comply with all of the following:

Be a registered member of St. Columban Parish
Attend Sunday Mass on a regular basis
Be actively involved in the church and/or school
Support St. Columban Community by making Sunday contributions
Attend all sacramental programs in the Religious Formation Program that are applicable to your children
Meet tuition obligations (tuition paid in full by the end of the year) or contact the principal or pastor in the event that there are problems in meeting the obligations
Complete a Living Out Your Stewardship form each year

A limited amount of tuition assistance is available. Please contact the Parish Office for information about the qualifications and process for financial aid.

For inquiries about joining the parish community, please contact the Parish Office at 683-0105.