Financial Aid Information

Financial Aid at Lakewood Catholic Academy:
Frequently Asked Questions

Does Lakewood Catholic Academy offer financial aid?

Yes. Parents with children attending grades Kindergarten through Eight at Lakewood Catholic Academy are able to apply for need-based financial assistance. However, no tuition assistance is available for students enrolling in the Early Childhood (preschool) Program.  There are two sources of aid:

The Diocese of Cleveland offers financial aid through its Diocesan Tuition Assistance (DTA) Grants Fund, and this aid is available to all applicants. These funds come from generous donors from across the Diocese.

Lakewood Catholic Academy also offers support to families through its own tuition assistance fund.

How do I apply for aid?

Any family seeking need-based tuition assistance must complete and submit the PSAS (Private School Aid Service) form.  No aid, whether from the Diocesan Tuition Assistance Grants Fund or from LCA's own tuition assistance fund, can be awarded without filing the PSAS form.  PSAS is an independent third party that processes the financial aid applications and generates reports used to determine a family’s financial need.  These reports are used by the Diocese and by LCA to determine tuition assistance awards.

Does the school receive access to my personal financial information?

PSAS applications are not reviewed by Lakewood Catholic Academy. They are reviewed by independent analysts at PSAS, who then submit a report to LCA outlining need. The applicant’s detailed financial data is not shared with the school, and Lakewood Catholic Academy is committed to protecting your privacy.

How do I obtain a PSAS Form to apply for aid?

There are two ways. You may stop by or call the Main Office to obtain a paper copy of the form, or you can use an electronic form downloaded from the LCA website. This form is in a “writeable” PDF format and is very simple to use. Click here to download the 2012-12 PSAS form now.

This form is a state of the art interactive PDF, and may be utilized in several ways:

1). The Student Aid Form PDF may be printed out and completed manually.

2). A family can also complete the Student Aid Form PDF directly on their computer screen by placing the cursor at the appropriate fields and typing in the information. They can then print the completed document and save it to their computer for their records if running Adobe Reader 7 or higher. (The latest version of Adobe Reader can be downloaded for free at www.adobe.com.) Families who are more technologically savvy, and wish to type their information rather than filling in the form by hand prefer this option.

Families should then mail the form and processing fee to the following address:

Private School Aid Service 
P.O. Box 89434
Cleveland, OH 44101-6434

NOTE: Not all of the pages of the form need to be returned. You can select which pages you would like to print under the "Print Range" section and preview every page under the "Preview: Composite" section by moving the sliding bar beneath the image.

Lakewood Catholic Academy’s PSAS school code number is 4338.

When is the deadline for applying for financial aid using the PSAS form?

The deadline for applications is March 1, 2012.  While applications may be filed until June 1, it is possible that the applications filed before March 1 and approved for aid will exhaust the pool of available funds. Families are strongly urged to submit by this early deadline. Families may still apply until June 1, but the chances of receiving aid are greatly reduced by the later submission.

What will I need to complete the form?

You will need your most recent tax returns – ideally, your 2011 tax returns – although if you are unable to complete your tax returns prior to the March 1 deadline, you may use copies of your 2011 W2 or 1099 income forms for 2011 income documentation.

When will I be notified of my award?

If you submitted your PSAS by March 1, 2012 you will receive notification from the Diocese in early May about any funding you may receive from the Diocesan fund. If you submitted your PSAS by June 1, 2012, you will receive notification from the Diocese in early July.  LCA will notify families of any LCA tuition assistance by the end of June.

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Any questions about financial aid can be directed to LCA Director of Marketing and Admissions Paul Nickels at pnickels@lakewoodcatholicacademy.com or by phone at 216.521.0559, extension 3028.