Tuition at Lakewood Catholic Academy

Catholic education is a significant sacrifice for families who choose it for their children. We profoundly appreciate each and every one of you who passes on a vacation, skips a meal out, or drives a car for a year or two longer to make the sacrifice to obtain a Catholic education for your children, and we deeply believe that the rewards equal or exceed that sacrifice. At Lakewood Catholic Academy, we strive to keep tuition as affordable as possible. We will work with families in a variety of ways to help them come to and remain in school. 

Tuition is the primary source of revenue for LCA.  It is determined and set each year by the school's Board of Directors at the minimum level necessary to provide the funds, along with other sources, to pay our staff and to operate LCA. 

2012-12 Tuition Information

For the 2012-13 school year, Lakewood Catholic Academy offers a three-tiered tuition system for students in grades Kindergarten through Eight. The three categories include the following:

• Tier One: A supporting parish tuition of $3,700 for the first child for families who are members in good standing of the three Lakewood parishes that provide financial support to the school (St. Clement, St. Luke, and Transfiguration), or are members of other parishes who choose to subsidize tuition for their parish families  with a contribution toward their Catholic education. Families who qualify for Tier One tuition rates are eligible for a multi-child discount for additional children.

• Tier Two: A modified parishioner rate of $4,500 for the first child for families who are members in good standing at Catholic parishes who do not subsidize tuition. In order to qualify for Tier Two, families must provide a certification letter from their parish. Families who qualify for Tier Two tuition rates are also eligible for a multi-child discount for additional children.

• Tier Three: A non-Catholic, non-parishioner rate of $4,890 per child for families who do not qualify for Tier One or Tier Two tuition rates.  There are no multiple child discounts available to families in this category.

Below are charts for Tier One and Tier Two tuition payors.

Half-Day Kindergarten tuition for Tier One families is $2,495.

Half-Day Kindergarten for Tier Two families is $3,035.

Tier Three Families

Tier Three families pay $4,890 per child in grades Kindergarten through Eight. Half-day Kindergarten for this category is $3,100.

Parishioner Tuition Qualification

Families who are enrolled as members of St. Clement, St. Luke, or Transfiguration parishes, or other parishes who choose to subsidize tuition for their families, benefit from an annual parish subsidy to LCA, and thus pay a different tuition than others.

Families that are new to LCA and are members of a supporting parishes must obtain a letter from their rectory certifying their status as active parishioners in order to qualify for the parishioner tuition rate. Children who are re-registering simply note their parish affiliation on the re-registration form and the school will work with the parish rectories to confirm their continued status.  In all cases where parishioner status is denied, it is incumbent upon the family to appeal the decision to the rectory, or to pay full non-parishioner tuition.

Additional Fees for Children in grades Kindergarten through Eight

• Registration Fee: $120 per child, with a maximum of $300 per family (non-refundable)
  
• Technology Fee: $50 per child, with a maximum of $100 per family
  
• SMART Tuition Administration Fee: $45 (Disregard if tuition is paid in full by July 10th, 2012)
  
• Athletic Participation Fee: $10 per child (if applicable)

Early Childhood Program Tuition:

Half Day, 3 Days per Week (Age 3 & 4):  $170 per month

Half Day, 5 Days per Week (Age 3 & 4):  $260 per month

Three Full Days (Age 4 & 5):  $340 per month

Five Full Days (age 4 & 5): $505 per month

Note: Preschool tuition is not subject to multiple child discounts or to separate parishioner/non-parishioner rate.

Additional Fees for Children in the Early Childhood Program

• Registration fee: $250 per child, with $130 applied to the total tuition bill (non-refundable)
  
• Snack Fee: $50 per child
  
• SMART Tuition Administration Fee: $45 per family (Disregard if tuition is paid in full by July 10th, 2012)

PLEASE NOTE: Registration for the 2012-13 will not be complete until all tuition and fees have been paid for the prior school year.

Payment Options

LCA will be partnering with SMART Tuition for the collection of our families’ tuition and fees for the 2012-2013 school year.   SMART Tuition offers more payment options including automatic deduction from your bank account, check by mail, or credit card (excluding VISA) via the internet or phone.   You must choose your payment plan on the Registration Form, and on the SMART Tuition Enrollment Form (monthly, quarterly, or semiannually).  It is mandatory for all families to enroll at SMART Tuition, unless you pay your tuition in  full by July 10, 2012.  The $45 annual fee (per family) will be added to your total tuition & fees account.

Click here to download a brochure with more information about the SMART Tuition Program. Please note - the file is 2.66 megabytes and may take a few moments to download, based on your internet connection speed.

If you have questions regarding the SMART Tuition program, please contact Marge Lanzola in the LCA Business Office. Enrollment Forms are included in all Registration packets, as well as brochures with more details about the program and process.