Important Legislative/Tuition Updates – May 30, 2023

Good Afternoon Parents,

We look forward to partnering with our families to ensure you are set-up for success in preparing for the 23/24 school year.

The approval of the new Florida HB1 Legislation expanded eligibility for Step Up for Students (SUFS) scholarships – the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) and Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO) programs – to  ALL K-12 students, who are Florida residents, to gain access to a scholarship, regardless of household income.   

Now that all students are scholarship eligible, the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee will require all Catholic School families to apply for the SUFS 23/24 scholarships.  Since all students have access to a SUFS scholarship, all special pricing has been eliminated for the 23/24 school year (i.e., Sibling or Tuition Assistance Grants).  This year’s gap between SJCA tuition and Step Up awards varied from $222 to $782.  Any requests for grants or assistance may only be submitted after completing the application of the Step Up Scholarship and the State funds are awarded.  Please be patient and bear with us as we navigate the first year of this important blessing for all Florida families.  We will work with you and keep you updated with information and details as they are made available.  We are committed to our partnership with you. 

Education Market Assistant system or EMA:  This is the new system for the 23.24 scholarships.   

• • All families MUST set up an EMA Account in order to apply for their child/children’s 23/24 scholarship.   

• EMA is now open to both new and existing families to set up their EMA accounts and begin their 23/24 scholarship application process.   

• If you have not set up your EMA account and/or not started your child/children’s scholarship application process, please click here our EMA page  for SUFS resources’ assistance through your account setup and scholarship application processes.  

Important Note:   At this point, Step Up for Students has not finalized the scholarship amounts for each Florida county.  This means the scholarship fund levels stated in EMA are not correct.  Once scholarship fund levels are approved by the State of Florida, SUFS will update the scholarship fund amount(s) within your EMA account.  We will send you communication when those amounts have been released and corrected in your EMA account.  With this in mind, St John Catholic Academy will set begin to set up your 23/24 FACTS account as follows:

• K-8 Tuition – $8,022:  SJCA will apply the K-8 Tuition to your FACTS account for the 10-month 23/24 school year – August 2023 to May 2024.  Monthly payments will be set-up beginning August 2023, based on your FACTS financial plan agreement.

• SUFS Scholarship – TBD:  Once SUFS finalizes the scholarship fund level for Bay County and SJCA receives notification of your child/children’s scholarship approval, SJCA will apply the approved scholarship fund amount as a credit to your child/children’s K-8 Tuition.  The annual scholarship fund amount will be spread, as a credit, over the 10-month school year beginning August 2023. 

• K-8 Book Fee – $300:  SJCA will apply the K-8 Book Fee to your FACTS account for the 10-month 23/24 school year – August 2023 to May 2024.  Monthly payments will be set up beginning August 2023, based on your financial plan agreement.

Please email any questions to donna.couchigian@sjseagles.org.