Last verified: October 2026
How does Catholic school tuition assistance work in the Diocese of Knoxville?
Catholic families in the Knoxville region apply through FACTS for help from the Knoxville Regional Catholic Schools Operating Fund (KRCSOF). At Sacred Heart Cathedral School, KRCSOF tuition counselors review the applications, interview families and recommend support to parish pastors, who make the final decision.
A superintendent's letter posted by Knoxville Catholic High School says the fund draws on parishes, parishioners and donors, the Catholic Education Trust Fund and the St. Mary's Legacy Foundation.
Do Knoxville Catholic schools expect families to apply for EFS?
Knoxville Catholic High School does: its tuition page says every student applying for tuition support should also apply for the Education Freedom Scholarship. All 6 Catholic schools in this directory are on TDOE's 2026-27 EFS list.
Applying for both keeps more of the parish fund available for the families who need it most, which is the logic behind the request.
What deadlines do Knoxville Catholic families face for 2027-28?
Knoxville Catholic High School's FACTS tuition-assistance deadline is Friday, December 11, 2026, with a $45 application fee, and incomplete files are not fully considered. Parish elementary schools post their own timing.
Catholic tuition rates also depend on a signed parish stewardship form, which Sacred Heart describes as the step that qualifies a family for the Catholic rate.
| Diocese of Knoxville Catholic Tuition Assistance is | Diocese of Knoxville Catholic Tuition Assistance is not |
|---|---|
| Need-based help routed through each school's FACTS application | Not a fixed award published in advance |
| Decided by parish pastors on counselors' advice | Not guaranteed from one year to the next |
| Paired with EFS at schools that require it | Not a substitute for an EFS application when the school asks for one |
| Tied to a parish stewardship form for the Catholic rate |