Financial Aid
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School offers a variety of financial aid opportunities to our students. Please refer to the options below for the various offers and requirements. For a printable guide to Financial Aid, click here. (Print double-sided.)
There are seven available opportunities to apply for and receive financial aid:
To apply for a BMCHS managed scholarship, complete the BMCHS Scholarship Application and include the name of the scholarship(s) for which you would like to be considered from the list below. Before listing the scholarships for which you would like to be considered, please click on each scholarship to make sure you meet the eligibility requirements listed. BMCHS Scholarship Applications are accepted December 15 through April 15 for the following school year.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School manages the following internal and privately funded scholarships. These include the Test Topper Scholarship, the Hurricane Scholarship, the Alessandra Augello Memorial Endowed Scholarship, the John M. Parcelewicz Memorial Scholarship, and the St. Vincent de Paul Memorial Scholarship. Information on these scholarships can be found by clicking the links below.
If you have questions or require additional information, please contact scholarships@bmchs.com.
Test Topper Scholarship
One incoming Freshman student with the highest overall test score on the High School Placement Test is awarded this scholarship opportunity for $2,000 toward each year’s tuition at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School. Student must maintain a 3.5 GPA, and remain in good disciplinary standing throughout all four years at Bishop. To be eligible, applicants for the Test Topper Scholarship MUST take the High School Placement Test (HSPT) at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, on the FIRST DATE the TEST is OFFERED in November of each year. In the event of a tie, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School will use the applicants’ final Middle School GPA to determine the recipient.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet the following criteria to apply for the Test Topper Scholarship.
- Applicant must have submitted a Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Admissions Application.
- Applicant must take the High School Placement Test at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School on the first date it is offered in November of each year.
Application Requirements
Note: The BMCHS Scholarship Application does not need to be submitted to be considered for the Test Topper Scholarship. All applicants meeting the above Eligibility Requirements will automatically be considered.
Once completed, submit all required documents to scholarships@bmchs.com. DO NOT submit incomplete packets.
The FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment opens in November, for the following school year. The Assessment and ALL supporting documents must be uploaded to FACTS no later than April 15, to be included in the initial consideration. An assessment is considered complete when FACTS Grant and Aid has received the application and all supporting documentation required for evaluation.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School will only consider applications for the above listed scholarships if the BMCHS Scholarship Application, the FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment, and all required documents have been fully completed and submitted by April 15. Late submissions cannot be accepted.
The BMCHS Catholic Credit is available to each BMCHS student whose family is a registered, active, and practicing parish member at a Catholic church within the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The BMCHS Catholic Credit is $650 per student. The document listed in the Application Requirements must be received no later than the first day of school, which for the 2025-2026 school year is August 11, 2025.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet the following criteria to receive the BMCHS Catholic Credit.
- Applicant must be enrolled at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School for the upcoming school year.
- Applicant and family must be a registered, active, and practicing parish member at a Catholic church within the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
Application Requirements
Applicants must complete the following document and submit it to the Scholarships Department.
- Complete the Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Parish Verification Form.
The Catholic School Tuition Aid Grant (CSTAG) award is the only grant given by the Diocese to aid families with school tuition costs. CSTAG is available to all Catholic students K-12 who are registered at or have submitted an enrollment application to an (inter)parish or diocesan Catholic elementary or high school in the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Families must have FACTS Calculated Need to be eligible for tuition assistance. There is a small application fee for the Assessment.
Parents are required to fill out a FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment for each new school year. The FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment opens in November, for the following school year. ALL documents must be uploaded to FACTS no later than April 30, to be included in the initial consideration. An application is considered complete when FACTS Grant and Aid has received the application, and all supporting documentation required for evaluation. Applicants who do not meet the deadline of April 15, will be put on a waitlist. Should any funds remain or become available after the first round of decisions are made, those applicants will be notified.
The final date to submit a FACTS Grant and Aid application and documentation is April 30.
In 2023, House Bill (HB) 1 was signed into law which eliminated the income restrictions on the FES-EO and FTC Scholarships, thus making all children of Florida residents who are eligible to attend public school in grades K-12 eligible for a scholarship.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School accepts the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO), the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA), and the Florida Tax Scholarship (FTC).
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO) and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC)
K-12 students regardless of household income, who are residents of Florida and eligible to enroll in a K-12 public school, can receive a scholarship worth an average of $7,400 to attend a private school that best meets their academic needs. These scholarships provide financial assistance for private school tuition. The scholarship award is based on where the student lives and their grade level.
The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA)
Students from age 3 through grade 12 or age 22, whichever comes first, who have a specific diagnosis are eligible to receive this scholarship. The amount of the scholarship varies according to grade, county of residence, and diagnosis. For information on the specific diagnoses click here.
You can find more information on each of these scholarships at the Florida Department of Education website. For the Family Empowerment Scholarships click here. For the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship click here.
If you are interested in applying for any of these scholarships, you will need to contact one of the two Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFO) that administer these programs:
Step Up For Students
P.O. Box 54367, Jacksonville, FL 32245-4367
877-735-7837
info@stepupforstudents.org
https://www.stepupforstudents.org
A.A.A. Scholarship Foundation – FL, LLC
Phone/Fax: 888-707-2465
info@aaascholarships.org
https://www.aaascholarships.org
In 1998, the Mary C. Forbes Foundation was established. Through this foundation, thousands of children have been assisted in attending our Catholic Schools in the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The Mary C. Forbes Foundation is an independent, private organization established to provide financial assistance, based on need or hardship, to Catholic students currently enrolled in Catholic schools within the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The application for the Mary C. Forbes Foundation Scholarship can be found online at Mary C. Forbes Foundation. Parents may fill out and submit the application online. The deadline to apply for the following school year is April 30. Additional information and the application can be found on the Mary C. Forbes Foundation website.
We encourage families to seek other sources of financial aid. Potential sources of assistance for our students may be found through the generosity of area parishes, Knights of Columbus councils, and St. Vincent De Paul Societies. Please contact these organizations directly for further information.
