Tuition Grant Cycle for Catholic Tuition Organization Shifts for 2026
by Catholic Tuition Organization | March 31, 2026
Tuition Grant Cycle for Catholic Tuition Organization Shifts for 2026
Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of believers in Catholic education more Than $2.7 million is available to help needy families for the 2026-27 school year.
After 20 years of partnership with the Catholic Tuition Organization (CTO), the company contracted to validate that families met state law requirements for neediness is calling it quits! CTO’s partnership with Financial Aid Independent Review, Inc. (FAIR) pre-dates the first award round back in 2006, but 2026 was the time to retire. Early in 2026, the CTO Board of Directors authorized a transition to FACTS Management Company (FACTS) of Lincoln, Nebraska.
FACTS supports over 12,000 institutions and more than 4 million students and families across all 50 states and 53 countries. FACTS currently works with 168 other Catholic dioceses (3,700+ Catholic schools).
With the change in the means testing vendor, some administrative delays ensued and required a delay in the traditional enrollment cycle. Applications administered by FACTS launch on March 31 and will close on May 5, 2026. Even with this calendar change, CTO will work to make tuition grant funding decisions prior to the end of the spring 2026 school year.
Applications are available through the CTO website or directly though the FACTS website. More complete instructions on what documents you will need handy to complete the application can be found at both locations.
Most importantly for 2026 is the news that CTO will be able to award more than $2.7 million to those who are able to demonstrate their need for assistance. These awards are possible thanks to the generosity of hundreds of donors in calendar year 2025 who made gifts because of their personal belief in Catholic education and desire to help others to afford a Catholic education for their children.
If the cost of Catholic education is a concern, we encourage interested families to reach out to their local Catholic school administrator at any of the 16 schools in the Diocese of Des Moines to discuss how affordable Catholic education has become, and learn more about how a CTO tuition grant might ease some of the uncertainty.
For more information on CTO tuition grants or donating to CTO during 2026, contact Brian Tingleff, director at 515-237-5010.