TL;DR: At a Diocese of Cleveland school, a voucher is only the first layer. After the Cleveland Scholarship or EdChoice come Diocesan Tuition Assistance (nearly $3 million awarded for 2025-26), school-run Angel Scholarships (nearly $8.1 million), a set of named special scholarships and, at several high schools, a school's own tax-credit fund. Most of those applications cluster between January and mid-March, so the planning for fall 2027 starts now.
What comes first when paying for a Diocese of Cleveland school?
The state voucher. Diocesan schools are chartered, so a family living inside the Cleveland Metropolitan School District uses the Cleveland Scholarship and a family anywhere else uses EdChoice or EdChoice Expansion. For 2026-27 each pays up to $6,166 for K-8 and $8,408 for high school, sent to the school for the parent to endorse.
At many parish elementaries that covers most of tuition. At the high schools it covers a smaller share, and city high school families should know one wrinkle: the Cleveland Scholarship's low-income protection applies only in K-8, so a low-income family can be billed the high school balance. Everything below is how families close that gap.
How do Diocesan Tuition Assistance and Angel Scholarships differ?
They come from different money and run on different calendars.
Diocesan Tuition Assistance (DTA) is need-based aid from the diocese for students at participating schools. The diocese tells families to get DTA instructions from their school, and reports nearly $3 million awarded for 2025-26. Its posted deadline for the last cycle was March 15.
Angel Scholarships are funded by gifts to the Angel Scholarship Fund, the Ohio tax-credit scholarship granting organization run by the Catholic Community Foundation with the diocese. Each school sets its own Angel application and deadline; for the last cycle, applications opened January 1, 2026, and the diocese reports nearly $8.1 million awarded for 2025-26. Donors can name a specific school or the area of greatest need, and they receive a dollar-for-dollar Ohio tax credit of up to $750, or $1,500 on a joint return. Gifts made by April 15 count toward the previous tax year, and in March 2026 the foundation ran an "Angel Madness" giving competition among schools.
| Source | Who decides | Last posted timing | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Scholarship or EdChoice | Ohio DEW | Window open to June 30, 2027 | Address; income for Expansion |
| Diocesan Tuition Assistance | Diocese, through the school | March 15 | Financial need |
| Angel Scholarship | Each school | Opened January 1 | School's own criteria |
| Special scholarships | Catholic Education Endowment Trust | March 15 | Varies: merit, need, family ties |
| Emergency assistance | Pastor, principal or business manager | November 1 to May 1 | Sudden hardship |
Which special scholarships can a Cleveland Catholic family apply for?
The Catholic Education Endowment Trust administers a group of named awards, all with a March 15 deadline in the last cycle. The Bishops' Scholarship for Excellence pays up to $3,500 at the high school level or $1,200 for grades 6-8 and requires an essay and a FACTS application. The Geis Scholarship pays up to $5,000 to refugee, immigrant or first-generation students at Cuyahoga County Catholic high schools and three Summit County schools. The John L. Patton Memorial Scholarship covers a year of tuition, which may be split, for a junior or senior at a diocesan high school whose parent or grandparent served in the military. Fund-A-Dream awards $2,500 to K-12 students with at least that much unmet need. Smaller awards include the Cathedral Latin Scholarship, the Martin T. Galvin Memorial Scholarship and four $500 M. Thomas Moore awards for elementary students.
There is also emergency tuition assistance, available from November 1 to May 1, for families hit by a job loss or another sudden change. Ask the pastor, principal or business manager.
Which Catholic high schools in Greater Cleveland run their own tax-credit funds?
The Ohio Attorney General's 2026 list of certified scholarship granting organizations includes funds tied to St. Ignatius (the Wildcat Ohio Tax Credit Fund), Saint Joseph Academy, Magnificat, Beaumont, Benedictine (BengalSGO), Saint Martin de Porres and the Notre Dame Schools in Chardon (LionSGO). Grandparents and parishioners who want their state credit to help a particular high school can give to these directly, and families should ask the school's tuition office how awards from its fund are granted. Our SGO page lists all 18 certified organizations with addresses in the five counties.
What DTA and Angel Scholarships are not
Neither is a state program, and neither has a fixed award. DTA depends on the funds available, the number of applicants and each family's need; Angel awards depend on what donors gave to the fund and how each school distributes it. Neither replaces the voucher; in fact, the Cleveland Scholarship request form commits parents to applying for the financial aid their school regularly offers. They also do not cover preschool through the voucher system; for three- and four-year-olds in Cuyahoga County, Universal Pre-K and the Ohio Preschool Program are the places to look.
A practical order for a fall 2027 enrollment: apply to the school in winter, file the Angel application when your school opens it, complete DTA and any special scholarship by mid-March, and have the school file the voucher once your child is accepted. A tuition counselor can line those dates up for your school during our funding check.
Frequently asked questions
What comes first when paying for a Diocese of Cleveland school?
The Cleveland Scholarship for families inside the CMSD boundary, or EdChoice for everyone else, worth up to $6,166 for K-8 and $8,408 for high school in 2026-27.
How do Diocesan Tuition Assistance and Angel Scholarships differ?
DTA is need-based diocesan aid applied for through the school with a mid-March deadline; Angel Scholarships come from tax-credit gifts to the Angel Scholarship Fund and each school runs its own application.
Which special scholarships can a Cleveland Catholic family apply for?
The Bishops' Scholarship for Excellence, the Geis Scholarship, the John L. Patton Memorial Scholarship, Fund-A-Dream and several smaller awards, all administered by the Catholic Education Endowment Trust.
Which Catholic high schools in Greater Cleveland run their own tax-credit funds?
St. Ignatius, Saint Joseph Academy, Magnificat, Beaumont, Benedictine, Saint Martin de Porres and the Notre Dame Schools in Chardon all appear on the Attorney General's 2026 certified list.
Related questions
- Diocese of Cleveland aid in detail
- Every Catholic school in the five counties
- The Catholic school funding guide
- When the state and federal tax credits apply
Sources
- Diocese of Cleveland: Diocesan Tuition Assistance and special scholarships
- Diocese of Cleveland: Friendly competition to build awareness of the Angel Scholarship Fund (Feb 26, 2026)
- Ohio Attorney General: Certified Scholarship Granting Organizations, 2026
- Ohio DEW: Cleveland Scholarship fact sheet, 2026-2027