Catholic school families hit hard by COVID-19-related job or income loss have time before the school year starts to get some extra help.

The Aim Higher Foundation, which awards need-based scholarships to families who send their children to Catholic elementary schools, has an Aug. 7 deadline for new applications or updates to families’ projected income that were made in their spring applications.

Aim Higher, a nonprofit based in St. Paul that serves the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, always gives priority in summer applications to students who would be new to a Catholic school, said Ricky Austin, the foundation’s director of programs and communications. That continues, but this year priority also is being extended to families impacted by COVID-19, he said.

“And we are awarding more money this summer compared to last year, partly because we are growing as a foundation, and partly because we want to help families most affected by the pandemic,” Austin said.

This year, grants awarded from spring and summer applications are expected to reach nearly $2 million — an estimated 55% increase over last year, he said.

The scholarships provide $1,000 toward the cost of tuition. They “follow the student,” meaning once students receive a scholarship, they will continue to do so if families apply each year and show continued financial need. Scholarships also follow students if they transfer to another Catholic school in the archdiocese.

To apply for grants for the 2020-2021 school year, families must apply online at mytads.com. TADS is a Minneapolis-based company that helps schools determine families’ eligibility for financial aid. Aim Higher and TADS offer support in Spanish, and will help families find the appropriate technology if they have no computer or internet access.

Austin recalled Archbishop Bernard Hebda saying at the foundation’s fundraising gala last fall that making Catholic schools accessible to all children is the responsibility of the entire Catholic community. “We are answering that call,” Austin said, “providing the opportunity for those with the means to give to children today the same benefits they and their children experienced in a Catholic school.”

To learn more, visit the foundation’s website, AimHigherFoundation.org, or call or email Austin at 612-819-6711 and [email protected].