Posted January 29, 2009

By Christie L. Chicoine
CS&T Staff Writer

PHILADELPHIA – Tuition at the archdiocesan secondary schools – with the exception of Bishop Shanahan High School in Downingtown, Chester County – will be $5,100 for the 2009-10 school year, archdiocesan officials recently announced.

Tuition at Bishop Shanahan high will be $5,400 next year. The additional $300 per student at Shanahan is to defray the cost of the school’s central air-conditioning, multiple gymnasiums and state-of-the-art auditorium, among other features.

The amount of the tuition increase, $240, has stayed the same for the past five years. Families with three or more children will continue to receive a discounted tuition. The Archdiocese will also continue to offer tuition assistance to families in need who apply to the tuition assistance program.

“We thank all of our families for the selfless investment they make in Catholic education, particularly during these challenging economic times,” said Richard McCarron, secretary for Catholic Education.

“We are pleased to report that last year’s graduating class, the Class of 2008, received more than $245.3 million in scholarships – a $33.2 million increase from the 2007 graduating class,” McCarron added.

“These positive results underscore the benefits of a Catholic education and demonstrate the return on investment that our families have experienced,” he said.

The Philadelphia Archdiocese has 269 parishes serving nearly 1.5 million Catholics. There are 182 parish and regional elementary schools, 20 archdiocesan high schools and five schools of special education throughout Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

For more information about archdiocesan schools, visit www.catholicschools-phl.org.

CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine may be reached at (215) 587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.