Notre Dame High School makes every effort to provide an affordable, quality, Christ-centered education to our students. Scholarships and financial aid are offered based on need and available resources. However, the majority of the School’s funding comes from tuition, fundraising activities, and fees and we cannot fulfill our mission or provide fundamental school operations unless the obligations of every student are met on a timely basis. Therefore, it is imperative that families pay all tuition, fundraising commitments and fees (collectively, “Tuition”) in a timely manner. To that end, the following is the School’s Tuition Collection Policy effective July 1, 2014.
30 Days Past Due: A “Past Due Notice” will be sent to any family with Tuition more than 30 days past due. The Past Due Notice will include a copy of the Tuition Collection Policy and provide that if all past-due Tuition is not paid in full, or a mutually acceptable agreement for the payment of all past-due Tuition reached, the steps outlined in the Policy will be strictly enforced. Recognizing that various circumstances may impact a family’s ability to pay Tuition in a timely manner, all families receiving a Past Due Notice that are not able to pay all past-due Tuition in full will be required to contact the School to discuss an agreement to make alternative arrangements for payment. For purposes of this policy, payments not paid by the due date are considered past due.
45 Days Past Due: If all past-due Tuition is not paid in full, or a mutually acceptable agreement for the payment of all past-due Tuition reached, within 45 days after the Tuition is due, the School shall withhold report cards and transcripts from the student.
60 Days Past Due: If all past-due Tuition is not paid in full, or a mutually acceptable agreement for the payment of all past-due Tuition reached, within 60 days after the Tuition is due, in addition to step 2 above, the student will not be permitted to participate in any School events or extra-curricular activities (including, but not limited to, prom, sports or academic teams, clubs, band, play, etc.). In addition, a second “Past Due Notice” will be sent to the family.
90 Days Past Due: If all past-due Tuition is not paid in full, or a mutually acceptable agreement for the payment of all past-due Tuition reached, within 90 days after the Tuition is due, in addition to steps 2 and 3 above, the student will not be permitted to register for the following or any subsequent quarter.
In addition, it is Diocesan Policy that no student shall be permitted to participate in Graduation ceremonies or receive a diploma or transcript, if any financial obligations are outstanding.
If parents find themselves in financial difficulty and are concerned that prompt payment of Tuition may be an issue, it is important to speak to the school administration in a timely manner (in advance of missing any payments), to discuss whether alternate payment arrangements might be made until the financial situation improves. Notre Dame is willing to work with families provided such matters are discussed in advance of any missed payments. Parents cannot simply assume that missed payments will be overlooked.
Lastly, the School reserves all rights to use any legal means at its disposal to reclaim past due Tuition, including the engagement of third-party collection agencies to whom financial details will be provided by the School as is permissible by law.
