Scholarship Giving
Hopes Fulfilled. Lives Changed.
The Advantage: Carmel campaign to expand and refine all aspects of Carmel Catholic High School has taken root. Robust investment in places, people, and programs has bolstered interest in Carmel among families. Our next step is to ensure prospective Corsairs make their way to Carmel, even if the tuition costs present challenges for them.
Students needing tuition assistance come from all parts of the three-county area attending Carmel Catholic High School. As the primary Catholic high school in Lake County, Carmel has a responsibility to provide an unrivaled education to as many students as possible, regardless of a family’s financial standing.
Each year Carmel receives an increasing number of financial aid applications. Despite more than 25% of Carmel Catholic’s students annually receiving need-based financial aid, the unmet need continues to grow. Too many students decide against Carmel due to financial reasons. We must remain competitive and diverse, and expand our capacity to welcome students whose families would otherwise be unable to afford a Carmel education.
Ways to Give to a Scholarship Fund
2050 Scholarship Program
The 2050 Scholarship Program aims to break the cycle of poverty through education. The program is designed to assist and support students who are first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented. Students admitted into the 2050 Scholarship Program will receive financial, academic, and social support to help them grow and flourish while at Carmel Catholic and beyond. The purpose of the “2050” name is that the first graduates of the program, who will have graduated from a university, will give back and support other 2050 Program students starting in the year 2050.
Corsairs for Corsairs Fund
The Corsairs for Corsairs Fund, established in 2020 as our direct response to the pandemic-related economic downturn, has provided scholarship funding to new and current families as part of our mission to make a Carmel education accessible to all students.
Thanks to the generosity of many, the Corsairs for Corsairs Fund has helped so many families, including frontline workers, single-parents, those who have been furloughed and unemployed, and many others who have found hope, and a home, here at Carmel.
While we could not be more appreciative for the financial contributions that have helped so many families, we know that many other deserving students—some with the desire to begin their Carmel journey, and others seeking to continue—will require support in the months ahead.
For this reason, we have decided to extend the Corsairs for Corsairs Fund beyond the current pandemic window. We pledge that every dollar raised will continue to aid a family needing immediate financial assistance to make a Carmel education a reality for their child. No effort is more pressing than working to ensure the financial security of our families that are struggling to make ends meet. Let's come together as Corsairs for Corsairs.
Endowed Scholars Program
Generous benefactors have the opportunity to provide a life-long, everlasting gift to Carmel Catholic students by
establishing an endowed scholarship or contributing to an already existing one. Often named in memory of loved ones, these scholarships provide financial assistance to students seeking a Carmel Catholic education. When the principal balance of the endowed scholarship reaches $25,000, the interest earned is provided to students in the form of a scholarship award.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Scholarship Program
This scholarship program is designed to allow a family, regardless of financial means, an opportunity to attend Carmel Catholic. Alumni, parents and friends of Carmel Catholic who contribute to the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Scholarship Program will make a positive and significant impact on current and future Carmel Catholic students’ lives.
Tax Credit Scholarship Program
The Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship Program allows individuals (and corporations) to use their tax money to support Carmel Catholic families who fall below the federal poverty level. More than 10% of Carmel students will qualify for these funds. By supporting this program, benefactors will receive a 75 percent credit on their Illinois state taxes.
Individual donors give to a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) that distributes scholarships to qualifying students. Donors may direct their gift to a specific institution in Illinois, such as Carmel Catholic High School.
Corsair families whose household income is below 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($73,800 for a family of four) are eligible to receive a scholarship. Priority is given to those whose household income falls below 185 percent of the poverty level ($45,510 for a family of four).