New scholarship funding is helping students attend Catholic schools across southeast Michigan, as donors, church leaders, and local educators work together to make faith-centered education more accessible.
For families across southeast Michigan, choosing a Catholic school can be about more than academics. Parents may be looking for a learning environment shaped by faith, personal responsibility, community service, and a close relationship between school and parish. But tuition costs can make that choice difficult, even for families deeply committed to Catholic education.
A new round of scholarship support is helping address that challenge. During the 2026–2027 academic year, more than $300,000 in scholarships has been awarded to students at 42 Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Detroit, according to an October 14, 2026, report from Detroit Catholic. The awards were facilitated by the Catholic Foundation of Michigan through the St. Anne Scholars Fund and other scholarship endowments.
The funding highlights how charitable giving can help families bridge the gap between the cost of Catholic schooling and what they can afford, while supporting the future of Catholic education throughout the Detroit region.
More Than $300,000 in Scholarships Reaches 42 Catholic Schools
The scholarship awards reflect a coordinated effort involving donors, the Catholic Foundation of Michigan, school leaders, and the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Rather than relying on a single school or donor, the foundation works with families and school administrators to direct financial assistance toward students who need additional help. The 2026–2027 awards include support from the St. Anne Scholars Fund, the St. Martin de Porres Scholarship Fund, and individual scholarship endowments established for particular schools or educational purposes.
The scale of the latest distribution is significant: 42 schools across the archdiocese are benefiting from the funding. That reach matters because Catholic education in southeast Michigan serves communities with different financial circumstances, parish traditions, and educational needs.
The money is not simply a general investment in school operations. These scholarship programs are designed to help individual students and families cover educational costs, making it more feasible for children to continue attending Catholic schools when tuition presents a financial obstacle.
What Is the St. Anne Scholars Fund?
The St. Anne Scholars Fund was established in 2020 under then-Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, when the COVID-19 pandemic intensified financial pressure on families already struggling to pay tuition.
The initiative brought together the archdiocese, private donors, and the Catholic Foundation of Michigan to help students remain in Catholic schools. The fund was designed for families who had explored other sources of financial assistance but still needed help to make tuition affordable.
The program is named for St. Anne, the patron saint associated with both the Archdiocese of Detroit and the city of Detroit. Its purpose extends beyond keeping enrollment numbers up: it aims to preserve access to an education grounded in Catholic faith and practice.
According to the Archdiocese of Detroit’s tuition-assistance guidance, the St. Anne Scholars Fund is open to students whose families demonstrate financial need and want to attend a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school within the archdiocese. Applications are administered through the Catholic Foundation of Michigan, with principals, pastors, and administrators involved in nominating families for the subsequent school year.
This nomination-based process helps connect the available funds with families who need additional support, while allowing school leaders to contribute their knowledge of students’ circumstances.
How Donors and School Leaders Turn Contributions Into Tuition Assistance
The scholarship effort depends on more than donations alone. The foundation reviews applications, receives recommendations from school principals, and uses input from its Grants and Impact Committee to determine how support should be allocated.
John Biskner, president and CEO of the Catholic Foundation of Michigan, explained the process in Detroit Catholic’s October 14 report. The foundation seeks applications from students needing additional support and works with school leaders and its committee to assign scholarships to families in need.
In the 2026–2027 academic year, the more than $300,000 in awards included a $50,000 contribution from Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger, according to Biskner. That contribution underscores the archdiocese’s direct involvement alongside the private donors who sustain the scholarship programs.
The foundation also helps donors create education funds connected to particular schools or causes. That model allows families, alumni, and other supporters to direct their philanthropy toward the Catholic educational communities that matter most to them.
One example highlighted in the October report involved donor Ken Hale, who established a scholarship fund in honor of his wife, Judy, to support Catholic education in Detroit, particularly high school education. His support helped provide scholarships to students at Detroit Cristo Rey High School.
These efforts illustrate how individual gifts can become practical assistance for students rather than remaining abstract expressions of support for Catholic education.
St. Anne School in Warren: A Local Example of Scholarship Impact
One of the scholarship visits took place on October 12, 2026, at St. Anne School in Warren, Michigan. Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Robert J. Fisher and John Biskner joined representatives of the Catholic Foundation of Michigan to recognize students receiving financial assistance.
St. Anne principal Annette Lauria welcomed the visitors and expressed appreciation for the foundation’s scholarship support and other grants that help the school serve its students. The visit offered a direct example of how regional fundraising and charitable giving reach individual Catholic school communities.
The occasion also highlighted the role of families who establish scholarships in memory of loved ones. Lydia Engel attended to present scholarships named for her late husband, Dr. Thom Engel, who served as St. Anne’s principal for almost 25 years.
For the Engel family, the fund was a way to honor a career devoted to Catholic education. Such memorial scholarships can preserve an educator’s legacy while providing tangible help to a new generation of students.
The connection between donor intention and student support is an important part of the foundation’s approach. Scholarships can recognize the history of a school, celebrate the service of a teacher or principal, and help families meet the cost of continued enrollment.
The St. Martin de Porres Fund Expands the Support Available
The St. Anne Scholars Fund is not the only resource supporting Catholic school families in the Detroit area.
The St. Martin de Porres Scholarship Fund was also established in 2020 to help eligible K–8 students whose families demonstrate financial need and have connections to or an interest in Latin American communities. Like the St. Anne program, it is administered through the Catholic Foundation of Michigan, with school and parish leaders involved in the nomination process.
The two funds address related but distinct needs. St. Anne provides need-based support to eligible families seeking Catholic elementary education, while St. Martin de Porres has a specific community focus.
Alongside these programs, school-specific endowments and other educational funds can help meet needs at particular institutions. This broader network allows donors to contribute to Catholic education in different ways, rather than relying on one scholarship program to serve every student.
For families, the important first step is identifying which fund or tuition-assistance program matches their circumstances. Eligibility requirements and application procedures can differ, so parents should confirm details with their school or the relevant administering organization.
How Families Can Explore Catholic School Tuition Assistance
Families considering Catholic education should begin by speaking with the school they hope their child will attend. Principals and administrators can explain available assistance, eligibility criteria, and whether a family may be considered for a scholarship nomination.
The Archdiocese of Detroit also maintains an official Tuition Assistance and Scholarships page, which outlines several programs and their application processes.
As of October 21, 2026, the archdiocese’s application window for its 2026–2027 general K–12 tuition-assistance program is closed. The archdiocese says the application window for the 2027–2028 school year is scheduled to open on December 14, 2026. The St. Anne Scholars Fund follows a separate process: applications open in the spring for principals, pastors, and administrators to nominate families for the subsequent school year. Families should verify current deadlines and requirements directly with the archdiocese or foundation.
Parents can also contact the Catholic Foundation of Michigan through its official website to learn more about its scholarship funds, educational endowments, and opportunities for donors to support students.
Planning ahead is particularly important for families who depend on financial aid to make tuition manageable. Asking questions early can help parents understand what documentation may be required and which resources could be available for the next academic year.
Why Scholarship Support Matters for Detroit’s Catholic Communities
Scholarship funding does not eliminate every financial challenge facing Catholic schools. Tuition, transportation, uniforms, supplies, and other school-related expenses can continue to place pressure on household budgets. Nor does a single round of awards guarantee that every family who needs assistance will receive it.
Nevertheless, the more than $300,000 distributed across 42 schools demonstrates how coordinated philanthropy can help preserve educational opportunities for families throughout southeast Michigan.
The impact reaches beyond the individual tuition bill. When financial support enables a child to remain in a school community, it can help preserve relationships with teachers, classmates, parish communities, and the faith formation that families value. For schools, scholarship support can help maintain access for students whose families might otherwise have to consider another option.
The model also offers a role for people who want to support Catholic education but are unsure where to begin. Contributions to established scholarship funds, gifts to school-specific endowments, and memorial scholarships can all direct resources toward students and families.
For Detroit’s Catholic communities, the challenge is to sustain this generosity year after year. The latest awards show what donors, educators, and church leaders can accomplish together. Continued support—and clear information about how families can access it—will be essential to making Catholic education a realistic choice for more children.