• Why do we care about your child's future?
• Why should you pay your money to send your child to one of our schools? 
• How does Big Shoulders help?
• Where can I find a Big Shoulders Fund school?
  

Why do we care about your child's future?
The mission of the Big Shoulders Fund is to provide the support needed so that the Catholic schools in the neediest areas of inner-city Chicago are able to provide the excellent and affordable education that have benefited the community for over one-hundred years.

More immediately, our mission is to help your child be able to attend the best elementary or high school they can one of the many great Catholic schools in virtually every Chicago neighborhood.

Serving both Catholics and non-Catholics, Big Shoulders Fund-supported schools are seen as anchors in their communities and in the lives of the families they serve. It is our hope to provide the inner-city Catholic schools with the resources to prepare Chicago's young people for a productive future. The Big Shoulders Fund seeks to offer inner-city children and their parents the choice of a faith-based, value-centered education.

Why should you pay your money to send your child to one of our schools?
Ultimately the answer comes down to trust.  Generations of families of all races, economic classes and many faiths have entrusted their children's education to Chicago's many wonderful Catholic schools.

Why have these families trusted the Catholic schools, and why should you?

• Safety and family orientation: our schools provide a safe, family-oriented school for your child to succeed in school and in life.

• Extended hours: our schools protect and nurture your child while you work, with many providing extended care hours often ranging from 6:15 am until 6:00 pm and during the summer months.

• Academic success: our schools succeed in helping students achieve their maximum academic potential, often helping students achieve significantly more than they or their parents ever expected.

• High school and college preparation:  help graduates select and get accepted to the selective high school and colleges that fit their needs and goals, and that will enable them to be successful at the next level of their academic or professional career.

• Faith and character:“ our schools integrate academics and faith-based values to help children grow into productive and respected adults; our students come from a variety of faith traditions and our students have a longstanding track record of respecting each student's faith.

• Affordable: we work with our schools and the Archdiocese of Chicago to make it affordable for you to give your child the better education they need and deserve.

For many years, parents have placed their trust in our schools to make the investment in Catholic education pay off for their children in mind, body and spirit.  Join our community; trust us to serve your child.

We invite you to come and visit any of the schools we support and to see for yourself the love and culture of success that our students and their families experience every day.  Come and envision your child(ren) in our schools, and see how they can be more successful in school and in becoming successful young adults.  We know that we can serve your child(ren), because we’ve had so much success over many years in helping students of varied backgrounds, abilities and needs.

Please trust us to educate your child(ren) in one of our schools.  We'll work with you to make the investment affordable, and we know that this investment will pay off.
 

How does Big Shoulders help?
The Big Shoulders Fund invests in your child's education in several ways:

• Scholarships and tuition assistance for individual students, some of which follow the children through elementary school and into high school;

• Professional development grants to enable teachers to enhance academic programs;

• Investments in technology, academic programs, etc. through the Patrons Program; {link}

• Capital grants to provide safe, clean and up-to-date school buildings; and

• Operating support that enables schools to keep tuition at levels that are affordable for hard-working families.

Please note that families interested in scholarship support need to contact the principal of the Catholic elementary school or the financial aid office of the Catholic high school where their child/children are enrolled.  Big Shoulders works directly with schools for applications and awards.
 

Where can I find a Big Shoulders Fund school?
If you are interested in sending your child to a Catholic school, Big Shoulders Fund provides financial aid through scholarship support.  The Big Shoulders Fund assists 76 elementary schools and 17 high schools across the city of Chicago.  In order to find qualifying schools in your area please visit www.chicagocatholicschools.org.
 

A note about scholarships
The Big Shoulders Fund offers over 30 different types of scholarships for both Catholic elementary and high schools in the inner-city of Chicago.  These scholarships vary in duration and amount awarded depending on the type of scholarship.  Your local Big Shoulders Fund principal has details on all Big Shoulders Fund scholarships.  The Big Shoulders Fund works directly with school personnel and will not accept applications from parents/guardians.  Please understand that submitting an application through the school does not guarantee that the scholarship will be awarded.  Typically, requests exceed the resources available but all applications are given consideration. Please contact your Big Shoulders Fund school principal to discuss your eligibility and the application process.

It should be noted that scholarships by their definition require that a student work to the best of their potential as determined by the school.  These scholarships, not to be confused with tuition assistance which Big Shoulders does not provide, also have a family service component to the local school community.  Families must agree to share their financial data and student test data with the Big Shoulders Fund.