Monique H.
Chicago
We heard about the Tax Credit Scholarship Program when my youngest daughter was at St. Sabina. She is the only one of my kids who attended Catholic school, and she received a scholarship for eighth grade the first year we applied. My husband has been out of work due to an illness, and I took a year off from my job as a nurse assistant to take care of him during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Receiving the scholarship that first year was a real blessing and took such a financial burden off our shoulders. De La Salle Institute was my daughter’s dream choice for high school. She was not accepted her freshman year, but that didn’t deter her. She worked hard during her first year of high school to make the honor roll. Then, halfway through her sophomore year, she got into De La Salle, despite already accepting a tax credit scholarship at another school. I knew the scholarship would not transfer to De La Salle, but she really wanted to go, so we had to make it work. We really budgeted and half of my savings were used to pay for those few months of school, but it was worth it.
De La Salle has a lot of great programs and extracurricular activities for students. My daughter is especially passionate about volunteer work, like making meals for the poor and working with After School Matters. All four of my kids are very different and attended different types of schools. I wanted them all to experience something completely unique. I just really wanted my daughter to be happy at a school, and she is. She’s loving it. At De Salle, the teachers talk to her like they’ve known her for a long time. It’s a family for her. I really appreciate that.
I am so grateful that my daughter has already received a scholarship to attend De La Salle next year for her junior year. I wasn’t sure how I would have paid for it without the scholarship. I told her we should keep in mind the scholarship is not guaranteed, and she’ll have to cut back on some of her activities if we have to pay tuition. When we got the news she received a scholarship, I was just so overwhelmed. I wish more people knew about these programs that can help people go to the school of their choice. I tell my friends and family this program is just amazing.