MACS Commitment Card
for 2024-2025 tuition vouchers
available online below

Deadine December 31, 2023

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

St. Gabriel Catholic Church families,

Thank you for being an active part of our community of faith - and for the commitment you are making to Catholic education.   Families who actively participate in our parish - fulfilling three important commitments - are eligible to receive the substantial "participating Catholic" Mecklenurg Area Catholic Schools (MACS) tuition discount (a 30%+ discount of $5,000+ per student). 


THREE COMMITMENTS OF PARTICIPATING CATHOLICS
The three commitments of a "participating Catholic" family are essential and life-giving aspects of following Jesus.  We ask all St. Gabriel parishioners to make these same commitments.  The commitments are:

1. Worshiping as a family through weekly Mass participation
2. Intentional spiritual growth through the parish
3. Giving financially and partnering in the mission and ministry of our church

THE IMPACT OF YOUR FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION

The mission and ministries of our parish are truly life-impacting - given to us by Jesus, to live and share the Good News.  Our parish is growing, and our plans and needs are exciting - following where the Holy Spirit is leading us!

Almost everything we do is funded by the offertory.  As followers of Jesus, our financial gifts are part of worship, giving back to God a portion of what he has entrusted to us - and an incredibly impactful way to participate in Jesus' mission.

The MACS tuition discount you seek is funded in part by assessments levied on parishes with MACS students. This year, St. Gabriel Church has been assessed more than $1 million (20% of our offertory) by the diocese in support of our 1,165 parish MACS students.  The assessment is approximately $1000 per student.

To the extent possible, each parish MACS family is asked to participate in the offertory in excess of the subsidy for each MACS student in the family -- being part of the life-changing mission of the Church.  

School fundraising campaigns, although worthwhile, do not support any parish activities.  Financially supporting the parish and supporting the school are separate choices.   

ANNUAL COMMITMENT CARD: APPLY FOR THE TUITION DISCOUNT

To apply for the "participating Catholic" MACS tuition discount for the upcoming school year, complete our online MACS Commitment Card (linked above) - confirming your family's active participation this past year and committing to your participation in the coming year. 

St. Gabriel Church does not use the paper "MACS TUITION VOUCHER".  Please discard it.
 

PARISH REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT: 6 MONTHS+ 

Families must be registered at St. Gabriel Church and participating actively in our parish at least 6 months before submitting a voucher request to the parish office.  If transferring from another parish, you will also need to provide a letter from your former parish identifying you as a participating member.  Send your letter to us here.
 

AFTER YOU COMPLETE THE ONLINE COMMITMENT CARD

The information on the Commitment Card is kept confidential and reviewed by a staff member and/or our pastor. More than 700 parish families are expected to apply for a tuition voucher this year.  

WE WILL ONLY CONTACT YOU if we are not able to approve your tuition voucher request. 

In late January, our parish sends a list of "participating Catholic" families approved for a tuition voucher to the MACS Office - per the MACS Office annual process and timeline for all parishes. 

St. Gabriel Church does not use the paper "MACS TUITION VOUCHER".  Please discard it.

Missed the deadline or seeking to enroll mid-year?  Commitment Cards are reviewed once a month on a rolling basis and approvals are sent to MACS by the 1st of the month, per the MACS Office timeline.  We will only contact you if we are not approving your tuition voucher request.

What do I need to do with the paper MACS Tuition Voucher form that requires the pastor's signature? Nothing. Please discard it. St. Gabriel Church does not use this form. With 700+ MACS families, our parish now uses an online MACS Commitment Card. The MACS Office is aware of this.

Do I need to complete the Commitment Card if my family is ALREADY RECEVING a tuition discount? Yes. Each year, MACS requires our parish to verify that all families (new and returning) who are seeking a tuition discount for the upcoming school year are fully participating members of the parish.

Do I need to complete the Commitment Card if my family is NEW TO MACS? Yes. MACS requires our parish to verify that all families who are seeking a tuition discount for the upcoming school year are fully participating members of the parish.

Do I need to complete the Commitment Card if my children are/will attend a MACS school OTHER THAN St. Gabriel School? Yes. MACS requires our parish to verify that all of our parish families who are seeking a tuition discount for the upcoming school year - for ANY MACS SCHOOL (e.g., St. Ann, St. Patrick, St. Matthew, Holy Trinity, Charlotte Catholic High School, etc.) -  are fully participating members of the parish.

What happens after I complete the Commitment Card?

1. The information on the Commitment Card is kept confidential and reviewed by a staff member and/or our pastor. We appreciate your patience, as more than 700 parish families are applying for a participating Catholic tuition voucher.
2. We will review Commitment Cards November - early January for the 2024-2025 school year. WE WILL ONLY CONTACT YOU if we are not approving your tuition voucher request. Approvals will be forwarded to the MACS Business Office.
3. Commitment Cards submitted after December 31 will be reviewed on a rolling basis the last week of each month.
4. For families seeking to enroll MID-YEAR, Commitment Cards are reviewed once a month on a rolling basis and approvals are sent to MACS by the 1st of the month, per the MACS Office timeline. We will only contact you if we are not approving your tuition voucher request.

What happens if my family has NOT ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED at St. Gabriel Church this year? Following MACS policy, families who are not actively participating in the parish will not be approved for the tuition discount. Our parish is happy to offer your family an opportunity to complete the Commitment Card mid-year after you have been actively participating for 6 months.

Elementary (Grades TK-5)

Participating Catholic:  $8,281
Non-Participating:  $13,335

Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Participating Catholic:  $8,281
Non-Participating:  $14,374

High School (Grades 9-12)
Participating Catholic:  $13,194
Non-Participating:  $18,881