How to Apply

We hope your online experience visiting our site provides you with a good overview of our school and our mission. Although not required, we also hope that you will be able to visit us in person to experience Saint Joseph Grade School’s community and mission in action. We also invite you to complete our Admissions Inquiry Form so that we might share additional information with you about SJGS!

If you have not done so already, we invite you to complete our Admissions Inquiry Form.

Priority Application Deadlines

• Kindergarten Early Application (see details below) – December 8, 2023
• Grades K-8 Application – February 5, 2024 (decision notifications by March 4)

After these deadlines, applications will continue to be accepted and admissions decisions will be made on a rolling basis. Waiting lists will be created for any classes that are full. Families must complete the online application and submit the application fee in order to be considered for acceptance.

Acceptance Policies

SJGS follows state law in enrollment of kindergarten students. In order to enroll in kindergarten, a child must be at least five years of age on August 1 of the year the child will be attending. Please note: kindergarten acceptances are made contingent on results of kindergarten-readiness screenings. All other grade level placements are contingent on being in good standing at the student’s current school, as well as on the results of a grade-level student assessment.

View more SJGS Admissions Policies.

Kindergarten Early Application

Those families that qualify for and participate in Kindergarten Early Application will receive advance notice of admissions decisions (please note that some placement decisions may be deferred to the general application period). Kindergarten Early Application is available to:

• Current K-8 school families.
• Registered and active Saint Joseph Church parishioners as of September 1 of the application year.

In addition to completing the Online Application, families applying to grades K-8 are required to submit a non-refundable application deposit of $100 per student at the time of application. Submit the deposit online in our secure Deposit Payment Portal, or by cash/check to Saint Joseph Grade School and submit to the school office (216 N. Hill St., South Bend, IN 46617) at the time application is made.

Kindergarten acceptances are made contingent on results of Kindergarten-readiness screenings, which are administered to children in February (see Admissions Timeline).

All other grade level acceptances are contingent on being in good standing at the student’s current school, as well as on the results of a grade-level student assessment administered after acceptance.

Student assessments are administered to comply with the policies of the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Should SJGS determine that there are any exceptional needs of a child that cannot be reasonably accommodated by the school, a recommendation may be made to enroll the child in another school system which is equipped to accommodate the special needs of exceptional children. Additional admissions policies are available in our school handbook.

Families that have been accepted to SJGS (K-8) that wish to apply for financial aid should complete an application at: online.factsmgt.com/aid. This application will give consideration for financial assistance from our tuition assistance fund, our Indiana Tax Credit Scholarship (SGO) fund, and the diocesan Large Family Fund. Applications are due by the end of April, so that we may make award decisions in May.

Indiana School Choice has expanded! Many families now qualify to receive private school tuition benefits. Please see more information about these School Choice (voucher) scholarships at: www.doe.in.gov/choice. Families that have been accepted to SJGS (K-8) that expect to qualify for vouchers should contact Mrs. Pat Stockrahm at pstockrahm@stjoeparish.com or 574-234-3134, ext. 119, to complete an application.

In May, accepted families of K-8 students are required to setup an account with FACTS, the school’s online billing system for tuition, fees, and incidental charges (e.g. extracurriculars). A wide range of payment plans are available through FACTS for paying tuition.