Ask a Fort Worth parent what stood between their family and Catholic school a few years ago, and the answer was almost always tuition. Texas Education Freedom Accounts changed that math in 2026, and the Diocese of Fort Worth reorganized its schools office to meet the moment. Here is how the diocese's 13 Tarrant County schools, its Camino program and its Tuition Assistance Fund fit together, and what a family should do before the 2027-28 window.
Seventeen schools, thirteen in Tarrant County
The Diocese of Fort Worth covers 28 counties of North Central Texas and runs 17 Catholic schools: 14 that serve pre-K or kindergarten through grade 8, and three high schools. Thirteen of them are in Tarrant County:
- High schools: Nolan Catholic and Cassata Catholic, both in Fort Worth
- Fort Worth parish and diocesan schools: All Saints, Holy Family, St. Andrew, St. George, St. Peter the Apostle and St. Rita
- Arlington: St. Joseph and St. Maria Goretti
- Northeast Tarrant: Holy Trinity in Grapevine, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Keller and St. John the Apostle in North Richland Hills
The remaining four are in Denton, Gainesville, Muenster and Prosper, outside the area this site covers. When we checked the state's participating-school finder in October 2026, all 13 Tarrant County schools were listed. A family with a funded account can put the $10,474 award toward tuition and required fees at any of them. Our Catholic schools page shows each one with its grades and the enrollment it reported to the federal private school survey.
What Camino is
Camino is the diocese's answer to TEFA. When Bishop Michael Olson announced a leadership realignment in June 2025, he named Oscar Ortiz, then head of Nolan Catholic, as executive director of strategic outreach and education access, with Camino as his charge. Frank Perez became superintendent of Catholic schools at the same time.
North Texas Catholic described Camino in October 2025 as a step-by-step guide through the new state program, built so families wouldn't miss deadlines or get lost in paperwork. The Catholic Schools Office held a parent information session at every one of its 17 schools after classes started that August, and by early October about 1,300 families, representing more than 3,000 current and prospective students, had subscribed to Camino alerts. A volunteer task force of principals, enrollment staff, parish staff and parents was set up to help with applications. Perez's advice to parents was blunt: if you qualify under the categories, apply.
The diocese's school-choice page now carries a survey for families who plan to apply for 2027-28, and a sign-up for TEFA updates. If you're considering a diocesan school for next year, that's the first thing to do.
The Tuition Assistance Fund and school aid
The diocese hasn't dropped its own aid. Its FAQ says every one of its schools offers need-based tuition assistance, that about half of its students receive some form of scholarship, and that families apply through the individual school's website. More than half of the applicants, it says, qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
Behind that school-level aid is the Tuition Assistance Fund, which the diocese's Advancement Foundation supports. It was created in 2006 to increase financial aid for families who show need. The diocese's support page also lists a City Center School Support Fund, though it doesn't describe that fund's terms.
What the diocese hasn't published is a rule for how it weighs a TEFA award against school aid, so ask the school. Under the Comptroller's tuition guidelines, a school can consider the award when it sets need-based aid, but it has to keep applying general discounts such as parishioner and sibling rates to TEFA families.
What it means for K-8 and high school
For a parish elementary school, the award can go a long way. Tuition varies by school, so check your school's rates, but if K-8 tuition with a parishioner rate falls below $10,474, the account covers it and the remainder can pay for uniforms, books and lunch. Our what's-left examples work through a parish school and a Catholic high school side by side.
High school is different, because the award is the same in grade 12 as in kindergarten. Nolan Catholic's head of school told NBC 5 in 2025 that about 40% of Nolan students received financial aid and that the school offered up to 50% tuition assistance. Expect families at Nolan and Cassata to combine TEFA with school aid. Dual credit through Tarrant County College, which waives tuition for students at partnering schools, can also lower the cost of a college-bound senior year.
Catholic options outside the diocesan system
Two more Catholic high schools in Fort Worth were in the TEFA finder: Cristo Rey Fort Worth, which pairs classes with a corporate work-study program, and Chesterton Academy of Fort Worth, a classical Catholic high school. St. Ignatius College Prep showed up only in the federal survey when we checked. These schools set their own aid policies, apart from the diocese's fund.
Seats are the real constraint
When the voucher bill passed in 2025, Bishop Olson told NBC 5 he wouldn't be surprised if the diocese came close to capacity, and the diocese said it was preparing a phased plan for 2026-27 that included teacher recruitment and possible campus upgrades. A TEFA award pays tuition. It doesn't reserve a seat. Apply to the school when you apply to the state, especially for kindergarten, grade 6 and grade 9.
A checklist for 2027-28
- Fill out the diocese's 2027-28 interest survey and sign up for TEFA updates from its school-choice page.
- Ask your parish school for its tuition, parishioner rate and fee schedule, and which fees can be billed to the account.
- Apply for school-based aid on the school's timeline, even if you also apply for TEFA.
- If your child has an IEP, check the add-on for your district. A Fort Worth ISD student in a mainstream setting totals $16,794 at a participating school this year.
- If a sibling already has an account, apply for the others in the same cycle. Siblings go first in year two.
The Catholic Schools Office is at 800 West Loop 820 South in Fort Worth, (817) 560-3300. For a plan that puts TEFA, school aid and any other sources in one place, start with our funding check or the Catholic school tuition guide.
Sources
- Catholic Schools Camino initiative helps parents, students access Catholic education (North Texas Catholic, Oct 30, 2025)
- Diocese of Fort Worth Catholic Schools: Frequently Asked Questions
- Diocese of Fort Worth Catholic Schools: School Directory
- Diocese of Fort Worth Catholic Schools: Tuition Assistance Fund
- Bishop Olson statement to the faithful (June 12, 2025)
- Fort Worth Catholic Diocese prepares for private school voucher program (NBC 5 DFW, Apr 30, 2025)