Giving

Tuition Assistance Appeal

On average, 80 families qualify for tuition assistance at South Christian High School. It is anticipated that $400,000 will be required for the 2021-22 school year, as the need continues to increase. As a community, let’s ensure that a greater number of students are financially able to attend SCHS.

As you contemplate how you will bless SCHS students, please consider that gifts to Tuition Assistance enable some students to receive a Christ-centered education now, while gifts to the Foundation help ensure assistance in years to come.

Read how tuition assistance impacted a former SCHS parent…

Philippians 4:6 resonated in my mind often throughout my life. As an adult, the prayers and requests became more focused on my desire to be a wife and a mother. After years of praying and crying out to God, I surrendered to the fact that His plan looked different than mine. Little did I know, He still had a surprise in store for me. Shortly after turning 40 years old, I was asked to take in two children, a 2 year old and an 11 week old infant. I was not given 9 months to prepare, and I did not have a spouse to walk through this decision with me. I read through Philippians 4:6 again and without hesitation, I immediately said, “Yes!” As soon as allowed, I formally adopted the two children and my desire to be a mother was fulfilled.
I was delighted in the moments of motherhood and the two miracles that were brought into my life; but at the same time, another feeling set in. I should have learned by then to stop being anxious; however, I became overwhelmed with the financial struggles that came with being a single mother. How will I pay for daycare? How will I cover the increased cost of groceries? Will I be able to pay my mortgage? I prayed constantly for very specific needs, and God delivered every time.

When the time came for my children to start school, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to provide a Christian education for them. I had been raised in Christian schools, and I needed to know that the values taught at home and church were reinforced in their educational environment. The anxiety arose again as I began to think about the cost of Christian education. I cried and prayed many times. It was then that I discovered our home church had a very generous Christian Education assistance program based on what a family could afford. Because of this, I was able to enroll my oldest for kindergarten at a Christian school and a few years later, my second child followed.

My children continued through elementary school; but eventually, our church could not sustain the model of assistance that they had established. I was not good at asking for help, and the familiar feeling of anxiety returned. I knew that pulling my children out of the Christian school was not an option. I continued to enroll my children for the next school year, and I would spend the summers anxiously awaiting how much assistance I would get. I felt shame that I couldn’t afford to do this on my own. I had to swallow my pride over and over again contacting the church and school. When I crunched the numbers and looked at the cost of tuition and the assistance I would receive, it was not enough. Some years I didn’t know if the finances were going to work until a week before school started, but I continued to pray and have faith in God, and each year, it did.

Throughout the years of Christian education, extras were not an option for us, but we did not go without. My children were invited by friends to go to Florida for Spring Break. A family member took us to Disney World. Groceries were sometimes bought with a credit card. I refinanced my home multiple times or got a home equity loan to pay for unexpected bills. There were Christmases that I wondered how I’d be able to afford gifts for my kids. Then, I’d receive my tuition bill and see a deduction because of a donor gift, bringing tears of gratitude and joy. Accepting these things was hard for me–what could I do in return? Yet, I had to accept that these were good and generous people, and God placed it on their hearts to help.

So now, my two kids have graduated from South Christian High School. I refinanced my home one last time to consolidate my bills and pay off my mortgage by the time I retire. Christian Education was worth all of the struggles. As for the anxiety…I should have listened better to God. He was always there. Now, with a grateful heart, it is my turn to give back. To those who need assistance, there is no shame in asking for help. And, to those who are in a position to give to tuition assistance, thank you from someone who has been truly blessed by you.

~ Former SCHS Parent

For more information on donating gifts of stock, appreciated assets/real estate, charitable gift annuities, etc., contact the Development office at 616-455-3210.

 

Wish List

Over the years we have been blessed to have constituents provide funding for items on the SCHS Wish List. The items below are not part of the general budget and yet each item would positively impact faculty, students, and staff daily. Please consider a charitable contribution to purchase one of the items below:

If you are considering giving to SCHS for any of the needs listed above and have any questions, please contact our Development team at 616-455-3210 or sdobbs@schs.org. Thank you for your support!

Department	Item	Cost/Item	Total Cost
Robotics	Swerve drive modules (8)	300	$2,400
Robotics	Motors & motor controllers (12)	150	$1,800
Robotics	AndyMark intermediate drive base bundle (for 1st year robotics students)	3800	$3,800
Robotics	Drill bits (quality set) (2)	75	$150
Robotics	Rotary tool	125	$125
Robotics	Drawer slides (for storage carts) (8)	25	$200
Spanish	BreakoutEdu boxes (5)	125	$625
Spanish	Extra supplies for BreakoutEdu boxes	200	$200
Digital Photography	Nikon Coolpix B600 digital cameras & accessories (5)	400	$2,000