Did you know that your state taxes can help provide scholarships to underserved children seeking a private Catholic education? At Catholic Education Arizona (CEA), we strive to award these scholarships to help change children’s lives. Nearly 2 million students nationwide were enrolled in Catholic schools in 2016 and CEA hopes to help even more children enroll in Catholic schools for quality educations. However, we need the financial assistance of our community in order to do this.

Scheduling Monthly Contributions

The easiest and most convenient way to contribute to Catholic Education Arizona is to set up monthly giving. Many CEA contributors choose this option because it ensures they help Catholic schools while keeping their payments budget friendly.

To take advantage of the monthly scheduled pay option, you can register online in the CEA Contributor Portal or call us and we will help you set up a schedule over the phone. First determine the amount you want to contribute each month and the day of the month that is most convenient for you. The 2021 limit for a Single filer is $1,219 and a Married filer is $2,435. You’ll also be able to choose the day of the month that’s most convenient for you to make this contribution.

Employee Payroll Deductions

Another simple and convenient way to support a school is to enroll in an Employee Payroll Deduction program. State of Arizona employers including the Diocese of Phoenix, offer this program to its employees as a way to redirect Arizona state withholding taxes that are automatically taken out of employee paychecks. Since the contribution is a redirection of withholding tax, you will not experience a reduction in your net pay. Your employer will send your tax dollars to Catholic Education Arizona for tuition scholarships rather than to the State of Arizona. You will receive a receipt at the end of the tax year to claim your tax credit on your individual tax return.

If you are a benefit eligible employee of the Diocese of Phoenix, you can enroll during the two open enrollment periods or as a life event in your BSwift Portal. Even if you did this last year, you will need to re-enroll this year to ensure that your state taxes for 2021 are directed to CEA. As contributing to CEA is a tax credit option, it is required by the state that the taxpayer elect the option to participate each year—it is not automatic.

Catholic schools boast:

  • 99% graduation rate
  • 97% matriculate to higher education or military service
  • 1000s of hours of community service annually

Catholic Education Arizona is the largest provider of scholarships to underserved families attending private schools. Last year $16.4 million in tax credit contributions was made to assist nearly half of Arizona’s Catholic school students. Since 1998, over $268 million in tuition scholarships has been raised for 138,000 student scholarships. Learn more about how CEA is Changing Lives One Scholarship at a Time at www.ceaz.org or call 602-218-6542.