Last verified: October 2026
What should a Memphis family ask a private school about cost?
Ask four questions before applying: Is the school on the 2026-27 EFS list and, if you are zoned to MSCS, the ESA list? What is tuition for your child's grade? Which fees sit outside tuition? And when does the school's own aid window open and close?
At St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School, for example, 2026-27 tuition is $20,500 for grades 1-6 plus a $1,200 dining fee, and FACTS aid runs November 1 to December 1, 2026 for returning families and to February 1, 2027 for new ones.
Why do Memphis schools ask about EFS, the ESA and MOST on aid forms?
A school's aid budget goes further when outside money pays the first several thousand dollars, so schools and MOST both ask whether a family has applied. MOST's 2026-27 requalification form asks about ESA and EFS status, and it requires families to apply for their school's own aid when one is offered.
Skipping a program you qualify for can cost you school aid too.
| School-Based Tuition Assistance is | School-Based Tuition Assistance is not |
|---|---|
| The school's own grants and discounts | Not standardized from one school to the next |
| Usually need-based and processed through FACTS | Not available after the school's budget is used up |
| Often coordinated with state awards and MOST |