Last verified: October 2026
Can the CHOOSE Act pay Catholic school tuition in Birmingham?
Yes, the $7,000 ESA pays tuition and listed fees at every school in the Diocese of Birmingham, all of which are approved participating schools. The directory lists 10 Catholic schools in Jefferson and Shelby counties.
Which is better for a Catholic school family, the ESA or an SGO?
Compare the two for each child, because a student can hold only one. SGO partners named by the diocese include AOSF at Our Lady of Sorrows and Holy Family Cristo Rey, and Renaissance Scholarships at St. Francis Xavier and John Carroll; SGO awards can reach $10,000 for families under 250% of poverty.
What about Catholic high school?
The ESA is $7,000 in high school too. John Carroll Catholic High School and Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School are the two Catholic high schools in our Jefferson County data, and both appear on the participating list.
Catholic school funding: what's included
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| Tuition and listed academic fees (ESA) | Uniforms and athletic fees |
| Textbooks including religion texts (ESA) | Capital campaign and fundraising fees |