LA GATOR at St. Thomas More Catholic High School
On the 2025-26 BESE-approved nonpublic list, St. Thomas More Catholic High School is classified accredited. Approval is what makes the school eligible for LA GATOR tuition at all; the yearly sign-up in Odyssey is separate and is worth confirming with the school before you budget on it. The school's Brumfield v. Dodd approval, which any school serving state-funded students needs, is dated 1982.
The state list shows 1,063 K-12 students, which puts it at the largest approved nonpublic school in the eight parishes.
It is one of the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Lafayette, whose territory covers the eight parishes on this site except Morgan City. Diocesan parish schools usually quote a parishioner rate and a non-parishioner rate, and the difference is the first number to ask about.
Students arrive here at grade 9, so the account moves with them from another school. The nearest approved schools that end at grade 7 or 8 are Our Lady of Fatima School, St. Cecilia School, Cathedral Carmel School, Holy Family Catholic School. A protected Louisiana Scholarship Program amount ends when a student leaves the school where the voucher was used; the standard tiers apply after a transfer.
It did not appear on the 2024-25 Tuition Donation Credit list, so a family hoping to add an STO scholarship should ask whether the school takes STO students for 2026-27. The LA GATOR award itself does not depend on it.
In the federal Private School Survey for 2023-24, the school reported 1,018 students, 115 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio near 8.9 students per teacher. Listed memberships: National Catholic Educational Association. The federal and state counts were taken in different years and cover different grade ranges, so they do not match.
Adding up the funded years
From grade 9 to grade 12, a student can spend 4 school years here. At 2026-27 award levels that adds up to about $20,972 on the standard award, $30,504 at the 250%-of-poverty level, and as much as $61,012 for a student served under IDEA. The Legislature sets funding each year, so use this to plan, not as a promise.
Covering the balance
Start with the parishioner rate and what the parish asks of a family to qualify for it. Then ask for the fee schedule, whether fees are billed through Odyssey as required fees, and whether the parish or the school offers its own tuition assistance for the balance.
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What to ask the school office
- Have you registered in Odyssey for 2026-27, and how do you bill against the four quarterly deposits?
- What is the registered-parishioner rate, and what does our church parish require before we qualify for it?
- What is the full cost for my child's grade, fees included, and what would a family on $5,243 or $7,626 still owe?
- Will you take an STO scholarship for 2026-27, and do you apply it after LA GATOR?
- Do you offer dual-enrollment courses with UL Lafayette or South Louisiana Community College, and how are they billed?
Nearby private schools
| School | Type | Grades | Distance | BESE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster Christian Academy (Lafayette) | Christian | PK-12 | 1.8 mi | ✓ |
| Episcopal School of Acadiana (Lafayette lower campus) | Episcopal | PK-5 | 2.5 mi | ✓ |
| REACH Institute | Independent | PK-1 | 3.9 mi | ✓ |
| Our Lady of Fatima School | Catholic | PK-8 | 4.4 mi | ✓ |
| St. Cecilia School | Catholic | PK-8 | 4.5 mi | ✓ |
| Ascension Episcopal School | Episcopal | PK-12 | 5.3 mi | ✓ |
Straight-line distance from federal campus coordinates; road distance across the Atchafalaya basin and the bayous is longer.