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Frequently Asked Questions

Can't find the answer you are looking for?  Our staff members are available year-round to help!
 
Registration
  What happens once we sign up with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy?
  How long does it take to get started with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy?
  Can we sign-up in the middle of the school year?
  What methods of payment do you accept?
  When should we enroll for the next school year?
  I don’t live in your state. Will that be a problem?
  My family is not Catholic. Can we still join STAA?
  I have an APO address. What rate do I sign up?
  What would be the total cost for registration and books for an 8th grade student?
Academic Needs
  What if my student has learning disabilities?
  What if my student needs remediation?
  What if my student has advanced skills?
Advisors
  How often do we get to talk with an advisor?
  Why does it sometimes take so long to speak with an advisor April – August?
  What if I just have a quick question?
About the Books
  Can I see your books?
  Do you provide books?
  How much do the books cost?
  Where do we buy the books?
  How long does it take to get the books?
  Can we use books that are not on the recommended core curricula list?
  "My children attend a homeschool 'supplementation' program once a week, and I teach the other four days of the week. I am considering using a set curriculum next year, but before I do, I want to know if you work with students who attend 'co-op' programs and homeschool. If so, do you work around the different schedules? Can parents 'pick and choose' in which subjects to enroll their children, or is your program all-inclusive?"
Curriculum
  "Does your music program include classical pieces? "Kid's music"? Does it cover music notes and annotation?"
  "Am I encouraged by your organization to stick with one grade level per year, or can I, for example, let my 9 year old use reading material from a higher grade, and writing material from the grade below him?"
  Since I am new and very nervous about starting my kids in homeschooling, I feel I need a written lesson plan. Do you offer such a thing?
Grading Student Work
  Who does the grading?
  Do you grade the students’ work?
  What about grading student compositions?
Semester Reporting
  Do I have to submit reports to you?
  Can I buy the assessment separately?
Diplomas
  What is required for diplomas?
Accreditation & College
  Are you accredited?
  Has your lack of accreditation been a problem?
  “What should we do to prepare our children for college?”
  "Which colleges have accepted St. Thomas Aquinas Academy students?"
Miscellaneous
  Is it possible to get in touch with families enrolled in your program?
  "I know we did not return our assessments until late in the enrollment season, but is there any way to expedite the assessment evaluation process?"
Refund Policy
  What is your refund policy?
  What enrollment services will be deducted from my refund amount?
  What are "Incidentals"?
  Where can I find the "Notice of Withdrawal" form?

 

 

Registration
Q. What happens once we sign up with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy?
A. Once we receive fees and registration, we mail a welcome packet that includes a student skills assessment for each of your students. This is a set of very informal tests addressing reading, grammar, composition and math, and we advise you to take two or three days at your kitchen table at an easy pace to complete them. When we receive your completed assessments, we sketch out written remarks about each child’s academic strengths and weaknesses and basic learning style and make recommendations for starting points in subject areas. We mail our written remarks and our program packet to you which includes our recommendations for organizing your year, records and daily routines, and a simple questionnaire to you to help you start focusing in on academic goals for each child in general and the coming year in particular.  The program packet also includes our standard curriculum guides for each of your students’ grade levels. Next we work with you over the phone to personalize our program to your family, then to each of your students. We move skill levels up or down per subject, organize the whole family into the same science, history and religion cycle, combine the students into the same or compatible texts, help you find central focuses for each of the students in each of the subjects according to their academic needs and styles, make recommendations and comments on alternative choices, and the like. After the phone interview, you will be ready to order your books, using the ordering forms attached to the curriculum guides that list the easiest to use source for each book or program, its price and order code. Books take two to eight weeks to arrive, depending on the time of year and—voila!—you are ready to school, with confidence and competence (or at the least with a firm starting point, a clear set of goals and a friend to help you along the way!) Following the planning appointment you are welcome to set appointments with your advisor throughout the year, as often as once a month.  Of course, you are always welcome to call or e-mail our staff with quick questions.
 

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Registration
Q. How long does it take to get started with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy?
A. The assessment process can take as little as four weeks if the assessments are completed and returned within the week you receive them. The later in the homeschool high season (May to September), the longer it can take.  It is best to return your assessments to STAA eight to ten weeks before you want to order books.  For the most up-to-date information about planning for the current school year, visit the Current Enrollment page.
 

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Registration
Q. Can we sign-up in the middle of the school year?
A. Yes. You can join us for the last part of the year, or sign up early for the coming academic year. (Indicate which is the case on your registration form.)
 

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Registration
Q. What methods of payment do you accept?
A. We accept checks or money orders by mail  and Visa, Mastercard, or Discover through our secure payment forms. Enrollment may be paid all at once when you submit the enrollment application or you may utilize our five-month payment plan. See the Enrollment Information page for further details.
 

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Registration
Q. When should we enroll for the next school year?
A. Enrollment for the next school year opens the first week of January and closes when all available evaluation slots have been filled (details found here).  The last several school years have seen all of the evaluation slots from January through June fill by early April.  Many homeschoolers tend to fret about their upcoming school year if they are not ready to order books until late in the summer.  We encourage families to enroll and return their assessments as early in the year as possible to avoid having to wait too long for their planning materials and advisor appointment.  If you do end up having a long wait this time, look through your welcome packet for ideas about what to do for school while waiting for your materials to arrive and make a notation on your calendar to order your assessments earlier next year.   
 

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Registration
Q. I don’t live in your state. Will that be a problem?
A. We have families from most states and a number of foreign countries and have experienced no problems. Individual state laws vary, but basic expectations for academic accomplishment and even subject placement are very similar everywhere. Too, we encourage you to get in touch with your local homeschool support group and/or join Home School Legal Defense Association to become aware of the particular laws of your state.
 

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Registration
Q. My family is not Catholic. Can we still join STAA?
A. Yes, you are welcome to join our program. A number of our families are non-Catholic. We caution the non-Catholic family strongly, though, that the goal of our program is to produce beautiful Catholic character in the student. Texts and materials are chosen to accomplish that end—and do so beautifully. Also keep in mind that we cannot issue grades and credits for anti-Catholic content and non-Catholic religion units, and 30 credits of religion are required to satisfy the high school diploma requirements.
 

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Registration
Q. I have an APO address. What rate do I sign up?
A. There are no additional mailing fees for APO addresses.
 

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Registration
Q. What would be the total cost for registration and books for an 8th grade student?
A. Our annual fees for an 8th grade student are as follows: $50.00 Family Registration Fee $150.00 per Grammar School Student. Book costs usually range from $250 - $500 per student depending what the family already has and the recommendations made by your advisor. If there are budget concerns your advisor will be able to make suggestions about how to keep the book costs down. It has been our experience that math usually is the most expensive subject to put in place.

Additionally, if you elect to participate in the report process to develop report cards for your student, there is an annual fee of $35.00 for the first student and $15.00 for each additional student for that service.  The optional reporting fee is due after the planning appointment when you formally notify the Academy of the courses you want to track on the report cards.
 

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Academic Needs
Q. What if my student has learning disabilities?
A. Though we do not have specialized or professional training for working with learning disabilities, the flexibility of our program accommodates the student with disabilities very well.
 

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Academic Needs
Q. What if my student needs remediation?
A. About one third of our new students require some sort of remediation. (No student excels in every subject. We move skill levels up and down for ALL of our students.) Usually, the remedial student joining St. Thomas Aquinas Academy and staying close to the personalized plan set up by his academic advisor reaches standard skill levels within two years.  (It's one of our specialities!)
 

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Academic Needs
Q. What if my student has advanced skills?
A. Our program is very satisfying to the committed scholar or natural academic. Our assessment process helps us match them to the academic levels that fit them most naturally.
 

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Advisors
Q. How often do we get to talk with our advisor?
A. STAA staff members are available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday year-round for quick, general questions from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., California time. Your family's personal academic advisor is available for lengthy questions and curriculum planning by appointment, as often as once a month.

Advisor time is available by appointment as you need throughout the year. There are no additional charges to speak with your advisor. However, keep in mind that advisors are in high demand during the busy planning months of April through August. Please be prepared for appointments to be anywhere from one to four weeks out and plan accordingly.
 

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Advisors
Q. Why does it sometimes take so long to speak with an advisor April – August?
A. During the homeschool planning months of April – August advisors are hard at work evaluating assessments, designing curriculum guides for students, taking curriculum planning appointments, and helping member families wrap up their previous homeschool year which makes for a very full schedule!  

Advisor appointments are usually available within a few days, often even the next business day, during the regular season months of September through March.
 

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Advisors
Q. What if I just have a quick question?
A. General staff members are available weekdays for quick, general questions from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., California time. Your family's personal advisor is available for lengthier questions and curriculum planning by appointment.

Our staff members are very well-equipped to answer general questions about homeschooling, recordkeeping, book ordering, and more. If the question requires your student’s files to be pulled or your advisor’s familiarity with your family and curriculum plan our staff members will let you know. Arrangements will then be made to answer your questions as soon as possible by either having you set an appointment with your advisor or relaying your advisor’s answer to you via e-mail or phone at a later time.
 

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About the Books
Q. Can I see your books?
A. The main books for each grade level are listed on our website. Our primary catalogue providers are linked to our site. Please feel free to click through to the catalogue providers and order catalogues, or preview their comments regarding the materials on-line. Too, you might watch for a homeschool conference in your area; most of our books are mainstream homeschooling material, easily available and widely used, and are displayed at most larger homeschool conventions.
 

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About the Books
Q. Do you provide books?
A. No. We refer you to the least expensive, easiest to use providers we can find. Many of the books we recommend can be ordered through Amazon.com, Rainbow Resource, and Emmanuel Books.
 

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About the Books
Q. How much do the books cost?
A. Books can cost as little as $200 for one child and as much as the moon, depending on your family’s interests and income. We recommend a beginning budget of $300 per student for the smaller family, and less per student for the larger family. The average cost is about $350 per student.
 

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About the Books
Q. Where do we buy the books?
A. We refer you to our favorite suppliers -- selected for their prices and dependability.  In your student's curriculum guide we list the provider name, identify the cost and order numbers for the texts we recommend. Of course, families are always welcome to obtain books from any source they would like.
 

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About the Books
Q. How long does it take to get the books?
A. Once ordered, books can take two to eight weeks to arrive, depending on the time of year. Check with the provider for more details.
 

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About the Books
Q. Can we use books that are not on the recommended core curricula list?
A. Without departing wholesale from our core programming, we do negotiate a wide variety of subjects and materials with our families. Documentation and the reporting system for these courses are discussed in our program packet and during your curriculum planning appointment.
 

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About the Books
Q. "My children attend a homeschool 'supplementation' program once a week, and I teach the other four days of the week. I am considering using a set curriculum next year, but before I do, I want to know if you work with students who attend 'co-op' programs and homeschool. If so, do you work around the different schedules? Can parents 'pick and choose' in which subjects to enroll their children, or is your program all-inclusive?"
A. We work up an entire course of study for each of our students, then work with the family over the phone to personalize those recommendations for each student, substituting with materials already successfully in place, or with other materials or courses that will serve the student and the family well.

A number of our families work with co-op courses. Co-op courses can be a great enrichment to the family, to Mom and to the student. Or they can interfere with family life or a successful flow for an effective homeschool day, or take the place of more valuable courses. That is what your advisor will work through with you on the phone. Remember that our program is designed as one graceful whole, to produce well-educated young men and women of beautiful Catholic character. Some substitutions can, of course, benefit your family but many and radical changes rarely result in a cohesive educational plan, which is always in the best interest of the student.

Consider the words of St. Francis DeSales when signing up for co-ops and extra-curricular activities: "In order to acquire tranquility in action it is necessary to carefully consider what we are capable of accomplishing and never to undertake more than that. It is self-love, ever more anxious to do much rather than to do well, and this self-love that wishes to undertake everything and accomplishes nothing."
 

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Curriculum
Q. "Does your music program include classical pieces? "Kid's music"? Does it cover music notes and annotation?"
A. We study music practice and music appreciation, art practice and art appreciation each year. Families are also welcome to contract with tutors, teachers or local classes in their own communities. Our primary recommendation for music practice teaches sight reading, basic music theory and vocalization. Our music appreciation is oriented to classical music. The family is welcome to add other types of music to their curriculum.
 

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Curriculum
Q. "Am I encouraged by your organization to stick with one grade level per year, or can I, for example, let my 9 year old use reading material from a higher grade, and writing material from the grade below him?"
A. That's the nature of homeschooling, fitting the curriculum to the child rather than the other way around. EVERY child is strong in one subject, weaker in another.
 

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Curriculum
Q. Since I am new and very nervous about starting my kids in homeschooling, I feel I need a written lesson plan. Do you offer such a thing?
A. A daily lesson plan is simply your list of proposed goals for the day, week, month or year. In the homeschool, these goals should be planned in response to your child’s actual academic needs so as to avoid over-anxiousness and burn-out. Using a one-size-fits-all lesson plan can be damaging at worst, artificial at best. We issue each book in our curriculum a pace and plan of study, so you can mix and match books in your curriculum. In our curriculum guides we discuss how to use each book, so you know what you are doing and why. In our assessment process we identify specific skills to focus on for each student and note learning styles for you, so you know how to work with your student. In our program packet we recommend daily routines and schedules, including how much time to spend in each subject, so you can speed up or slow down in your texts and materials as your student needs to acquire mastery. With that kind of foundation to work from, personalized lesson plans are a snap! (Well…almost.)
 

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Grading Student Work
Q. Who does the grading?
A. Grading is controlled by the family. Most of our materials include answer keys and/or grading instructions. Additionally, our program packet outlines a variety of grading methods to motivate students to greater accuracy and accomplishment.
 

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Grading Student Work
Q. Do you grade the students’ work?
A. No. Content, work load and grading is left firmly in the hands of the parents. Grading is an art rather than a science, especially in the home school where we do not have the luxury of grading “on the curve.” Our programming gives clear instructions on how to start developing your own grading style with regard to your student’s aptitudes. We do “eyeball” quarterly work samples and standardized testing as they come in and contact the family when we see obvious difficulties, i.e. student achievement is too low to merit the grades given, Mom is too demanding, the level of mastery is set too low or too high for the student, etc. And our families are always welcome to call for feedback regarding a student’s semester reporting as they feel the need.
 

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Grading Student Work
Q. What about grading student compositions?
A. The materials we use were chosen because they clearly state the assigned objectives for writing, making the work much easier to accomplish, making the grading much easier to do. Also, many of our materials have specific evaluation methods included, and we include a number of recommendations and options for evaluating written work too. And always, your advisor is available by appointment to work through these kinds of questions.
 

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SEMESTER Reporting
Q. Do I have to submit reports to you?
A. Semester reporting is optional, required only if you want transcripts and diplomas. The reporting process is clearly and simply outlined in the program packet that accompanies the curriculum guides. It is simple to do and easily read by other learning institutions that your student may attend in the future.
 

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SEMESTER Reporting
Q. Can I buy the assessment separately?
A. The assessment is designed specifically for our program, specifically to match our students with our materials and is not available separately.
 

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Diplomas
Q. What is required for diplomas?
A. We have outlined the requirements for earning high school diplomas in detail on our "High School Diplomas" page.
 

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Accreditation & COLLEGE
Q. Are you accredited?
A. No. We issue report cards, high school credits, transcripts and diplomas as a private, religious, non-church-affiliated school registered with the State of California.
 

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Accreditation & COLLEGE
Q. Has your lack of accreditation been a problem?
A. No. Our high school graduates are on college campuses across the country (ver-r-ry successfully, we are proud to add). So far St. Thomas Aquinas Academy graduates have had no difficulty qualifying for colleges of their choice.  Keep in mind, though, that it is not unheard of that some state colleges insist homeschoolers do some additional standardized testing prior to being accepted.  We encourage you to obtain copies of the entrance requirements for homeschoolers from the colleges your student is considering as early as possible so time provisions can be made if a college insists on additional testing or paperwork. 
 

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Accreditation & COLLEGE
Q. “What should we do to prepare our children for college?”
A. Here are some pointers for the college-bound homeschooler:
  1. We strongly recommend that you contact the colleges your student is interested in attending and request a copy of their admissions policy for homeschooled students. Mailing a copy of the policy to your STAA advisor is also recommended so we may outline a course of study that will help you meet the college's academic requirements. (Of course, our standard College Preparatory and Catholic Liberal Arts Diploma programs far exceed most universities’ admissions requirements.)
     
  2. Follow the course plans laid out for you by your STAA advisor. Minimize your course substitutions as the Academy has a comprehensive College Preparatory and Catholic Liberal Arts study plan.
     
  3. College-bound students will want to focus on taking College Preparatory (CP) and Catholic Liberal Arts (LA) courses through St. Thomas Aquinas Academy.
     
  4. Take the SAT and/or ACT. Check to see which your favorite colleges prefer.
     
  5. Minimally, students will want to have completed a year of Algebra I and a year of Geometry before taking their SAT and ACT tests.
     
  6. Study Latin! Why Latin? Consider these reasons excerpted from the article by Andrew Campbell Why Study Latin and Greek which appeared in Classical Teacher, Spring 2007:
     
           "#1 Knowledge of classical languages increases English vocabulary. About half of all English vocabulary comes from Latin and another 20 percent from Greek. These words tend to be the difficult, polysyllabic ones—“SAT words.” A thorough knowledge of classical languages will increase the student’s English vocabulary tremendously.
           #2 Classical languages aid in the understanding of English grammar. Studying a highly inflected language—that is, one that marks grammatical changes with a fully developed system of case endings—gives students a better grasp of English grammar. In fact, generations of teachers have observed that Latin teaches English better than English by requiring students to accurately identify each part of speech for every word!
           #3 Latin is the key to modern languages. Knowing Latin makes it much easier to learn the grammar and vocabulary of the modern Romance languages (e.g., Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian), since they take about 80 percent of their vocabulary from Latin. Both classical tongues (Latin & Greek) greatly aid in learning other inflected languages, such as German or Russian.
           #4 Latin students perform exceptionally well on standardized tests and are sought after by competitive colleges. As a result of increased vocabulary and facility with English grammar, students of Latin consistently outperform their peers—including those who have studied modern languages—on the verbal portion of the SAT. Between 1997 and 2006, Latin students outscored the average by 157 points. Higher scores open doors to competitive colleges and scholarships.
           #5 Several careers require knowledge of classical languages. The technical vocabulary of the medical and legal professions and the hard sciences rests on the foundation of Latin and Greek. Latin is still a required subject for some higher degrees, as is Greek for many entering the ministry."

     

  7. Collect words! An avid interest in understanding the words encountered in STAA CP and LA course readings will go a long way towards improving English and reading comprehension scores. Energetically develop a scholar’s vocabulary and use the words in your daily life.
     
  8. It is important for the student to develop neat, fluid penmanship. The written aspects to tests like the CHSPE, SAT, ACT, and college entrance exams require hand-written essays – and there will be many in-class essays to write in college – so make sure the student is not held back by sloppy or slow penmanship skills.
     
  9. Focus on completing the STAA course plans for Formal Composition I, Formal Composition II, Research Papers, and Critical Reading complemented by strong grammar and punctuation labs like our Punctuation A-D and Grammar I-III courses. If your student is not ready for these courses, be sure to ask your advisor about the plan to get there.
     
  10. Consider a class or two at your local junior college starting at age 16. Classes to consider are advanced math, science labs, art, music, theater, speech and debate, or introductory computer skills.
     
  11. Develop relationships with your local priests, professors, coaches, instructors, professionals, or other individuals who interact with your student in academic, athletic, vocational, charitable, or community service activities -- and then ask them to write letters of reference about your student to submit with college applications.
     
  12. Stay on track with your quarterly reporting so your four-year transcript from St. Thomas Aquinas Academy will always be ready for sending off with college and scholarship applications.
 

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Accreditation & COLLEGE
Q.

"Which colleges have accepted St. Thomas Aquinas Academy students?"
A. Here is a part of the ever growing list of colleges that have accepted STAA students over the years:

Arizona State University
Ave Maria University
Baker College of Muskegon
Belmont Abbey College
Benedictine College
Bethany Lutheran College
Cardinal Stritch University
The Catholic University of America
Christendom College
The College of Idaho
Davenport University
Eastern Kentucky University
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Franklin Pierce University
George Mason University
Idaho State University
Kansas State University
Lewis University
Louisiana Technical University
Magdalen College
Marquette University
Missouri Southern State University
Missouri State University
Montana State University-Bozeman
Mt. Saint Mary's University
New England Institute of Technology
Northwestern Michigan College
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy
Pennsylvania State University
Providence College
Redeemer University College
Rhode Island College
San Jose State University
Seminary of Our Lady of Providence
Southwestern College
Stanford University
Tabor College
The University of Dallas
The University of Montana
The University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Wyoming
Thomas Aquinas College
U.S. Naval Academy
Univ. of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Univ. of Wisconsin - River Falls
University of California-Santa Cruz
University of Florida
University of Illinois
University of Minnesota
University of New Hampshire
University of Oklahoma
University of St. Thomas
University of West Florida
Villa Maria College
Washburn University
Wichita State University
 

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Miscellaneous
Q. Is it possible to get in touch with families enrolled in your program?
A. We jealously protect our families’ time and privacy. Instead, we invite you to call and speak to one of our advisors about your questions and concerns regarding our program and its suitability for your family. On our website we have comments from member families posted.  We do have a discussion forum available for member families to discuss and contact each other.
 

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Miscellaneous
Q. "I know we did not return our assessments until late in the enrollment season, but is there any way to expedite the assessment evaluation process?"
A. Here is a section from our welcome packet about expedited services that may be utilized by families who are in a hurry to receive their assessment evaluations or to schedule planning appointments outside of our normal office hours:

EXPEDITED PAPERWORK & APPOINTMENTS
St. Thomas Aquinas Academy staff members work from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (PST) weekdays, excluding holidays, holy days, and First Fridays. All appointments and paperwork are handled on a first received/requested/scheduled, first handled basis during those office hours. If you have need of expedited services please call or email to make arrangements for expedited handling of your paperwork or appointment.

Expedited Evaluation
Assessment evaluations and development of student educational plans are done on a first received, first evaluated basis. When we receive your student’s completed assessment we log it into your advisor’s “To Evaluate” queue and confirm the date we estimate your evaluation and curriculum guide will be mailed to you. The evaluations and educational plans are completed by a person and not a computer spitting out non-personalized, school-in-a-box plans. The completion of this planning paperwork depends on the availability of a real-life, flesh-and-blood homeschool advisor. That means that the Academy accepts the returned assessments from only forty families every month (“returned assessments” refers to the STAA basic skills assessments that have been completed in entirety by the student and received by the Academy by mail, web upload, or fax). Once those forty slots are filled up, the returned assessments from any additional families are placed in the next available “To Evaluate” slots which may be the next month or, during the busy spring/summer planning months, even two months out (visit the following web page for the most up-to-date information about our “To Evaluate” slots: http://www.staacademy.com/enrollnow.htm).

If you are interested in expediting the completion of your planning paperwork—1) the assessment evaluation and 2) the personalized curriculum guide—you may call or email to request “Expedited Evaluation.” Your advisor will be notified of your request for Expedited Evaluation and, if the request can be accommodated, our staff will confirm the availability with you, send you billing to cover the cost of the advisor’s overtime work, and await your approval before proceeding.

The rate for Expedited Evaluation is $65.00 per student or $225.00 for a family of five or more students.

This service cannot be requested prior to the Academy receiving your completed assessments by mail, legible fax, or legible web upload. No exceptions.

We will give you a guaranteed completion date and promise to mail paper copy of the assessment evaluation and curriculum guide by midnight (Pacific Time) on the guaranteed completion date or your Expedited Evaluation fees will be refunded in full (usually the dates are no more than seven days in the future). Our guarantee and promise covers only the completion of paperwork and delivering it to a USPS mail box; we cannot make any assurances as to how fast USPS will deliver the packet.

Expedited Evaluation fees are not refundable unless we fail to mail your paperwork by the guaranteed completion date.

Expedited Evaluations are only available to families that have paid their contracted enrollment fees in full. Your Enrollment Payment Plan must have a zero balance due in order for your family to be eligible for Expedited Services.

Atypical Appointments

Curriculum planning and academic advising is available by appointment only. Advisors take appointments between 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM (Pacific Time) weekdays, excluding holidays, holy days, and First Fridays. Appointments are available on a first requested, first scheduled basis. Availability ranges throughout the school year from available the next day to a wait as long as four weeks, please plan accordingly. If you have need of an appointment outside of the standard appointment hours or have a matter to discuss on an expedited basis you may call or email to arrange an “Atypical” appointment that is sooner, scheduled early in the morning (before 9:30 AM PST), later in the evening (after 4:30 PM), or on a Saturday, holiday, staff development day, holy day, or First Friday. Your advisor will be notified of your request for a Atypical appointment and, if the request can be accommodated, our staff will confirm the availability with you and send you billing to cover the cost of the advisor’s overtime work.

The Atypical Course of Study Planning Appointment is a ninety minute appointment in which your advisor will discuss the assessment evaluation, curriculum guide, and planning for next year. You must have received your assessment evaluation and curriculum guide prior to scheduling an Atypical  Course of Study Planning Appointment.

The rate for these appointments is $90.00 for up to 90 minutes.

There are no refunds for unused time.

Any time over 90 minutes will be billed at a rate of $1.50 per minute.

The appointment must be paid for in advance

There are no refunds for “No Show” appointments so if you need to reschedule your appointment, be sure to notify the Academy at least 24 hour prior to your scheduled appointment.

If you do miss the Atypical Appointment, be prepared to provide documentation about the emergency that caused you to miss the appointment in order to be eligible to reschedule.
 

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Refund Policy
Q. What is your refund policy?
A. If your homeschooling situation changes and you find it necessary to cancel your enrollment please return a Notice of Withdrawal form to the Academy by mail.  A refund of fees is available for up to ninety days after your enrollment acceptance date (which is printed in your welcome/assessment packet), excluding the non-refundable registration fee portion of each student's fees ($35.00 per student) and the cost of all services utilized prior to the date of withdrawal (services such as assessment correction, assessment evaluation, development of personalized curriculum guides, planning appointments, and support appointments).
 

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Refund Policy
Q. What enrollment services will be deducted from my refund amount?
A. Below is a description and the costs of the standard enrollment services.  The amount of any services used by your family from the date of your application acceptance until the Academy receives your Notice of Withdrawal will be deducted from your refund.

Registration Fee ($35.00 PER STUDENT): Establishment of school records for the school year, printing and mailing of the Welcome/Assessment Packet. This is a non-refundable fee.

Assessment Correction ($15.00 PER P1/K STUDENT; $20.00 PER STUDENT GRADES 1-12): General staff time to correct and prepare the assessment and the student’s records for evaluation by the family’s curriculum planning advisor.

Advisor Evaluation of Assessment ($30.00 PER P1/K STUDENT; $50.00 PER STUDENT GRADES 1-12): Advisor time to review the student’s assessment and write an evaluation of basic skills and academic strengths and weaknesses.

Development of Personalized Educational Plan and Curriculum Guide ($20.00 PER P1/K STUDENT; $45.00 PER STUDENT GRADES 1-8; $55.00 PER STUDENT GRADES 9-12): Advisor time to design a personalized plan of study based on the student’s and family’s needs. Personalized curriculum guide with advisor comments for each student, book ordering information, STAA course notes, STAA pacing advice, and any needed STAA weekly lesson plans printed and emailed to you.

Course of Study Planning Appointment ($90.00 PER APPOINTMENT): Course of Planning Appointment with your advisor to discuss the assessment results and educational plan for the school year that pertains to your students. Families with 1-3 enrolled students are eligible for one 90-minute appointment. Families with 4-6 enrolled students are eligible for two 90-minute appointments. Families with seven or more enrolled students have the option of scheduling a third 90-minute appointment if needed.

Active Enrollment for Students in Grades K-8 ($12.50 PER STUDENT, PER MONTH): Active enrollment from Application Acceptance Date until July 1st. Maintains eligibility for general staff phone, email, and Member Support Site support throughout the school year, and the option of scheduling Advisor Support Appointments as often as every 30 days after the Course of Study Planning Appointment (See the STAA Handbook for more details).

Report Card/Transcript Option ($35.00 PER STUDENT): If you decide that you would prefer not to quarterly report this year you are eligible for a refund of the Report Card Fee paid if you a) contact the Academy prior to the last weekday of September or 30 days after your Course of Study Planning Appointment (whichever comes later) and b) have not yet utilized any portion of the reporting service for any of your children (registrar appointments, course registration, or semester reporting submissions). The student will receive one printed confirmation of courses eligible to appear on STAA report cards, one set of personalized reporting forms by mail and email, and up to four official report cards by mail. A high school student will also be enrolled in the Academy’s diploma program, receive information on each report card about credits earned and credits needed, will receive a printed copy of his/her official transcript at the end of each semester (official transcripts can be forwarded to colleges for $3.50 per address), and, when eligible, an official St. Thomas Aquinas Academy high school diploma. Please be aware that there are due dates for the Course Registration form and semester reporting packets to assure completion before the enrollment expiration date of July 1st. Late fees may apply as incidentals. See the STAA Handbook for details.

Web Enrollment Fees (DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE STANDARD ENROLLMENT AND ONLINE ENROLLMENT RATE ≈ 5%): Because of the administrative and security costs associated with online enrollment, the web enrollment costs are not refundable after submitting the online application.

 
 

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Refund Policy
Q. What are "Incidentals"?
A. Incidentals are costs incurred by the Academy on behalf of your family that are outside of the normal enrollment services. More details about incidentals can be found in the STAA Handbook but the most common incidentals are: upgrading the speed of mailing, the handling fee for enrolling over the internet, international mailing fees, Expedited/Saturday Services, preparation of special paperwork or letters for outside entities, transferring high school credits from other institutions, late payment charges, bounced check charges, “no show” fee for rescheduling a missed advisor appointment, completing paperwork outside of the active enrollment period, printing faxed or emailed documents, replacement of paperwork, obtaining copies of paperwork from your child’s file, sending official transcripts to colleges of your choice, and the like.
 

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Refund Policy
Q. Where can I find the "Notice of Withdrawal" form?
A. The Notice of Withdrawal can be found in your welcome/assessment packet or viewed and printed from your computer by following this link.  Be sure to include the address of your students' new school so their school records can be forwarded.
 

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St. Thomas Aquinas Academy    |    Established in 1995    |    Deborah L. Yonan, Director