TL;DR: Three Diocese of Venice schools serve Lee County directly: St. Francis Xavier and Bishop Verot in Fort Myers and St. Andrew in Cape Coral. All three take the state scholarship and FES-UA. At Bishop Verot, school aid comes after the Step Up award, runs through a FACTS application due in mid-March, and practicing Catholic families with need can add a $1,000 Catholic Allowance.
Which Catholic schools serve Fort Myers and Cape Coral?
The Diocese of Venice's school finder lists three schools in Lee County: St. Francis Xavier Catholic School near downtown Fort Myers, St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral, and Bishop Verot Catholic High School on the south side of Fort Myers. Together they reported 2,091 students in their latest state surveys. The Lee directory also includes a fourth Catholic-affiliated school in North Fort Myers that does not appear on the diocesan list and is not flagged for the scholarship.
| School (state register) | City | Grades | Reported enrollment | FTC/FES-EO | FES-UA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Verot Catholic High School | Fort Myers | 9-12 | 859 | Yes | Yes |
| St. Andrew Catholic School | Cape Coral | PK-8 | 618 | Yes | Yes |
| Saint Francis Xavier | Fort Myers | PK-8 | 614 | Yes | Yes |
| Sacred Heart of Jesus Private School | North Fort Myers | 1-12 | 44 | No | No |
The Diocese of Venice itself is large: it was created in 1984 and covers ten counties from Manatee down to Collier, with sixteen schools on its finder. For a Lee family, though, the choice is mostly among the three in the table. Every listing is on our Catholic and faith schools page.
How does the state scholarship work at a Lee Catholic school?
It goes first, and it's the same amount as anywhere else in the county: $8,779 for K-3, $8,193 for 4-8 and $8,001 for high school in 2026-27. The school receives it quarterly through EMA after the parent approves each enrollment. Because all three diocesan schools also carry the FES-UA flag, a child with a qualifying diagnosis can bring a Unique Abilities account instead, starting at $10,567 in Lee.
Bishop Verot's own guidance makes the order explicit: families give the finance office their Step Up acceptance letter before the school evaluates them for assistance. In other words, the school aid is sized to the gap that remains after the state pays.
A family can route the same award through AAA Scholarship Foundation instead of Step Up; the county amount doesn't change. What a family can't do is hold awards from both organizations at once, a point Bishop Verot's finance page repeats. If you're unsure which one your school prefers, ask before you apply rather than after.
What does Bishop Verot offer beyond the scholarship?
Need-based help only. The school has no athletic or extracurricular scholarships. For 2026-27 it worked like this:
- Families applied through FACTS Grant & Aid, which assesses need; the school, not FACTS, makes the awards. The deadline was March 15, 2026.
- Assistance was open only to students who had completed enrollment, and awards were typically announced before Easter break.
- A $1,000 Catholic Allowance was available to practicing Catholic families with genuine need, with the parish enrollment form due May 4, 2026.
- Transfer students entering grades 10 and 11 were generally not eligible for assistance without unique circumstances.
Those are last cycle's dates; expect the 2027-28 versions in the same months and confirm them on the school's site.
Catholic Allowance vs. need-based aid: what's the difference?
The allowance is a fixed discount; need-based aid is a judgment about your finances. Bishop Verot describes the Catholic Allowance as a $1,000 tuition discount for practicing Catholic families with need, certified through the parish, and notes that the parish does not subsidize it. Need-based aid is a variable amount set after the FACTS review. A family can be considered for both, but neither replaces applying to Step Up first.
St. Francis Xavier and St. Andrew set their own assistance policies; ask each office for its timeline and whether it uses FACTS. Our Catholic tuition assistance page tracks what we've been able to verify.
When should a Lee family start for fall 2027?
Earlier than most people expect. If 2027-28 follows this year's pattern, Step Up's season opens around February 1, 2027, Catholic school aid applications are due in March, and parish forms follow in spring. A family that waits for the November deadline will still get the state award but can miss the school's own aid round.
A practical sequence: apply to Step Up as soon as the season opens, gather tax documents for FACTS in February, ask your parish office about the Catholic Allowance form in March, and keep the Step Up acceptance letter handy for the finance office. Families with younger children should also ask St. Francis Xavier and St. Andrew whether their pre-K rooms offer free VPK hours, because both enroll from pre-K.
For anyone joining this school year, the new-applicant deadline for the Private School Scholarship and FES-UA is November 15, 2026, with award acceptance due December 15.
Frequently asked questions
Which Catholic schools serve Fort Myers and Cape Coral?
St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers, and St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral, all part of the Diocese of Venice.
How does the state scholarship work at a Lee Catholic school?
The Lee award ($8,779 K-3 to $8,001 for high school in 2026-27) is applied first and paid quarterly to the school; school aid then works on what's left.
What does Bishop Verot offer beyond the scholarship?
Need-based assistance assessed through FACTS, with a March deadline last cycle, plus a $1,000 Catholic Allowance for practicing Catholic families with need.
When should a Lee family start for fall 2027?
By February 2027 for Step Up and by March for school aid, if the 2027-28 calendar follows this year's.
Related questions
- How do Lee families pay for Catholic school?
- What does the Lee award pay by grade?
- Can FES-UA be used at a Catholic school?
- What should I ask a school about its own aid?
Sources
- Diocese of Venice: Find a School
- Bishop Verot Catholic High School: Financial Assistance
- Step Up For Students: 2026-27 FTC, FES-EO and PEP award amounts
- Florida DOE Private School Directory (Lee district export, Oct 28, 2026)
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