An incredible return on investment

Tuition and Financial Aid

A Mercy education is truly life changing, and a Mercy education is an investment in your daughter’s future. Mercy is able to maintain affordable tuition rates thanks to our generous donors: alumnae, families, and friends. Their contributions help bridge the gap between the actual cost of a Mercy education and the tuition we charge – saving each and every parent thousands of dollars per student.

• Grade 6:        $10,445
• Grades 7-8:  $13,505
• Grades 9-11: $14,560
• Grade 12:      $14,900

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Mercy offers merit scholarships, need-based aid, and a multiple student tuition incentive. Students who wish to be considered for merit scholarships must have submitted and completed all Mercy admissions materials by February 28. The entrance exam must be completed by the published February exam date.

Tuition assistance applications can be started in January for the following school year. It is highly encouraged that financial aid applications are completed by March 1. Applications will be accepted after this date; however, we cannot guarantee that funds will be available.

Mercy determines scholarship and financial aid decisions separately from admissions decisions. As such, scholarships and financial aid will not be awarded until after a student has been accepted to Mercy and are communicated in a separate mailing.

Mercy’s need-based tuition assistance program is available to help families who may not be able to meet the full tuition commitment. Our financial aid process reviews each family’s individual circumstances and considers many factors – not just income. While financial aid awards vary by family, the average amount of aid awarded to middle school families is $3,000; the average aid awarded to high school students is $4,100. Financial aid is awarded on a yearly basis; families must re-apply each year.

Families can complete a financial aid application during the admissions process but Mercy does not award financial aid until after a student has been offered admission. Financial aid is awarded on a rolling basis after a student has been accepted to Mercy and a family’s financial aid application is complete. Financial aid awards have a deadline for acceptance; a family must register their daughter at Mercy by the deadline or the award will be forfeited.

Financial aid applications for the upcoming school year are submitted through the Mercy FACTS website, will become available on January 2, 2024, and are accepted on an ongoing basis until the start of school. Mercy recommends all families complete the aid application by March 1, 2024. Applications submitted after that date will be reviewed and considered, however, there is no guarantee that funds will be available. Create a Mercy FACTS account here by selecting Mercy as your school of choice when setting up an account.

Financial aid appeals will only be considered if there has been a significant change in circumstances since the financial aid application was completed (loss of a job, unexpected medical expenses, etc.). Appeals must be made in writing to Ms. Peggy Kenrick, Vice President of Finance, at Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, 1437 Blossom Road, Rochester, NY 14610. If you have a question on a financial aid award or the appeal process, contact Ms. Kenrick directly at 585-288-7120 x307 or pkenrick@mercyhs.com.

Still have questions? Click here for Financial Aid FAQs.

Mercy provides a tuition benefit to families who have more than one daughter enrolled at the school. Every family with more than one student enrolled at Mercy will receive a $500 credit toward the tuition of each additional student(s). A financial aid application is not required for this benefit.

A number of academic-based, partial scholarships are offered to students who demonstrate exceptional academic ability as they begin their Mercy experience. Students who wish to be considered for academic scholarships must take the entrance exam by the scheduled February date and must have submitted all Mercy admissions application materials by February 28.

McAuley Middle School Scholarships award up to $500 per year to incoming middle school students (grades 6-8) and the award continues throughout the students’ middle school years. Scholarship recipients are selected based upon the results of the grade-specific entrance exam.

Rising 9th grade academic scholarships are awarded through an invitation-only scholarship application. Invitations are based on a student’s entrance exam results, and in some cases, specific scholarship criteria. These scholarships award a student $500/year for four years, for a total scholarship value of $2,000. Current Mercy 8th grade students are also invited to apply for the scholarship as they enter 9th grade.

  • Sister Mary Francesca Alumnae Scholarship
  • William J. Stoltz Scholarship
  • Presidential Scholarship
  • Circle of Mercy Scholarship

Mercy is proud to recognize a commitment to leadership and promote the development of leadership skills in our students. The Emerging Leaders Scholarships are awarded to incoming students who have demonstrated leadership skills and display the potential to be a leader at Mercy. Each scholarship is a one-year, $1,000 award to be applied toward a student’s first year of tuition at Mercy.

Application deadline: February 28

Notifications:  All complete applications will be reviewed by a faculty and staff scholarship committee. Award recipients will be notified no later than March 31.

Scholarship Application Overview:

The Emerging Leaders Scholarship application consists of two parts:

  • Student essay
    • Carefully review the Mercy Profile of a Graduate. Select one trait from the Profile that resonates with you. In a minimum five-paragraph essay:
      • Describe how you have demonstrated and/or developed this trait, using specific examples.
      • Explain why you feel this trait is important for leadership.
      • Share how you believe Mercy will help you continue to develop this trait.
    • Successful essays will fully address all three prompts outlined above.
    • Essays will be evaluated using the writing rubric found here. Essays are evaluated on meaning, development of ideas, organization, language use, and conventions of language.
  • Recommendation letter – one (1) required
    • Recommendation letters must be from a non-family member. Successful recommendations will be from a person who can speak to your leadership skills.
    • All recommendations must be submitted online. Recommendations are to be submitted using this Google Form.
      • All recommendations must be submitted via this link. Please share it with your recommender so they may complete the submission.
    • Only one recommendation is required for the application. Additional recommendation submissions are optional.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all materials are submitted and that the scholarship application is complete by the deadline. This includes ensuring that the scholarship recommendation letter has been submitted by February 28.

Other Requirements:

  • Students must take the Mercy entrance exam on the November, December, or February scheduled exam date.
  • All admissions materials for the student’s admissions file must be submitted no later than February 28. Admissions application requirements can be reviewed here.

Submission Process:

Application essays can be mailed or emailed to Stephanie Wallace, Director of Enrollment Management, Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, 1437 Blossom Road, Rochester, NY 14610 or swallace@mercyhs.com. Please ensure your daughter’s name is clearly included in the submission and that “Emerging Leaders Scholarship” appears in the subject line of an email.

Due to the volume of applications, we cannot respond to requests to check application status, or to verify that applications are complete.

If you have questions regarding the Emerging Leaders application process, please contact Stephanie Wallace at swallace@mercyhs.com or 585-288-7120 ext. 310.

A variety of leadership scholarships are granted annually to current students based on teacher nominations and a panel review.

  • Colleen Harrington Scholarship: for students in grades 8-12 ($500 each for one year only).
  • Sue Clifford-Alvut Scholarship: for students in grades 6-8 ($2,500 for one year only).

Students applying to Our Lady of Mercy may wish to pursue scholarship opportunities available from organizations in the Greater Rochester area. The Rochester Area Community Foundation provides many scholarship opportunities for both middle and high school students. Residents of the Diocese of Rochester may be eligible to apply for the Reddington Scholarship, in conjunction with Canandaigua National Bank. Children of nursing employees at St. Ann’s Community may be eligible for tuition scholarships directly from St. Ann’s. Our Lady of Mercy is not affiliated with the organizations listed and is not involved in the awarding of or decisions related to third-party or community scholarships.

Experience the Circle of Mercy

To truly understand how life changing Mercy is, schedule a visit. Tour the campus, meet us in person, and talk to our students and staff. From information sessions and tours, there are many ways to learn about the Circle of Mercy.

Your Journey to Mercy