The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has asked the U.S. Congress to provide immediate federal aid to benefit low-income students in non-public schools.

The USCCB made the request with more than 150 other civil society and interfaith groups, said Bishop Michael C. Barber of Oakland, California, chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Catholic Education, according to the USCCB website.

Economic losses from the COVID-19 pandemic already have forced more than 100 Catholic schools to announce they will close. Even more are at risk.

Bishop Michael C. Barber of Oakland, California | Wikipedia

“Catholic education has been an integral part of the American experience and a means to lift many from poverty,” Barber said. “That mission is imperiled because of the economic devastation facing many families across the country. As families lose income, they are unable to make the tuition payments that sustain our schools.”

Parishes usually support the schools financially as they are part of their educational ministry. But with no Sunday Mass collections for months, there has been no such support. 

The bishops asked for a new federal tax credit for donations to organizations that grant scholarships. And they want emergency funding to help low- to middle-income, private school families by making direct scholarship aid available.

More than 1.7 million students were enrolled in Catholic schools for the academic year in 6,183 schools. Non-Catholic students make up 19.1% of the schools’ populations and racial minorities comprise 21.8% of the enrollment.