The schools
The Diocese of Brownsville lists Our Lady of Sorrows School in McAllen, St. Joseph School in Edinburg, Oratory Academy in Pharr, Immaculate Conception School in Rio Grande City and Juan Diego Academy, its high school in Mission. San Martin de Porres Catholic School in Weslaco is also in our directory.
All of them were in TEFA
When we checked the state finder, each of these campuses was listed as a participating school. The Mission high school appears there under the name San Juan Diego Catholic Regional High School.
The diocese's TEFA guidance
The diocese posts a family guide to the program in English and Spanish. It explains the lottery tiers, notes that siblings applying together are approved together, and reminds parents that a funded child can't be enrolled full time in a public or charter school the same year.
Aid comes from the school
We couldn't find a diocese-wide tuition fund for these schools, so ask each one. Oratory Academy reported to the state that it offers scholarships, and St. Joseph in Edinburg reported sibling discounts.
Moving up to high school
The award is the same in ninth grade as in first. Families heading to the diocesan high school in Mission often plan to roll an elementary-year balance forward and look at dual credit, which an account can also pay for.
Pre-K at the parish school
Our Lady of Sorrows, Oratory Academy and Immaculate Conception start at PreK 3. A 3- or 4-year-old is funded only if the child meets a free pre-K criterion such as limited English or free-lunch eligibility.
Catholic schools in our directory (6)
| School | Type | Community | Grades | TEFA | Students* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immaculate Conception Catholic School 305 N Britton Ave, Rio Grande City 78582 | Catholic Schools | Rio Grande City, Roma & Starr County | PK-8 | ✓ TEFA | 37 |
| Oratory Academy (Pharr Oratory of St. Philip Neri) 505 S Ironwood, Pharr 78577 | Catholic Schools | Pharr, San Juan, Alamo & Weslaco | PK-8 | ✓ TEFA | 124 |
| Our Lady of Sorrows School 1100 Gumwood Ave, McAllen 78501 | Catholic Schools | McAllen, Mission & the West Valley | PK-8 | ✓ TEFA | — |
| San Juan Diego Catholic Regional High School (Juan Diego Academy) 5208 S FM 494, Mission 78572 | Catholic Schools | McAllen, Mission & the West Valley | 9-12 | ✓ TEFA | 68 |
| San Martin de Porres Catholic School 905 N Texas Blvd, Weslaco 78596 | Catholic Schools | Pharr, San Juan, Alamo & Weslaco | PK-8 | ✓ TEFA | 17 |
| St. Joseph Catholic School 119 W Fay St, Edinburg 78539 | Catholic Schools | Edinburg & North Hidalgo County | PK-8 | ✓ TEFA | 86 |
* K-12 enrollment reported to the NCES Private School Survey (2023-24 or 2021-22). "Not listed" means the school wasn't in the state TEFA finder when we checked on October 12, 2026.
Next step
Take the funding check. It takes about two minutes, and an advisor will call back with each source your family can use and the dates that go with them.