Parents & Guardians

students talking in front of Aquinas Hall

Popular parent questions


We encourage you to start by perusing our website with your student. Talk about their interests — both academic and non-academic — and note the places where St. Thomas Aquinas aligns with their goals and desires. 

Check out our degree programs, student life opportunities, and career services.

You can even take a Virtual Campus Tour together! There’s nothing like an in-person experience, though, so we encourage you to visit our campus with your student. Check out the opportunities for campus visits here.

College applications can seem like a huge, complicated task, but they don’t have to be! At St. Thomas Aquinas, we want to facilitate a smooth process from application to graduation. We won’t just evaluate your student’s grades, either. We take a well-rounded view of applicants, considering their success in several areas of life. 

Your undergraduate student can apply to St. Thomas Aquinas college at any time — we have a rolling admissions process and accept applications for both the fall and spring semesters. Please submit the Common Application here. Learn more about the application process, including the graduate application process, here.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is test-optional. Your student may submit test scores if they so choose, but they are not required. Students will not be penalized or preferred either way.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is uniquely designed to ignite the passion in each student on our campus. We emphasize personalized educational opportunities, community support, and lifelong learning. Our faculty and staff members provide students individualized advisement and mentorship. You can rest assured that we will prioritize your student’s academic success, career readiness, and personal enjoyment of their experience at St. Thomas Aquinas

Absolutely. Our tuition costs are among the lowest in the region for private schools. St. Thomas Aquinas offers more than 90% of our students scholarships and grants as part of their aid package.

Additionally, St. Thomas Aquinas students can apply for scholarships and grants. As a first step, have your student complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form

Learn more about financial aid for St. Thomas Aquinas students here.

All residential freshmen students live in the McNelis Commons (known as The Commons) during their first year. Featuring suite-style rooms clustered around a shared living space, The Commons offers a laundry facility and houses the campus dining hall. 

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors may live in the townhouse-style residence halls of Aquinas Village (known as The Village). The Village offers single, double, triple, and quad rooms with common rooms, lounges, and laundry machines. 

There are specialty housing options such as all-male and all-female residential units. Students may also request specific roommates, and those requests will be honored as long as they are mutual. 

Learn more about housing here

St. Thomas Aquinas knows that supporting our students in managing life tasks is key to their academic and social success. We’re here for them with access to everything from delicious, nutrient-filled meals to card-operated laundry machines. 

The Spartan Grille offers fast-casual meals in the Romano Student Alumni Center while the McNelis Commons Dining Hall features all-you-can-eat, restaurant-style dishes. Students can use their Spartan Card (think a pre-paid debit card) at both on-campus dining locations, as well as several off-campus restaurants. Learn more about dining at St. Thomas Aquinas here.

Students can also use their Spartan Cards to operate the laundry machines in our residence halls.

We’re committed to supporting your student’s health, maintaining their confidentiality, and providing them with the resources they need. St. Thomas Aquinas promotes the overall health and wellbeing of our students in several way, including:

  • The Health and Wellness Services Office: Located in McNelis Commons, The Office is open during the academic year and staffed by a full-time registered nurse. The Office accepts walk-ins for illness assessment, coordination of medical resources, health counseling, health education, and community referrals.

  • The Kraus Fitness Center & Gymnasium: The Aquinas Gymnasium hosts NCAA Division II athletics, intramural sports, and club games, while the Kraus Fitness Center provides all students access to state-of-the-art exercise apparatuses including strength training equipment and cardio machines with advanced training technology.
  • Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS): Located in the Romano Student Alumni Center, CAPS offers free services to current students including crisis intervention, preventative outreach programming, and consultative services.

 

We’d love to hear from you! Email us at admissions@stac.edu or give us a call at 845.398.4100.