September 4 – Many families are just now receiving the hard copy of the Scholarship Acceptance Letter and Acceptance Form in their post mail. If you previously returned an Acceptance Form, you do not need to send another one. Thank you.

Here is the 2024-2025 EDCHOICE ACCEPTANCE FORM.

1. For your scholarship to be accepted, this form MUST be completed/signed and returned to St. Mary School. Please email the form to edchoice@stmaryhp.org.
2. If this is your first-year award, please include this completed tuition check deposit Ed Choice Tuition Signature Authorization.  This form allows St. Mary to deposit your monthly tuition checks in a timely manner.
3. After your scholarship has been accepted, your FACTS Tuition account will be adjusted to reflect your award.  Please allow 7-14 business days for our tuition billing office to process.
4. As Accepted Expansion Scholarship award amounts are updated in your FACTS Tuition billing account, there might be slight adjustments in your balance based on the updated State of Ohio Expansion Award amounts. You can access the Expansion Scholarship award amounts here (scroll down to 2024-2025 EdChoice Expansion Award Amounts by Federal Poverty Level.)
5. The State is formally sending award letters and Acceptance Forms via post mail.  You do not need to wait for the postmail letter.  Post mail is many times delayed!  You can check the status of your scholarship yourself through your parent portal.  Click the icon below for the instructions to set up your parent portal:

May 29, 2024 – YOUR EDCHOICE SCHOLARSHIP AND FACTS TUITION BILL

Our tuition billing office disbursed 2024-2025 FACTS Tuition invoices last week. If you have renewed an EdChoice Scholarship, your invoice will reflect your award amount from the 2023-2024 school year.

• The private school only has access to your 2024-2025 award amount AFTER your scholarship is ACCEPTED in our system, requiring you to return a signed ACCEPTANCE FORM first. Please do not send us information from your parent portal. We must receive your Acceptance Form before we can adjust your tuition account.
• According to recent communication, the EdChoice system is “several weeks away” from the 2024-2025 Acceptance Form being available and “several weeks away” from their system being prepared to process acceptances.
• St. Mary School will post the Acceptance Form on our website and email all families as soon as it is available. After you have returned your Acceptance Form (email to edchoice@stmaryhp.org) and your scholarship is Accepted in our system, the school office will update the Tuition Billing Office with 2024-2025 award amounts, and your FACTS tuition account will be updated accordingly. When this time comes, please allow an appropriate number of business days for us to process.

NEW AND RENEWAL REQUEST PROCESS

RENEWAL Request Form HERE. Please include a current DUKE Energy or Water bill with your submission.

The NEW Request Form is HERE. Please include the following three documents:

1. Current Duke Energy or Water bill to serve as your proof of address.  The utility bill must show both the SERVICE address and the MAILING address.
2. Copy of the student’s Birth Certificate with your submission.
3. This completed tuition check deposit Ed Choice Tuition Signature Authorization.

Please indicate at the top of the New Request Form if you are applying for the Traditional or Expansion (income-based) Scholarship.  Please read more HERE to determine your Traditional eligibility and to access information on completing the Income Verification that is required for the Expansion Scholarship.  Scroll down for info on the Expansion Income Verification process.

Email your New or Renewal request to edchoice@stmaryhp.org

Good to know info:

• **ATTENTION RISING 7th & 8th GRADE STUDENTS –The TRADITIONAL Scholarship eligibility requirements have expanded, and you might be eligible to submit a NEW Request for the Traditional EdChoice Scholarship. If you reside in the Cincinnati Public School district, you are subject to Open Enrollment beginning in 7th grade, allowing you to choose a nearby school such as Withrow High School.
• You might also qualify for the Traditional Scholarship if the applicant has a sibling who received it in the preceding year (that would be this school year, 23-24).
• Please read the 2024-2025 Traditional EdChoice Scholarship Fact Sheet HERE to determine eligibility
• EXPANSION Scholarship Renewals DO NOT require a new income verification submission. Your award will be based on the Federal Poverty Level from your 2023-2024 submission. If your circumstances have changed and it is beneficial to resubmit your income verification, that is your choice.

• Link to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce EdChoice Scholarship webpage HERE.

EdChoice Expansion INCOME VERIFICATION How To:

• LINK here to EdChoice Income Verification Helpful Tips 
• EdChoice Scholarship Program Income Verification Portal Quick Guide
• NEW May 2024! For Families who have not yet applied for an Edchoice Scholarship

  Affidavit for Minimum Scholarship Amount

  Families that wish to only apply for the minimum scholarship ($616.60 for grades K-8 or $840.80 for grades 9-12) but do not wish to submit income information can now complete an affidavit, have it notarized and submit it via the income verification portal. This affidavit may only be used in lieu of income information for applicants applying for the minimum scholarship amount. Once the affidavit is reviewed and approved, the scholarship system will assign an annual household income of $10 million, allowing applicants to be awarded the minimum amount for each child’s scholarship.

Set up a Parent Portal to monitor your EdChoice Scholarship (Traditional and Expansion)