Can students receive multiple state scholarships?

Students can only receive one state scholarship. If your son is a current recipient of the Cleveland, Traditional EdChoice, or Jon Peterson Scholarship, the Ohio Department of Education has already increased the value of their award and no further action is needed.

 

​Can families use EdChoice funding in addition to financial aid?

Families can receive both a state scholarship and financial aid from St. Ed's. However, financial aid is awarded based on need according to an assessment by FACTS, a third party provider.  Scholarship funding is taken into consideration when FACTS determines a family's financial need.  This means, previously determined financial aid awards may be adjusted. However, in all cases, the total amount each family owes will be lower with EdChoice and financial aid combined.

 

How do I apply for the EdChoice Expansion Scholarship?

STEP ONE:

Complete the EdChoice Scholarship application.​

• The application must be signed by hand in pen; electronic or typed signatures are not permissible.

• Along with the application, you must submit copies of your son’s birth certificate and a recent utility bill (electric, gas, sewer, or water). This bill must include both the service address and mailing address—and those addresses must match!

• Parents who are divorced or separated must submit their shared parenting plan, as well.

• The application and supporting documents must be submitted to St. Ed’s separately. Please do not scan documents together as a single file.

• Due to the large amount of scholarships St. Ed's is now processing, families are encouraged to also submit a  limited power of attorney form .

 

These documents can be emailed to edchoice@sehs.net or mailed to: St. Edward High School, Office of Admission, 3500 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood Ohio 44107. Applications will be processed on your behalf, and a member of the St. Ed’s team will contact you to confirm receipt within 1-3 business days.

 

STEP TWO:

AFTER completing step one, verify your family income using the ODE Income Verification Portal: 

• Begin by creating an account and following these helpful directions.

  • If you need help creating an account, click here for a video tutorial.​

• The State of Ohio will base your household income on your 2022 Federal Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and the number of dependents in your household. "Deductions" on the Income verification only pertain to child support that you pay out or garnishments. While the Income Verification System may ask for various income documents, the only required document is your 2022 Federal Income Tax Form 1040, page 1. Have a PDF ready to upload. 

• Dependents under the age of 18 may be entered into the Income Verification System as members of your household. If you have children up to 22 years old who are full-time students, or disabled dependent adults living with you, you may list these individuals’ names and dates of birth in the Comment Section next to the parent name. Use page 1 of the tax return for income verification as your documentation (the dependent should be listed there). Under the household member (the head of household) leave a comment that says you have an additional member. Add that additional person’s name and birthdate (and the last 4 digits of the SSN should be visible on the tax return.) The ODE will override the system to add this household member to the count.

• In cases of divorce or shared tuition responsibility, Income Verification should be completed by the court-appointed residential parent for school purposes. 

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TIP: We encourage families to read the Ohio Department of Education's "EdChoice Income Verification Helpful Tips" for additional guidance on completing Step 2.

 

NOTE: Due to the high volume of individuals applying for the EdChoice Scholarship, the Ohio Department of Education website occasionally experiences issues.

 

Who can I contact for help?

Please email edchoice@sehs.net with any questions about the application process. Should you experience problems with the Ohio Verification System, we encourage you to email profile.help@education.ohio.gov.