Edchoice Expansion is a program through the Ohio Department of Education that is available for parents of students in private schools based on family income. This has been a blessing for our families in recent years, and I strongly encourage any SMS family who meets the income criteria to take advantage of this program to help with your tuition.
The first thing you need to do if you are new to the process is click here to see if you qualify. If you fall within the guidelines, next you should fill out the Edchoice Request Form. You should turn in the form along with a utility bill (please see the explanation of what is accepted on the application) and your child's birth certificate to us in the school office. We will upload these documents to ODE, initiating the process.
If you are renewing the scholarship, fill out this form, and turn it in to the office along with a recent utility bill (please remember what is required for this) to the office as soon as possible, and we will upload to the ODE portal.
Next comes the Income Verification Process for both first time applicants and renewals. This process has changed from recent years, and there was some confusion last year, so please be sure to follow the process. First you will need to fill out the Income Verification Form. Then follow the directions in the Income Verification tutorial. They also provide this Quick Guide to Access the Income Verification System. Once you are in, they also provide this guide to how to upload income documents.
I realize this will take a little time, but it is definitely worth it. If you qualify, please apply for the scholarship. If you need help, let us know, but the income verification portion, must be completed by parents. I hope this helps, but if you have other questions, or just want to see what ODE has put out on this, follow this link.