EdChoice Scholarship Program

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ALL Padua students are now eligible for the EdChoice Expansion state scholarship, regardless of income!

How to Apply for the EdChoice Expansion Scholarship

Attention new families (Class of 2028 or transfers for the ’24-’25 school year)

You will apply for the EdChoice Expansion scholarship in March 2024, after you have been accepted to Padua. We will communicate next steps at that time.

See the charts below for the Income Eligibility Requirements:

STEP 1: Turn in Request Form, utility bill, and birth certificate to Padua.

  1. EdChoice Request Form 2023-24 – Please print this, complete and do not leave any blank spaces.
  2. Copy of Birth Certificate of student
  3. Proof of Address/Utility bill (gas, water, electric) Utility Bill Example (If utilities are not in parent’s name, see “Address Verification” section on Request Form)

Katie Gardner, the State Scholarships Coordinator at Padua, will submit the EdChoice Expansion application documents on your behalf.

STEP 2: Complete Income Verification using the ONLINE portal.

If you are experiencing difficulty with Income Verification, please submit your paper Request Form and supporting documents to Padua FIRST. Once you receive the Conditional Approval Letter, THEN start (or go back to) Income Verification. 

On your own, you will need to submit income verification with supporting documentation. Use this website to create an account and submit income verification. Appropriate documents are outlined on page 4 of the Income Verification Form depending on your employment. If the reviewers need more information, the EdChoice Office will reach out to you via email once they review it. NOTE: The Income Verification Form is a “worksheet” that shows you what information you need. THIS PROCESS NEEDS TO BE DONE ONLINE – NOT SENT VIA POSTAL MAIL.

  • Here is a video tutorial for using the Income Verification website.
  • If you are having trouble accessing the Income Verification App after setting up your OH ID account, try this workaround link.
  • If you are on the OH/ID website and it does not seem to have the Income Verification app in the app store:
    • Go to your OH/ID portal and open the Department of Education Profile Setup app
    • You may be prompted to login again
    • Click on “View Applications”
    • Click on the blue words “Application Request” partway down the page
    • Under “Request Information,” click on the drop down arrow next to “Adult Learner”
    • Select “Income Verification”
    • In the box below that which says “Reason,” write “EdChoice Expansion”
    • Click “submit”
    • Log out of your account
    • Log in again (you may need to repeat this step twice, the logging out and logging in)
    • Go to “My Apps” in the OH/ID portal
    • Income Verification should appear

When will I hear if I have been awarded the scholarship? What is the timeline?

The What happens next EdChoice document will give details about what to expect. Once you receive your conditional approval letter, you can log in to your OH ID account and click on Scholarship to see the status of the student’s application.

You may not see a status of submitted “Under Review” until late September or October. Award letters and Acceptance Forms may not go into the mail until Late October or early November. Please be patient as both Padua and the EdChoice Office are overwhelmed with applications to be processed and reviewed.

Status Explanation:
“Submitted” – Padua has submitted your application
“Under Review” – The EdChoice Office is reviewing your application and income verification
“Eligible” – The student is Eligible; no Corrections are needed
“Correction Needed” – The application has been flagged for a correction; you may need to submit more documentation to Padua
“Awarded” – The scholarship has been Awarded; the Acceptance Form has been mailed to the family and must be returned to Padua
“Accepted” – You have returned your Acceptance Form to Padua and the scholarship has been officially Accepted

State of Ohio EdChoice Documents

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is there a deadline to apply? Applications will be accepted throughout the school year. However if your application is not received by the Ohio Department of Education by October 14th, your student’s scholarship will be awarded at a pro-rated amount. Therefore, Padua has set a deadline of August 11th to allow for internal processing and to guarantee submission by October 14th. 
I missed the August 11th deadline, can I still submit my application? Yes, you can still send your application to Padua. There is a chance that your scholarship may be prorated depending on the timing of when your application is submitted.

2. What if a family has already applied for an Traditional EdChoice, Cleveland, or Jon Peterson Scholarship this past spring? You do not need to attend a drop off meeting. Everything for renewal families has been submitted for the 2023-2024 school year, if you have already turned in your EdChoice documents to Katie Gardner.

3. Has the Traditional EdChoice Scholarship amount changed? The scholarship amount for Traditional EdChoice has been increased to $8,407. The amount of the scholarship is based on the state base cost for public school districts. There might be a slight adjustment of the amount in the fall.

4. Should I keep paying tuition? Tuition payments should be made in accordance with family’s current payment plans in Blackbaud Tuition Management. Once everything is finalized, Blackbaud Tuition Management accounts will be adjusted and any overpayments of tuition will either be refunded or carried over to subsequent school years, depending on family preference.

5. What happens to my current financial aid from Padua? Once the Ohio Department of Education notifies us of awards, the Financial Aid Committee may review and modify students’ financial aid awards accordingly.

6. Can I get more than one state scholarship? No, you are only permitted to apply for and receive one state scholarship.

7. Does the amount of the Cleveland Scholarship change? Yes, the amount of the Cleveland Scholarship has increased to $8,407. 

8. What if my student receives the Jon Peterson Scholarship? You will still apply for the Jon Peterson Scholarship, but you will receive the award of the full scholarship ($8,407), instead of the previously communicated amount. 

9. If I qualify for both (Traditional and Expansion), how do I know which one to apply for? Traditional EdChoice is no longer the default program if a family qualifies for both programs. A family can choose which program they want to participate in. 

10. Who do I contact regarding tuition payments? The Padua Business Office can be reached at 440.845.2444.

Income Verification FAQ

1. How do I get my income verified? You need to complete the steps listed on this web page. Padua does not do this part for you. You must do this on your own. 

2. Do I need to complete income verification for each child? No. Income verification includes the whole family as long as you list all children in the income verification portal.

3. Do I need to have my income verified every year when I renew my child’s scholarship? If you have a low-income designation (200% or below), then YES, you must complete income verification every year. If you do NOT have a low-come designation, you only need to complete income verification if your income has changed. The percentage determined the first year that the Expansion Scholarship is awarded will carry over each year. If you apply for a new income percentage, that new percentage will then carry over going forward. If your income has not changed, you do NOT need to complete income verification each year that the scholarship is renewed.

4. I have a household member that is 18+ years old. The income verification portal will not allow me to add them since they are no longer a student. What should I do? The EdChoice Office has recommended that these household members be entered as a comment in the primary  parent’s income section. We suggest entering the additional household member’s name and birthdate and status (ex. college student). Any additional information about this household member is also helpful. If the child is claimed as a dependent, you also must provide page one of the income tax return to verify that child is still a dependent. Under the documents box (1st green) in the Household Members line.  Please click the notes “bubble” and add the note “18 – 21 Year old ON FORM PLEASE ADD as family member!” The reviewer can then add them. You can do this even while in Submitted Status.

5. I’m having trouble setting up my OH ID account (Ex. student names not showing up, blank pages, error messages, missing apps on MyApps page). What should I do?

If you are having trouble accessing the Income Verification App after setting up your OH ID account, try this workaround link.

Read through the OHID and profile set up document and the Income Verification Quick Guide linked on this page. Also, we have been informed that the website has a lot of glitches right now due to the amount of people trying to access the site. Know that you CAN continue working on income verification, even after you turn in your paper application. Just keep checking back with the website, and it should clear itself up.

6. I have already completed income verification for the ACE program. Do I have to complete that step again? Yes. Parents must currently submit their income verification through both the Income-Verification app and the ACE app.

7. I am divorced and have a shared payment plan with the other parent. Should both parents file income verification separately? No. The primary parent is who the child resides with (or is the residential parent for school purposes). The primary parent completes the application, and submits their income online.

For more information please refer to the EdChoice website.

State Scholarship Contact

Katie Gardner ’04
State Scholarship Coordinator
Phone: 440-845-2444 x121 or cell 330-485-3332
kgardner@paduafranciscan.net