Dear St. Mary School Families,
We would like to share the exciting news with you that St. Mary School is now an EdChoice Expansion Scholarship provider. We are joining many of the other Catholic schools in the Diocese, as well as in Geauga and Lake County, that already are providers and have been for multiple years.
What is the EdChoice Expansion Scholarship?
The EdChoice Expansion program is an income-based scholarship program through the state of Ohio. The scholarship provides students in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade the opportunity to attend a private school for little or no cost whose families meet the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Families who qualify for low-income status (250% or below of the Federal Poverty Guidelines) are eligible for this scholarship. The EdChoice Expansion Scholarship will cover the tuition cost of $5500 in elementary school and $7500 for high school. EdChoice will pay either the scholarship amount or the private school’s actual tuition amount, whichever is less. Families will still need to pay for other school fees.
The application period for 2023-2024 school year is now open and closes June 30, 2024. We suggest that families who qualify submit their paperwork as soon as possible because of how long the application process can take. If you are new to the scholarship, you need to complete the EdChoice Request Form and Income Verification Form. Please view the Federal Poverty Guidelines to determine your family’s eligibility. All of these forms can be found below by clicking on the "EdChoice Documents 2023-2024" link.
Once you are eligible for the scholarship, you can renew it each year through high school. In order to remain eligible, students must take all required state assessments (MAP testing is an approved assessment) and have no more than 20 unexcused absences for the school year.
The EdChoice Request Form is returned to the school office. You must also complete the EdChoice Income Verification Form. That form and the supporting documents are submitted to the state. Please view the EdChoice Scholarship Program Acceptable Forms of Address Proof for supporting documents.
For more information, please see attached documents and/or visit the EdChoice website at http://education.ohio.gov/edchoice.
If you have any questions or would like to further discuss this great scholarship opportunity, please contact the school office at 440-286-3590 or email Mrs. Fedak at [email protected].
Have a great rest of your summer!
Blessings,
Father Scott Goodfellow, Pastor
Mrs. Julie Fedak, Principal