How It Works

If your child is deemed eligible, you will receive a SPF in an award packet after completing the renewal/application process. To complete the SPF, section 1 must be filled out and signed by the parent/guardian on file with the OSP. Next, section 2 must be signed by a school official. After the form is completed by both parties, it must be returned to the Trust so we can place your child at the chosen school. Finally, we will send you School Placement Letter, which verifies the name of the school and the grade that your student is placed in. The completion of this form allows the school of your choice to bill the scholarship and for payment to be issued.

Once your child has been placed at one of our participating private schools, the student's school can bill your scholarship for tuition, and other fees. For schools with tuition amounts that are more than the total scholarship cap, your scholarship will be used to pay for tuition first and no additional fees may be covered. You can talk to your child's school about other options to cover the remaining balance such as additional financial aid and payment plans to spread the costs throughout the school year. If tuition is less than the scholarship cap, then you may be able to cover other school-related fees with your scholarship. Talk to your child's school about other charges that can be covered after tuition. We encourage you to meet with school officials at the beginning of the school year to go over the services that are most important to you and your child.

Reviewing Charges

With each check that arrives to your child's school, we send out the Invoice Confirmation Report (ICR), which details the charges made by the school to your scholarship. It is your responsibility to go to the school and review the charges listed on the ICR with the school official. Do not sign the ICR and check without reviewing all charges - it is your right!

In reviewing the charges you will find:

• The total check amount for the payment cycle 
• A summary of the total charges made to your scholarship for the current school year
• The breakdown of the charges made by your child's school along with how much scholarship money remains
• The payment cycle, and how much your scholarship will cover

There should be no surprises - the charges to your scholarship are based on services and fees you signed up for when talking with your child's school in the beginning of the school year. Contact your child's school if you have any questions. Before signing the ICR and check, you must review the ICR, to be sure the services and fees you had signed up for at the beginning of the school year are what is being covered by the scholarship payments.

School Fees

Your scholarship pays for tuition first. If the tuition is less than the scholarship cap, then ask your child's school which fees can be billed to your scholarship. It is up to each school to decide which fees they will allow to be billed to your scholarship.

Fees that may be covered:

• Uniforms (maximum of $350 annually)
• Before and After Care
• Books
• Field Trips
• Public Transportation (metro rail or bus)

Fees that cannot be covered:

• Punitive Fees
  • Late Fees
  • Parent participation and/or fundraising fees
  • Penalties for student behavior
• Supplies and Select Uniform Items
  • Basic school supplies
  • Computers
  • Undergarments
  • Gym shoes or sneakers
• Other Fees
  • Personal transportation
  • Other items not related to academic success
  • Other fees your school has determined are not billable to your students scholarship

Talk with your child's school to confirm that these fees can be covered by your scholarship. Uniform vouchers are not provided by the Trust.

Summer School

Summer school may be paid for if money is remaining from your student's scholarship after:

• Tuition and all other fees have been paid, and;
• Summer school charges have been billed on time with the Trust by your school. Make sure you contact the Trust well before summer starts to check if any funds are available.

Remember, payments can only be sent to the school where your child is enrolled. To use another summer school program, talk to school officials about billing your scholarship.

Sign up for summer school early! It is your responsibility to check with your school to ensure your scholarship is billed by the third payment deadline and that you have signed a summer school registration form listing the amount you will be charged.