ALL Padua students are now eligible for the EdChoice Expansion state scholarship, regardless of income! How to Apply for a State Scholarship (Cleveland, EdChoice, EdChoice Expansion)
Please attend the State Scholarship Application Drop Off where we will have staff members present to accept and check your documents to ensure they are accurate. Applicants and Renewals are required to drop off the application and necessary paperwork on this night.
Step 1
Complete the forms below and bring to Course Registration
1. Please print the appropriate form from above (Renewal or Request), complete and do not leave any blank spaces.
Make sure the student name on the form exactly matches birth certificate
Sign the application form
2. Copy of Birth Certificate of student (New to a State Scholarship only)
3. Bring a copy of your Utility bill (gas, water, electric)
You must have BOTH the TOP and BOTTOM portion of the bill (that is typically torn off) still attached.
Utility Bill Example (If utilities are not in parent’s name, see “Address Verification” section on Request Form)
NOTE: Columbia Gas bills require both pages
NO CELL PHONE/INTERNET BILLS
Katie Gardner, the State Scholarships Coordinator at Padua, will submit the EdChoice Expansion application documents on your behalf.
Step 2
Complete this step after you receive your conditional approval letter. This applies to EdChoice Applicants ONLY. Complete Income Verification using the Online Portal.
Income Verification Submission (Padua is not responsible for this portion of the application.)
IMPORTANT→ Income Verification only needs to be completed for the 2024-2025 school year if you meet any of the following criteria:
W student to the EdChoice Expansion Scholarship
Poverty level at or below 200%
Desire to change your assigned poverty level from last year
On your own, you will need to submit income verification with supporting documentation. Use this website to create an account and submit income verification. If the reviewers need more information, the EdChoice Office will reach out to you via email once they review it.
Affidavit for Minimum Scholarship Amount
Families that wish to only apply for the minimum scholarship ($616.60 for grades K-8 or $840.80 for grades 9-12), but do not wish to submit income information can now complete an affidavit, have it notarized and submit it via the income verification portal. This affidavit may only be used in lieu of income information for applicants that are applying for the minimum scholarship amount. Once the affidavit is reviewed and approved, the scholarship system will assign an annual household income in the amount of $10 million allowing applicants to be awarded the minimum amount for each child’s scholarship.
If you are having trouble accessing the Income Verification App after setting up your OH ID account, try this workaround link.
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.
Award Letters and Acceptance Forms from the state will be mailed in mid-July.
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
Padua has set a deadline of March 6, 2024 to allow for internal processing and to guarantee submission by June 30, 2024.
You need to complete a Renewal Form and submit proof of address every year in order to renew your scholarship. Income Verification only needs to be completed if income has decreased, or poverty level is below 200%.
Once the Ohio Department of Education notifies us of awards, the Financial Aid Committee may review and modify students’ financial aid awards accordingly.
No, you are only permitted to apply for and receive one state scholarship.
You will still apply for the Jon Peterson Scholarship. The EdChoice amount of $8,408 (as of the 2023-2024 school year) will be applied towards your tuition.
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.
The Padua Business Office can be reached at 440.845.2444.
Income Verification FAQ
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 decreased. 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.
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.
No. Income verification includes the whole family as long as you list all children in the income verification portal.
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. The adult child must be 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.
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.
Yes. Parents must currently submit their income verification through both the Income-Verification app and the ACE app.
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.
