Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A)
Not later than
thirty days prior to the beginning of the application period, the department
will publish all application materials and guidance for the upcoming fiscal
year and provide training to all approved providers regarding updates and
changes to the program prior to the opening of the application
period.
(B) An applicant
seeking a scholarship for a student who is not a scholarship
participant in the year in which the application is
being submitted shall submit an application to the department in the manner
established and posted by the department
on its website (www.education.ohio.gov) and provide the information
specified by the department
that is
necessary to determine eligibility and
award
scholarships. Such information may include, the following:
(1) Information and documentation required
by the department necessary to identify the
student, including , the
student's first name, middle initial, last name, and date of birth;
(2) Information and documentation required to
identify and contact the student's parents or guardians;
(3) Information and documentation required to
determine program eligibility including, but not limited to the student's
residential address, district of residence, school in which the student is
enrolled, the school to which a community school student would have been
assigned at the time of application, or to which a kindergartener would be
assigned in the school year for which the scholarship is being sought, and
grade level;
(4) Information and
documentation related to the chartered nonpublic school in which the student
has been accepted for enrollment;
(5) Information and documentation related to
the determination of the correct scholarship amount, including, but not limited
to the names of other students in the same household attending or planning to
attend the same chartered nonpublic school; or
(6) An indication, if applicable, that the
student's family income is at or below two hundred percent of the federal
poverty guidelines, as defined in section
5101.46 of the Revised
Code;
(C) A scholarship
recipient seeking to continue to receive a scholarship in the year subsequent
to a year in which a scholarship was received may be required to submit an
application to the department in the manner established by the department and
provide the information and documentation that the department has determined
necessary for the effective implementation of the program. Such information may
include those items specified in paragraph(B) of this rule.
Scholarships for students for whom eligibility has not been terminated pursuant
to rule 3301-11-09 of the Administrative
Code may be renewed until the student has completed grade twelve.
(D) If
any scholarship application includes an indication that the student's family
income is at or below two hundred per cent of the federal poverty guidelines,
the applicant shall also be required to provide such documentation as specified
by the department to verify the income of any and all members of the student's
household. Such documentation shall be specified by the
department and may include, but
not be limited to, copies of federal tax return or
transcript,
W-2 forms, letters of employment
separation or termination, and the final paystub,
and statements of unemployment
benefits, workers compensation benefits, child support benefits,
pension or retirement benefits
received. Additionally, the applicant may voluntarily provide identification
information, including the social security numbers of the members of the
student's household, to facilitate procedures for the verification of income.
The application process and forms shall clearly indicate that the provision of
social security numbers is strictly optional to the applicant, and that
procedures are in place to ensure the confidentiality of the
information.
(E) In submitting an
application for a scholarship, the applicant shall agree to the following:
(1) That the information provided on the
application is true and correct;
(2) For students with family income above two
hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines, that if a scholarship is
received, and the scholarship amount is less than the tuition of the chartered
nonpublic school, payment of the difference is the responsibility of the
applicant, and the applicant may have the opportunity to provide services
in-kind in accordance with division (B) of section
3310.13 of the Revised
Code;
(3) That the chartered
nonpublic school and the department will be informed of changes in family
income that would impact whether or not the student is at or below two hundred
percent of the federal poverty guidelines annually with
submission of the application;
(4) That the chartered nonpublic school and
the department will be informed
within two weeks of any change in the student's
residential address;
(5) That the
student
will not be eligible to receive scholarships in
subsequent years
if a student who qualifies for scholarship under
division (A) of section
3310.03 of the Revised
Code moves outside the current district of residence unless the student
transfers to a new resident district and otherwise would be assigned to a
designated building in the new resident district; fails to take each state test
prescribed for the student's grade level under section
3301.0710 or
3301.0712 of the Revised Code;
or is absent from school for more than twenty days, not including documented
excused absences;
(6) That only one
application per chartered nonpublic school per scholarship program for the
student has been submitted;
(7)
That the applicant has received and understands the policy handbook of the
chartered nonpublic school and will abide by its provisions;
(8) That the applicant agrees to abide by the
dispute resolution process outlined in rule
3301-11-14 of the Administrative
Code;
(9) That the scholarship
amount
will only be applied to the tuition of the enrolling
school and that the parent or guardian may be required to pay other fees and
costs as prescribed by the policies of the school;
(10) That the applicant
will
apply for any and all financial aid or tuition discounts and adjustments made
regularly available to the students attending the chartered nonpublic school in
which the student is accepted for enrollment;
(11) That the applicant understands that any
optional information as specified in paragraph (D) of this rule
provided by the applicant is being provided voluntarily; and
(12) Any other representations prescribed by
the department determined to be necessary to ensure the effective
implementation of the program and compliance with Chapter 3310. of the Revised
Code.
(F) Application for
program participation shall be made on forms or through electronic means as
prescribed by the department. Applicants may designate, in writing, another
entity to submit the application on behalf of the applicant. Such designation
may be made only to entities approved pursuant to rule
3301-11-12 of the Administrative
Code.
