Lottery Winners

No, scholarships are awarded through 8th grade. After the first year of the scholarship, your family is considered a renewal and will only need to resubmit a registration form via your online scholarship account. Instructions for completing the renewal are sent via email each spring.

1. Proof of income for all adults in your household* – CSFP requires Federal Tax Returns (not state) and statements from the Department of Public Welfare. CSFP does not accept W2s, paystubs, PA tax returns, or handwritten federal tax returns.
2. Proof of address for all adults in your household - You must submit a current lease/mortgage if the address is outside of Philadelphia.
3. Proof of guardianship – Birth certificate or custody order required for all children in the household, including those not receiving a scholarship, unless they are claimed as dependents

All families are required to submit proof of at least $8,000 in annual cash income that is not SNAP and TANF. This requirement is in place to ensure that families are able to pay their portion of the school tuition and other fees. The maximum income depends on your household size. Additional information about income requirements can be found at the link.

All CSFP scholarships are partial requiring families to make a financial contribution. CSFP requires all adults to submit proof of income or proof of no income. Any adult who reports $0 income or not filing taxes will be required to submit a Wage & Income Transcript from the IRS. You must provide documentation for every adult in your household regardless of income status.

If your family falls into this category, you will be required to submit an Under Income Questionnaire before proceeding with your registration. Staff will work with your family as much as possible to fulfill the registration requirements. However, please be aware that families who cannot provide proof of $8,000 cash income that is not SNAP or TANF, may be ineligible for a scholarship.

All documents can be uploaded directly to your online registration form as photos or pdf documents. You can also fax or email (please choose only one method). You must submit the online registration before submitting documents.

1. Our small team must review and approve all registrations. Please allow at least one week to process your registration forms. You will receive an email with follow-up instructions once your registration is completed or if anything else is needed.
2. Your status can be checked anytime in your scholarship account under Registration, Step 3: Financials.

CSFP scholarships may be used at any of our 150+ schools approved for CSFP funding. This includes most independent private schools and many parochial schools in the greater Philadelphia metro area. A full list of CSFP network schools may be found here.

It is the parent’s responsibility to apply, complete the enrollment process, and notify the CSFP office of enrollment for all scholarship recipients by the required deadline.

All partner schools must meet specific criteria to be eligible to receive scholarship dollars. If you would like your children to attend a school not currently on our list please contact jspencer@csfphiladelphia.org for details about next steps. Please keep in mind if you choose to enroll your children in a non-partner school you risk forfeiting the scholarship opportunity.

Scholarship applications are not complete until you submit the online registration, all supporting documents, your registration fee, and have notified the CSFP office where the child(ren) are officially enrolled for the fall. Schools must directly confirm enrollment with CSFP before award amounts are determined. CSFP provides partial scholarships based on income and family size. The minimum award for the 2023-2024 school year is $1,200, per child.

Scholarship award letters are distributed to families and schools online beginning in April.

Scholarship(s) will carry students through 8th grade, as long as:
1. You continue to reside in Philadelphia (Philadelphia County) and meet all other eligibility requirements
2. Your child does not graduate 8th grade

*Families automatically become ineligible for scholarship funding if you move outside of Philadelphia or when your child graduates from 8th grade.

All CSFP scholarships are lottery-based and are not guaranteed to siblings. If you would like to receive an additional scholarship, you must apply to the general lottery by March 1st. CSFP does prioritize siblings of students currently in the program.