If our school is not listed as a “CSFP Partner School,” how can we get on the list?

To become a CSFP partner school, the requirements are:

Have a physical building and charge tuition
Have a website or full profile with Great Philly Schools
Be registered with the Dept. of Education
Enroll a minimum of 50 students in K-8th grade (< 50 acceptable for Special Education & PreK-K schools only)
Administer a PA approved annual standardized test and provide scores to CSFP upon request
Provide full day classroom instruction with approved curriculum
Be accredited by one of the following Nationally recognized accrediting bodies:

Middle States Association (MSA)
PA Association of Independent Schools (PAIS)
Association of Christian Teachers & Schools (ACTS)
Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
American Montessori Society (AMS)
National Association of Private Catholic Schools (NAPCIS)

If your school can meet these requirements, please contact Jacquie Spencer.

How and when do schools receive CSFP scholarship funds?

CSFP scholarship funds are always paid directly to schools — not to families. Schools will receive split payments for each scholarship recipient, the first half at the end of November and final portion at the end of April. Schools are required to complete an online Student Verification Report (SVR) for each individual student prior to receiving any payments. Instructions for completing the online forms are sent to CSFP’s main contact at the school.

If a student leaves our school mid-year, will that affect the scholarship payment?

Yes. CSFP scholarships are paid based on the amount of time a student attended the school. In some cases, if a student leaves the school before the end of the semester but after the semester’s check has been issued, the school will need to reimburse CSFP for the amount paid for a time in which the student was no longer attending. CSFP will make the necessary calculations and contact you about reimbursement.

Where did CSFP obtain our school’s tuition amount/ other aid amount?

Tuition rate information is submitted directly to CSFP to be updated in civicore annually during the winter/spring. School Commitment Forms (SCF) cannot be completed to confirm enrollment and determine scholarship awards for any student prior to submitting tuition schedules to CSFP staff.

Why does a scholarship recipient on my list have an award amount that is different than CSFP’s tier rates?

As of September 2023, CSFP uses a tiered scholarship system. All students will receive an award of $1,200, $2,400, or $3,200 based on their total household income and household size. Families are still responsible for contributing a minimum of $500 towards tuition. An individual student scholarship may be lowered if:

The tuition being charged to the student is less than the tier they would be eligible for based on household size and income.
The tuition amount minus additional financial aid leaves the family with a remaining balance of less than $500.
The total tuition responsibility for the family is less than $500. In families with multiple students, the required $500 family contribution minimum will be deducted from the scholarship award for the youngest student in the family.

Families at our school begin making monthly tuition payments in May/June/July. Can you please give us a list of scholarship amounts beforehand so we can calculate and reflect the scholarship amounts in their summer billing?

Scholarship amounts become available on a rolling basis depending on when the school finalizes and submits their tuition schedule to CSFP and when the family completes their financial registration. For all new families, registration closes by the end of May. Renewal registrations are always due the first Friday in June. Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee registration is complete and award amounts will become available prior to a family beginning tuition payments for the next school year.

Where may I find School Commitment Forms (SCFs) and Exit Forms?

All CSFP Partner Schools receive access to our civicore database. There, designated school personnel may complete all of CSFP’s required forms as well as track CSFP families and payments.

Schools