The Ohio Department of Education announces changes to the Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) educational savings account program. Passed in December 2022, House Bill 45 of the 134th General Assembly expanded access and increased grant amounts for qualifying Ohio students and families.
Beginning April 7, qualifying families can receive a $1,000 credit per child for enrichment and educational activities during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years. Allowable activities include before- or after-school educational programs, day camps, music lessons, tutoring and more.
Expanded eligibility includes children ages 6-18 whose family income is at or less than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, who participate in income-based programs such as Medicaid, SNAP and Ohio Works First, or who reside in districts identified as experiencing high rates of chronic absenteeism or include EdChoice-eligible schools.
Administered by the Department and Merit International, Inc., the ACE program provides access to educational activities to students who experienced learning disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Families can visit aceohio.org to apply for an ACE educational savings account and browse the ACE Marketplace for service providers. Educators can use these flyers, videos and other tools to share this opportunity with families.