Hello, my name is Ronnie Daniel. I am the executive director of Children First Education Fund. In this video, we’ll explain what it means to be an approved service provider with the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship and what you need to know when selecting or requesting service providers. Why vendors matter to ensure safety for the scholarship children in the program and to maintain proper records. Utah state law requires CFF to approve all qualified providers of services within the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship Program for families using ESA, Education Savings Account funds, including homeschoolers or private school families who pay for supplemental services. Any services that involve direct interaction with your student, must be provided by an approved qualified service provider. This includes any interaction with a scholarship recipient that is one-on-one in-person group meetings or online.
Examples may include therapists, tutors, or academic coaches, learning centers, co-ops, or enrichment programs. Any instructor or provider working directly with your child. Note, this requirement does not apply to product providers for purchases like curriculum, books, or supplies ordered from an online store.
However, any services involving your student directly must go through the service provider approval process. Why approval is required? Service provider approval is a requirement set by state legislation and it helps ensure the safety and legitimacy of all service providers working with scholarship students. As part of the approval process, service providers must submit a valid form W9, which verifies their EIN, employer identification number, or in some cases, a social security number of the service provider. Confirm the service provider is a bonafide entity, even if the provider is an independent tutor and does not have a business license. Acknowledge and adhere to basic safety and security standards for working with students. This process helps protect scholarship students and ensure scholarship funds are being used appropriately. How service providers apply. To apply, service providers can visit our service provider portal at vendor.cf-fund.org
where they’ll complete a short online application. We also have a service provider request letter available on our website that families can download and share with a business or service provider to encourage them to apply.
Most applications are reviewed and processed within a few business days. If you’re planning to use ESA funds for any direct student service, first check our existing service provider list. If the provider isn’t already approved, either ask them to apply through the service provider portal, reach out to [email protected], or call 80146980
for further assistance if they have questions regarding the service provider application process. Reimbursement requests cannot be approved for services unless the service provider has been approved. Requests for unapproved service providers will be denied until they have completed the process. Learn more. You can find the service provider request letter and other helpful tools in the parent resource center or send providers directly to vendor.cf-fund.org to apply. Thanks for watching. Remember, you can find additional information about the program on our website or you can email or call our team directly.
