Hello, my name is Ronnie Daniel. I am the executive director of Children First Education Fund. We’re going to walk you through the simple steps to submit a reimbursement request for your Carson Smith opportunity scholarship funds.
Step one, log into your parent portal.
Open the parent portal on the CFF website. Use your username and password to log in securely. Step two, navigate to the reimbursement tab. Once logged in, click the reimbursement tab from the main menu. This will take you to the reimbursement dashboard where you can manage your requests. Step three, start a new reimbursement request. On the reimbursement page, look for the green request reimbursement button and click it. Step four, fill out the request form. You’ll see fields to enter the purchase date, the vendor or business name, the total amount you are requesting, and a brief description of the items or services purchased. Be sure your description is clear and matches what’s on your receipt or invoice. It’s also helpful to include any relevant context about the request, explaining how the purchase supports your students education. This helps the team reviewing your request better understand its educational relevance and can make the approval process smoother and faster for you. Step five, upload your documentation. It’s important to note you can only upload one file at a time.
If you have multiple receipts or documents, you’ll need to combine them into a single file before uploading.
Here are some ways to do that. Use Adobe Acrobat’s combine files feature. Try a free online PDF combiner tool. Some require you to create an account.
Alternatively, you can take screenshots of each receipt and paste them into a Word document or Google Doc, then save or export it as a PDF for upload. Your file must meet the receipt requirements.
It should include vendor name, transaction date, an itemized list of items or services, amount paid, and for services, your students name must be visible. Please note, bank statements, credit card statements, and handwritten receipts will not be accepted. If a receipt is missing any of these details, your reimbursement will be denied. You will have the opportunity to make corrections, but until the submission is corrected, no reimbursement will be issued. Best practices for group submissions. To help avoid delays or denials, we encourage submitting one receipt per student per reimbursement request whenever possible. This helps keep requests clear and easier to process. If you have receipts for shared items among multiple students, such as classroom supplies like paper or pens, submit the receipt under each students request and include a note explaining how the items are divided. Avoid mixing personal or ineligible items with eligible items on the same receipt, as this may cause the entire reimbursement request to be denied. Separating students specific items from shared or personal items, either by receipt or purchase order, can help speed up processing and reduce errors. Keeping your submissions organized and clear will make the reimbursement process smoother and help you get reimbursed faster. Step six, submit your request.
Once your form is complete and your documents uploaded, click submit. After submission, you won’t receive an immediate confirmation, but you will get an email notification once your request has been reviewed and either approved or denied. Step seven, track your request | status. Back on the reimbursement dashboard, you can view your submitted requests and check their status. If a request is denied, scroll to the bottom of the reimbursement tab to find your rejected requests. Hover over the information icon next to the request to see detailed notes explaining the reason for denial. If the request was denied because of missing information, you can correct this and resubmit the reimbursement request. Your request may be denied because the CFF team didn’t think it fell under the reimbursement guidelines. If you believe that it should be eligible for reimbursement, you have the right to appeal the decision. Here’s how the process works.
First, carefully review the reimbursement guidelines to ensure the expense meets eligibility criteria.
Prepare a written appeal, including your students name and scholarship ID, a detailed explanation of the denied purchase, copies of all supporting receipts or invoices, a detailed explanation of why you feel the request should be approved. Submit your appeal by mail or email to the CF executive director via the contact information provided on our website or in the appeal policy document. An independent volunteer board panel will review your appeal and make a final decision within 30 days. Please note, their decision is final for the current program year. This process helps ensure fairness and transparency while giving you the opportunity to clarify or provide additional information about your request. Thanks for watching. Remember, you can find additional information about the program on our website at cf-fund.org or you can email our team at [email protected]. or call at 8014698.
