Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) Expands as Program Enters Second Year Administered by Merit

Program funds doubled and eligibility requirements updated for successful education savings account program

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merit, a leader in digital solutions for government, alongside the Ohio Department of Education, today announced changes to the Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) educational savings account program that expands grant amounts and eligibility requirements for Ohio students and families.

Program changes going into effect include:

• Qualifying families will now receive a $1,000 credit per child for educational enrichment activities – doubling the initial credit available to students.
• Families whose income is less than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level are now eligible for the $1,000 credit – previously, household income was required to be at or below 300%.
• Additional eligibility extended to students in districts identified as experiencing high rates of chronic absenteeism or those operating schools designated as low-performing.

The Ohio ACE educational savings account program is administered by Merit and the Ohio Department of Education, with the goal of providing educational activities to students who experienced learning disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once approved, parents and guardians may search for participating service providers in the ACE Education Marketplace, and submit claims for reimbursement using a dedicated app.

“Working with the Ohio Department of Education to launch and support the ACE program has been meaningful work for Merit and we are proud to see the program expand,” said Merit’s Executive Director of Education, Taimarie Adams. “We look forward to continued success with the Department and for the ACE program.”

“Our partnership with Merit paired with the reliability of the technology platform is making this program a success for families and students across Ohio," said Colleen Grady, senior program officer at the Ohio Department of Education. “We’re excited to see the changes to the ACE program. These changes place additional resources in the hands of more Ohio families.”

Families can visit aceohio.org to apply for an ACE educational savings account and browse the ACE Marketplace for service providers. Educational service providers can also visit the site to apply to be listed as a preapproved vendor in the marketplace.

About Merit

Merit, the government modernization company, is creating an interoperable ecosystem for all digital credentials issued by trusted organizations. Our platform allows everyone to access, track, and organize their licenses and credentials in real time. Merit works with more than 1,000 organizations for professional licensing, occupational regulation, workforce development, emergency services, and other digital credentialing needs. To learn more about Merit, please visit Merits.com.