Understanding AAA Scholarship Eligibility Requirements in Nevada

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the AAA Scholarship Foundation's eligibility requirements for Nevada students seeking educational choice scholarships. It covers various aspects, including income-based, disability-based, and foster/out-of-home care scholarships, application processes, and important deadlines. The AAA Scholarship Foundation passionately advocates for underserved, under-represented, and academically disadvantaged students by providing K-12 scholarships for tuition and fees at private, religious, or home schools.

Available Scholarship Types in Nevada

AAA Scholarship Foundation offers different categories of scholarships, with availability varying by state. In Nevada, the scholarship programs focus on providing private scholarships to eligible students.

Income-Based Scholarships: These scholarships are available in all states served by AAA, including Nevada. Awards are typically based on a sliding scale to ensure the neediest families receive the most assistance. Check the Nevada-specific page for detailed eligibility requirements.

It is important to note that Nevada does not currently have an active ESA (Education Savings Account) or voucher program.

General Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for an AAA Scholarship in Nevada, a student must meet the following criteria:

Residency: The student must reside in Nevada.
School Attendance: The student must attend or plan to attend an eligible private school.
Application Submission: The application must be submitted during the organization's open enrollment period.

Interested households must complete the AAA Scholarship Foundation’s online or paper application and provide supporting documentation to prove their eligibility. The households must meet both the state and AAA’s requirements. Each household member is required to provide proof of income.

Read also: Nevada Scholarship Requirements

Application Process

The AAA Scholarship Foundation typically begins accepting applications in mid-February or March, depending on the scholarship program. The application process involves the following steps:

Create an Account: Applicants must create an account on the AAA Scholarship Foundation's online portal.
Select Scholarship: Choose the appropriate scholarship type based on eligibility (e.g., Income-Based).
Apply: Complete the application form and submit all required documentation.

It's important to remember that during the busiest times of the year, initial processing of applications may take up to 10-12 weeks after submission.

Key Deadlines

New Applicants: The application submission deadline for new applicants in 2025 was Monday, June 16, 2025. Note that for the 2026-2027 school year, AAA Scholarship Foundation will not be offering applications to new households due to insufficient funding.
Renewing Households: The application submission deadline for renewals in 2025 was Monday, June 30, 2025.
Waitlisted Households: Applications for waitlisted households will open in March 2026.

Applications submitted by the specified deadlines will be processed in the order they are received. Funding is not guaranteed.

School Commitment Form (SCF)

Once a household is determined eligible, they are provided with an award letter and School Commitment Form (SCF) for each scholarship student. If your student will be using the scholarship to attend private school, you will complete and submit a School Commitment Form (SCF) to the AAA Scholarship Foundation. The parent or guardian takes the award letter and SCF to the eligible school of their choice and enrolls their student(s). Failure to timely submit the SCF informing AAA Scholarship Foundation of where your student is enrolled may result in a forfeiture of the awarded scholarship. If you decide to transfer to a different eligible private school later in the year, you will need to contact AAA Scholarship Foundation for instructions on how to complete and submit a new SCF. If a household receives an SCF in error or their eligibility is revoked, the private school that has enrolled the student will be notified as soon as possible.

Scholarship Payments and Verification

Four times during the school year, AAA Scholarship Foundation sends each participating school a verification form to ascertain whether the student remains enrolled and is current on any funds personally owed to the school. Four times during the year, schools will be notified to complete a Verification Report and you will be notified to complete a Payment Approval Form. The school will verify that the student remains enrolled, is attending regularly, and if the family is current on any funds personally owed to the school. You will also verify that the student remains enrolled there and authorize payment to be made to the school.

Read also: Understanding Teach Nevada

Once received back, AAA disburses one quarter of the scholarship award in the form of a check made payable to the parent/guardian but for deposit only by the school. The value of the awarded scholarship amount is limited by the state (except for Alabama). By accepting the scholarship student(s) and scholarship payment(s) the private school agrees to repay any incorrectly made or overpayment of funds on behalf of the student(s), regardless of the reason.

Nevada Tax Credit Scholarship Program

Each fiscal year, the Nevada Department of Taxation or “NV DOT” releases $6,655,000 of tax credits for companies that enroll in the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program. The Scholarship Program allows any company that pays Nevada Modified Business Tax or “MBT” (employer payroll tax) to redirect that tax liability to AAA Scholarship Foundation. AAA then uses the proceeds to provide K-12th grade education scholarships for economically disadvantaged children.

The process for companies to participate is as follows:

Apply: Complete and return a short tax credit application provided by AAA Scholarship Foundation.
Approve: The NV DOT will process the request and send the approval letter to AAA Scholarship Foundation.
Claim: The company will claim their earned MBT credits on their next quarterly MBT return.

Each annual Nevada tax credit application season (the “cap year”) opens on the first business day of July. AAA Scholarship Foundation is allowed to begin submitting tax credit applications to the NV DOT on June 15th. The cap year will end when all of the credits are claimed, or the following June 30th whichever occurs first. Each AAA Tax Credit program has individual regulations determined by the laws of that state and the accountability guidelines of the AAA Scholarship Foundation.

SMP Onboarding Process

The SMP (Scholarship Management Portal) system is designed to display scholarship information for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. The 2024-2025 school year will not appear in the SMP. All returning users must create a new SMP account and password for the 2025-2026 school year. To ensure you have access to all the new features and improvements, it is essential that you set up a new account, even if you used the previous system.

Read also: Guide to UNLV Financial Aid

Important Considerations

School Selection: For a private school scholarship, you must first find an eligible and appropriate private school for your student(s). It is your right and responsibility to read and understand a private school’s admission and conduct policy before requesting to enroll your student(s) in an eligible private school. You should not rely solely on the fact that a school meets the state eligibility requirements to determine whether the school is appropriate for your student(s).
Scholarship Postponement: The use of a scholarship cannot be postponed.
Verification Reports (VRs): Verification reports (“VRs”) are released to schools according to the Scholarship Payment Calendar.

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