September 2023 ACE Program Clarifications

The following is an updated list of clarifications provided by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. These are not to supersede or change any previously provided or current ACE guidance but rather are intended to expedite the claim process by clarifying what is and is not an allowable Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) service. 

• Invoicing for Services
  • Beginning September 15, 2023, all invoices for tutoring must include specific dates of service on all invoices. Date ranges are not acceptable.  
  • Invoicing for tutoring is limited to no more than a month (30 days) in advance. 
    
    For example:
    ●    If a claim is submitted on 8/01/2023, the tutoring services for 10/01/2023 or later should not be included.
    •    Invoice/receipts must include all the dates of tutoring service covered by the invoice.
    •    Invoice/receipts may include an additional company letterhead page with all the tutoring service dates listed.
• Field Trips
  
  • Field trips to historical landmarks, museums, science centers, and theaters, including admission, exhibit, and program fees, are allowable expenses. Field trips are educational day trips (out and back the same day) as well as co-curricular trips to Washington, DC (typically 2-3 days) organized by a school. (Co-curricular means the trip takes place alongside what’s being taught at school. For example, the middle school social studies curriculum aligns with educational Washington D.C. trips. ) 
  • ACE is no longer permitting tour/transportation companies to appear in the ACE Marketplace; however, schools or other approved providers may organize and facilitate allowable field trips. 
    
    • Please note:
      •    International trips are not field trips and are not allowable expenditures under ACE. 
      •    The purchase of tickets or services for adults is not an allowable ACE expense. 
      •    Family memberships that include the children’s admission to eligible venues may be an allowable expense. 
• Learning Pods: 
  • For students enrolled in school, Learning Pods services are only applicable during times of school closures, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Parents of home-educated students who are part of learning cooperatives or “pods” should submit invoices for eligible service categories under the home school curriculum category.
  • Learning Pods: A learning pod is a small group of children, typically of a similar age range, who come together to learn. Parents often organize learning pods. Parents may take turns teaching or hire a teacher to provide instruction.
• Learning Extension Centers: 
  • For students enrolled in school, Learning Extension Centers are only applicable during times of school closures, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.